Want proof? Just look around the Bay area.
by Linda Saul-SenaRichard Florida, guru of “The Creative Class,” established the now-conventional wisdom that artistic, bohemian and gay populations increase housing values in the neighborhoods and communities they inhabit. To prove this thesis empirically, he developed the Bohemian-Gay Index.
I don’t have the patience for social scientists and their number-crunching. Anecdotal evidence is good enough for me, and I’ve recognized this trend for years, seeing neighborhoods improve dramatically when LGBT residents move in.
The potent combination of design consciousness, discretionary income and devotion to home and garden contribute to this phenomenon. Gay homeowners are often urban pioneers, equipped with the vision to purchase rundown houses and invest energy in their transformations.
The ripple effect of these individual investments is multiplied by the synergy of civic organizations, organized by these pioneers. Politicians respond well to groups making requests. The collective impact of a neighborhood organization trumps a well-heeled individual.
The first Tampa Bay neighborhood to benefit from gay urban pioneers was Hyde Park in the 1970s, when slumlords held sway and most banks shied away from mortgages there. Residential investments — like a bungalow two blocks from Bayshore Boulevard selling for $20,000 — were tackled by hardy souls willing to take a risk.
Next, Seminole Heights was discovered by brave, visionary investors. The poster child for effective grassroots advocacy, Seminole Heights is a tight-knit community in which residents collaborate on a number of projects and initiatives, ranging from the farmers’ market to porch dinners to Saturday bike rides to a home tour. Over 200 attend civic association meetings, and hundreds crowd the corridors of City Hall when Tampa City Council is considering a contentious zoning issue affecting their area.
Ybor City and the V.M. Ybor neighborhood have subsequently found favor with LGBT homeowners. Tampa’s newest hot area is Riverside Heights, which will be linked to the other areas by the proposed Green Artery, bike and pedestrian trail.
Tony LaColla, Ybor Civic Association president, urban planner and neighborhood activist, credits the GaYbor District Coalition with attracting gay residents and investors with its enthusiastic and ongoing marketing of this historic neighborhood to the gay community. Typical suburban obsessions with schools and large grocery stores were outweighed by such urban assets as walkability, authentic materials and proximity to cafes.
In St. Petersburg, the corollary between an influx of gay homeowners and an increase in the value and quality of the area holds true in several historic neighborhoods. Kenwood, Roser Park, and the Old Northeast began to see such a transition two decades ago, and the infusion of capital, elbow grease, commitment and vision has resulted in marked improvements.
“St. Pete’s Neighborhoods Department forced people to interact, so the straight owners got to know their gay neighbors,” explained Brian Longstreth, Grand Central District pioneer, real estate investor, and proprietor of Gay St. Pete House, a popular bed and breakfast. The proximity of residents and gay-owned businesses due to mixed-use zoning in the Grand Central District also spurred reinvestment.
He credits the neighborhood’s success as well to the social aspect of Historic Kenwood, where monthly potluck porch parties encourage neighbors to get to know each other away from the minutiae of civic association meetings. Gradually, the area’s demographics shifted from 80 percent investor-owned to 80 percent owner-occupied homes.
Other Pinellas County locales with a gay village vibe include Dunedin and Gulfport. These areas have upped their game in the last decade with independent bars, restaurants and shops joining the cottages in creating a Rainbow Small Town image.
Despite Florida’s backward governor, most urban settings are quite diverse and open to all. The rural parts of Hillsborough County feel like the Deep Bible Belt in terms of openness and acceptance, but who would want to live so far from cafes and decent cheeses?
Gay men and lesbians live everywhere, including soulless suburbs, but their real estate instincts are honed to seek out character and potential. The neighborhoods with history, stories and detail tend to get the nod. The focused attention of gay residents on their homes is potent, and a sure sign of good things ahead for their neighbors!