I stopped by Chinatown Boardroom on this month’s First Friday to say goodbye to the downtown art space and surfboard showroom I enjoyed so much over the years. I got to talk to Eric and roughhouse with Enoki a bit, but Jackie wasn’t in when I was there. It’s difficult to write about a shop closure without getting into the whole “economic downturn” thing, but as Eric summed it up, the whole Chinatown scene has changed so much in the last 10 years, and that in addition to the poor economy has conspired against operating a small shop at a profit. Indeed Chinatown has gone from a seedy crime-infested underbelly to a thriving art community, but in recent years (think around when “block parties” started) the vibe has changed toward more of a hipster club scene. Art has become “old hat” downtown. Face it – hipsters only buy dumb hats and fixie bikes and each one fancies himself an artist, so they don’t really support the art communuity: Where hipsters go, the whole iToons-fostered culture of instantly downloadable sub-$5 consumerism soon follows and the idea of creativity is lost.
Eric said they will keep the website and continue to make and sell boards and related goods, but the shop location which he (and a whole lot of other people) loves so much will close at the end of February. It was a difficult decision to close the location, but I agree that it’s better to leave on a good note rather than throwing money at something and ending up hating it. They may reopen somewhere else if conditions are right, but only time will tell. Stop by and say so long. You can get a good deal on the remaining merchandise and check out the last art show before the doors close for good!
So long, friends.
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