Cuenca is showing symptoms of gentrification; Two restaurants keep local traditions; Orchestra concerts are available on YouTube; High wind warning

Gentrificación, Cuenca tiene los ‘sintomas’ – For many, this can be an incomprehensible word of minor importance. However, Cuenca is feeling this phenomena and should start talking about it seriously. What it is, is a process in which certain neighborhoods, usually traditional or historic, become attractive to people with high purchasing power <like gringos?>. This raises the prices of housing, rent and services which ends with direct or indirect displacement of the original residents of the area. The most noticeable symptoms are the increases in land prices, the loss of population in the historic center, more housing units than households, 3,000 properties listed on Airbnb, and the highest basic basket of goods in the country.

An architect and former Cuenca municipal council member is warning that gentrification is changing the character of the historic district.

Architect Ecuador Álvarez, ex-councilmember, and ex-president of the Federación de Barrios said that gentrification in Cuenca is not a recent phenomena. The process has been incubating for decades with the Centro Histórico emptying out for many years. This was not due to the massive influx of tourists, but several factors including a lack of public incentives, changes in the use of houses, and the preference of owners to rent to businesses or tourist projects. <I’m assuming you already have a Carnaval water pistol. Now you can use it off season to shoot at tourists as locals are doing in Barcelona.> For Álvarez, the problem isn’t private investment per se, but the lack of public policies that prioritize residents over the “postcard.”

The idea that tourism brings prosperity has been sold, but that is no more than a fantasy if those who live here are not thought about first. While he was president of the Federación de Barrios, he could see the first signs of displacement: increase in vehicular traffic, demand for better services, insecurity and the loss of the sense of community that eroded the life of the barrio. Progress brought new aspirations, but also fragmentation. The solidarity that used to be a characteristic of the barrios was substituted with one based on individualistic thinking <the Americanization of Cuenca>.

Ex-mayor Marcelo Cabrera promoted a comprehensive restoration of heritage during his two terms as mayor including streets in the center, plazas such as San Francisco and el 9 de Octubre, the Museo Remigio Crespo Toral, the Escuela Central and more than 30 historic homes. He said the projects did not displace residents, but allowed the citizenry to promote their own projects around the municipal projects. However he recognized that the city now confronts gentrification with increases in the cost of living and land values due to the arrival of foreigners <like gringos?> and people from other provinces with greater purchasing power.

This phenomena is not explained solely by the declaration of Cuenca as a World Heritage Site, but also because of urban growth and Cuenca’s international reputation. For him, the challenge is to balance historic preservation with the permanence of the original residents. The future of the Centro Histórico should maintain its historic nature without being converted into a space exclusively for the few with a fair balance between investment, tourism and social cohesion.

Sinfónica abrirá Sala Digital de Conciertos – The Orquesta Sinfónica de Cuenca presented the Video Games Sinfónico on their Sala Digital on YouTube last week. The concert interpreted pieces of iconic music from well known video games in orchestral format. <Unfortunately, not known to me, an infamous digital dunce.> The Sala Digital de Conciertos is a way for the OSC to reach audiences outside of physical performances. The concerts are free and you only need to subscribe to the orchestra’s YouTube channel.

Joyas de la gastronomía local – From grandmothers’ recipes to cutting edge restaurants, Cuencanan food is a treasure worth the effort to discover, taste and enjoy. El Chagrillo is a new restaurant in the Casa del Parque (Luis Cordero y Bolívar) which combines a colorful and innovative setting, with iconic local dishes. The interior design is a work of art with details from olden times. <The photos look like something your grandmother would be comfortable in, if she were rich.> The menu includes iconic foods such as tamal, caldo de pata, papas con cuero and roast meats. It manages the concept of the pampamesa where different dishes can be shared among the diners. <When I grew up that was known as family style — everything in the middle of the table and you served yourself.> Drinks also include local flavors such as an arroz con leche cocktail.

El Tequila is another restaurant, started in 1977 in San Joaquín, which moved into an historic house at Gran Colombia 20-59 y León XIII. The restored house is decorated with wood elements, lamps and folkloric objects. The traditional recipes have been handed down over generations and each dish is prepared with carefully selected ingredients fresh from the mercados. One of its most popular dishes is grilled pork and side dishes of mote pillo and mote sucio, habas con queso, locro de papas, llapingachos, papas con cuero and seasonal desserts. The restaurant is a destination for tourists, government officials, priests, business people, athletes and celebrities.

Alerta sobre presencia de fuertes vientos – The Instituto Nacional de Meteorología y Hidrología (Inamhi) issued an alert for high winds in the provinces along the spine of the Andes including Azuay. Less affected will be the higher areas of the Amazonian region. Inamhi warned that winds could blow materials and roofing tiles off roofs, prolong trips through the páramo, and affect crops and electrical networks. It said that the gusts are due to the narrowing of the pressure gradient, causing masses of colder air from the south of the continent to move into Amazon region. The phenomena is related to the southern winter and the contrast with warm and humid air masses on the Coast. <So hang onto your hat while you’re out walking.>