Can the MSM Write Anecdotally About Gentrification Without Being Ungodly Racist?

Don't you just love it when some quippy Business Section jackass at the WaPo decides to tackle gentrification on a small business-level, assumes a positive urban-renewal tone but ultimately just says "IT'S A LOT BETTER IN THIS AREA SINCE THE BLACK PEOPLE LEFT"? Well, we had one of those today, about a liquor store. The subhead: "As Rough-Hewn Area Goes Upscale, Merchant Shifts From Beer to Champagne." What a merrily racist Christmas Eve 'tis!

We'll start our assault on Sarah Halzack's article with a glimpse of the newly whitified Barrel House Liquor store, near Logan Circle:

Inside, though, the store has been changing like the neighborhood around it. Brightly colored posters of Hennessy cognac and Moet champagne hang above shelves lined with Grey Goose vodka, Bombay Sapphire gin and a variety of single-malt scotches. The opposite wall features wines organized by origin: France, California, Australia and Chile, to name a few. Further back, microbrews and imported beers are stacked alongside domestic ones -- all offering hints about its upscale clientele.

Things weren't always this pleasant -- we're talking about the days of the "24-ounce beers":

And yet, the store, owned by Mesfun Ghebrelul since 1995, still bears vestiges of its past, including some bulletproof glass, a phone and podium designated for police use, and refrigerator cases stocked with 24-ounce beers.

But Barrel Liquors got the darkies on the move, especially when they stopped selling those Negro-magnet "40-ounce beers." Huzzah. And believe it or not, the messianic White Developers are trying to emulate Barrel's success! Because what's a wave of gentrification without trying to get rid of the token lock store?:

Downtown Lock Co., a neighborhood fixture since 1960, has received offers from law offices, restaurateurs and art studios looking to buy the property and be a part of an increasingly trendy neighborhood. So far, the company has resisted, but co-owner Reuben Houchens said that with real estate taxes close to $15,000 annually, "it's kind of tough to keep."

Silly Reuben Houchens, there are mid-level lobbyists who need condos and faux-upscale Italian fusion restaurants with shit names like "Ecce." Know your role! Locks and "40-ounce beers" are for the African lessers.

[Deep breath]

Ugh.

 Neighborhood Mixer [WP]