Submission

Recently the Barn on Baltimore – a newer bar in Cedar Park – and some signs put up by the Cedar Park Neighbors (CPN) group were both vandalized. The Barn had “FIRST WORLD LOUNGE” spray painted across the facade. The signs – which stated “Cedar Park Neighbors Welcomes You” – had paint splattered on them. The Barn and CPN have been criticized for furthering gentrification in Cedar Park.
The building that houses the Barn used to be the home of a bar and club called the New Third World Lounge; Cedar Park Neighbors played an active role in having the place shut down, paving the way for the Barn. CPN spread racist rumors online that portrayed the mostly black clientele of the New Third World Lounge as dirty, drug ridden and criminal. They actively encouraged people in the neighborhood to file complaints against the bar for minor ordinance violations. CPN would follow up by publishing the contact information of the Licensing and Inspection officials in charge of handling the complaints to pressure the city to fine the building owners. As the building owners received more and more negative attention they eventually succumbed and kicked out management of Third World Lounge and eventually invited the current occupiers to create the Barn in its place.
The Barn, though well received by CPN, was heavily criticized by many residents for replacing a nexus of black social activity with a venue that mostly catered to young white transplants. Initially the Barn made attempts to cater to the neighborhood in the same way that the New Third World Lounge but these soon fell to the wayside. Indeed, the Barn has entrenched itself as a watering hole for the creative class.
With these kinds of histories it’s no surprise people are opposing the Barn and Cedar Park Neighbors.