A Tale Of Two Globals By Sharon Zukin

Sharon Zukin’s “A Tale of Two Globals: Pupusas and IKEA in Red Hook” explores upon the impact of the two types of globalization: IKEA and street food vendors on Red Hook. Zukin concentrates on the changes in consumer culture and trends to examine how they affect the physical layout of the urban space (e.g., restaurants, markets, and etc.), thus becoming a catalyst for gentrification and the creation of authenticity. Throughout the chapter, she discusses many important points. One of which is that authenticity is constantly invented and reinvented with either the interpretation of old and historic or new and innovative. The other thing she stresses is the impact of authorities, the media, and etc. on authenticity, whether it be by interfering with its resilience or by supporting it. Clearly, authenticity no longer has the same meaning as it did in the past, rather now

Thus, making authenticity an economic and cultural tool to obtain power in regards to urban places.
One of the important points Zukin stresses is that authenticity is invented and reinvented due to constant changing interpretations. She delves into this concept by discussing about IKEA, the Swedish big-box chain. In the beginning, IKEA faced opposition and mixed reactions from the residents. However, after IKEA managed to integrate itself into Red Hook, it became a dominant part of the urban place. Due to the difficulty in reaching the neighborhood, IKEA provided water taxis from Manhattan to attract customers. In addition, they made the neighborhood upscale with their massive parking lot and landscape waterfront park. So, despite IKEA being located in a derelict place, it garnered mass attention and