When Bohemia Becomes a Business: City Lights, Columbus Avenue and a Future for San Francisco

Abstract

Richard Florida constructed a series of checklists for success: Bohemian Index, Gay Index, Creativity Index and Diversity Index. Yet what is ‘Bohemia’ that is measured, ranked and promoted? Tara Brabazon enters the city that dominates most of the indices of creativity: San Francisco. She explores a street in this city with attention to one specific business, City Lights Bookshop. This special business captures a history of bohemia and demonstrates how it can be marketed.