Ten years ago, the Funk Zone was a bohemian enclave where impoverished artists packed into makeshift studios a block from the beach. Second stories were hastily built without proper permits. Homeless people slept in alleyways. The plumbing was erratic.
Today, the rustic sign from the defunct Divers Den hangs like a slice of nostalgia at the refurbished Municipal Winemakers. The proliferation of wine tasting rooms — more than 10 new ones since 2009 — and recently opened craft beer spots — four of them — has overwhelmed surf shops and clothing stores already struggling to compete with the Internet.
The hair salons and so-called creative agencies that used to be quietly tucked into the back unit of the Anacapa Street building have been forced to relocate to the Eastside and upper State Street. The gritty old-school weights gym, Fisher Strength & Health, moved uptown. The Castagnola family’s fish market, once a hub for fishermen and consumers, is now a popular upscale restaurant — The Lark — where patrons sip crisp cocktails and munch on soft pretzels topped with bone marrow.