The redevelopment of Whiskey Gulch has always been seen as key to the city of East Palo Alto's economic turnaround. Although the block-long strip of shops, liquor stores and small restaurants on University Avenue wasn't exactly thriving, it was the city's main business area and possessed its own gritty charm.

Weekly staff photographer Eva Soos sought to capture some of it by spending six weeks in the area, roaming the shops and talking to the people who brought their diverse cultures and attitudes to the street. The buildings, now boarded up, will be torn down to make way for three office buildings and a large hotel, which will bring significant tax revenue to the city.

In the meantime, the city has relocated residents from 80 apartments on Manhattan Avenue, and 39 businesses have either relocated or closed down. Whiskey Gulch was also home to a dozen nonprofit agencies that are also relocating. Several of the agencies will be part of a building now being readied on Bay Road, known as People's Plaza.

--Don Kazak

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