Are City Centres Dead?

[Ottil]

Went into Sheffield City Centre the other evening, around 7.30 pm, to pick up some tickets. It's my first trip there for about five years. I was amazed at how completely dead everywhere was. I used to work there often and used to go out for post-work drinks etc - it was lively, even during the week.

I got a taxi out again and spoke with the driver - he said it's normal now and that people just don't go out anymore.

I know COVID changed social behaviour, I know cost of living and so on, but still - I expected to see some signs of life. I never go out drinking now, but still, the landscapes obviously changed way beyond what I imagined. There were bars open, but hardly anyone around.

Anyone else? Is it the same everywhere?

Yep - we live near deprived towns and cities - all dead/dying/boarded up shops and empty car parks. But I’m shocked even when I go to more affluent town/city centres lately, they too look depressing and empty…

Yes. Our town centre is a deprived area and there are hardly any people around. There’s not much to buy though - our town is all £1 shops, vape stores and similar.

Agreed. I live in a deprived town of 370,000 people in the NW. Just found out today that our big M and S (only dept store left) is to shut. Absolutely no reason for me to go in town now. No doubt Waterstones opposite will shut as the footfall will drop massively. A guy was stabbed to death last week just round the corner, one of the many homeless and beggars plying their trade outside.

I'd say so.

We not only have roughly a quarter of all shops closed, but the city council have dragged the heels over major infrastructure projects for so long, that people have simply gone elsewhere - music venues and shops have been closed down for so long that the place looks in terminal decline.

We don't have a WH Smith, a decent shoe shop, the clothes look cheap and nasty and even the nail bars are closing down.

I was in Nottingham, it was a Saturday at the end of November and it was heaving. Was amazed it was so busy

We're probably leaving it very late but we're just trying to book for Chinese New Year around Chinatown in London. It's pretty impossible to find any available tables online so we'll need to ring up. Which is encouraging. Hopefully it's busy still.

Time of year maybe? Stayed in a hotel with DD last weekend - in a 110+ room hotel, there were just 4 guests.
Think a lot of people are cutting back atm

I was wondering this, I used to occasionally go to the midnight garage for fags and on a Friday or Saturday night there would be a big queue of people in taxis buying beer and what not. Haven't seen that for years.

I find it really sad the death of not major city centre nightlife. When I was an up and coming teenager in the 90s this town was absolutely buzzing on a night. Wtf do teenagers do now?

Fingers crossed it might lead to a new rave generation (optimistic)