To hate what's happening to London?

[AWholeLottaNosy]

I moved to London in 1989, it was a great place, full of interesting, arty people, lots of cheap things to do, festivals, clubs, shops, museums. I loved the quirky nature of so many different areas, Camden market, Soho, Notting Hill market at the weekend, the urban grittiness of places like Brixton, Hackney etc. however I can't afford to live in London anymore and feel so sad that all these great places are slowly and surely just becoming one homogenised mass of chain stores, 'luxury flats', unaffordable to most Londoners and the things that made London a great place to live in, shops, markets, clubs, music venues, diversity etc are just vanishing. Boris Johnson obviously not only doesn't give a shit but is actively encouraging this, especially the building of flats just to be bought ( and not even lived in) by foreign investors.

I guess this can't be stopped but I do feel sad about it and wondered how other Londoners felt about it..?

Ah but East London is now "up and coming" apparently.

sorry indecisive we don't go out to eat at expensive restaurants. Rather than we are housebound. Might as well live up north then shudders

I do see your point but London has always been unaffordable to the average person- kent and Essex are packed full of people of all generations who grew up
In London and moved out to get space/ buy.

I think your attitude to London changes as you get older. When you're young and starting out it's ok to live in a shared house or shitty bedsit. People still do this. When you're older it's hard. Accept buying a 2 bed flat in new cross or a 3 bed house in kent- hmmm.

Places like new cross, cricklewood
Etc are the new shit holes Brixton/ hackney once were. It's always been thus.

Essex has had pie and eel shops ever since they cleared the East End slums after WW2 and moved people out to places like Basildon.

Ah ok

We go out for a really fancy dinner once in a blue moon.

I reeeeally want to stay in London.

I still know a bare few people in my street. There is no "community" its gone. I would mix with anyone but the up and coming won't mix with us.

But the east end has always been 'poor' traditionally.
I worked in an estate agents about 6 years ago, £1.2 million for a studio flat in Brick Lane
There was plenty or 'relocating' during the olympics, but instead of knocking things down like they said they would, they've been done up amd sold...

I go to cheap places. There are cheap cafes and akl you can eat buffets. Parks, libraries and most museums are free as are comedy nights at Kings Cross.

The lack of community thing is a myth - my street has a great community. We have an annual street party and say hello to each other and everything. Just takes a little longer sometimes to get to know people as they tend to work such long hours.

I luvs London

When I was 21 I lived in South Kensington in a flat share. I was paying £50 per week. I didn't have much spare cash but still enough to eat at trendy restaurants, go to bars and holiday once a year. I can't imagine this is possible for a 21 year old on a crappy salary now. This was 20 years ago.

I like living in the burbs and can still get into London quickly, my dad lived in the East end as a child.

YANBU. I lived in London in the late nighties, and even though it was expensive, there was still an edginess to certain areas.

People say the same thing about NYC, too.

The late nineties!

It's alright to visit ( I live on outskirts in Kent) but I wouldn't want to live there. Each to his own I suppose.

Caroniam i am perfectly average too! Well wage-wise but l do have DH so dual income and have managed to buy here.

But I think you are romanticising London. Maybe it's you that's not diverse enough for London anymore, maybe you are bored here and need a change?

At the moment people want to live in London, with dc and short commutes. In 20 years this may change again and families will be chomping at the bit to leave. So of course areas will gentrify.

The lack of community is not a myth where I live in Fulham. Like I said, give it 50 years and there won't be one working class person left.

YABU

I am from here and live here. Not on a huge wage. Own my flat, it's not in a block where I'm going to get a huge bill from a management company or anything due to the type of property it is.

There are still plenty of 'edgy' places around, loads you can do for free, but just in different areas than 20 years ago

People are making theatre, music, dance, art, projects, it's not all twatty hipsters with rubbish beards.

Areas will Gentrify

Elton: Places like new cross, cricklewood
Etc are the new shit holes Brixton/ hackney once were. It's always been thus.

This is plain offensive to the communities of Brixton - New Cross etc. Now and in the past - particularly when such areas were experiencing social instability with the establishment.

Yes such places do still suffer from social deprivation but its not all bad - not everyone cherishes the idea of a suburban idyll.

By 'they' I mean the council.
There was big thing about Tower Hamlets and Newham sending all their homeless to Birmingham and Manchester. Hence the 'cleansing' of the 'undesirables'.

Still enough of a mix in SE London for it to feel like a city for any one.

And enough difference and pockets of interest around London to keep me going for a fair while.

Baton Rouge. I mean scruffy, gritty, urban, dangerous. Like notting hill et al used to be. Chuck harlesden in there too. I expected that to gentrify 10 years ago but it's still very er, real

We lived in London but had to move because of the rent. Sadly the rent outside London is now creating up too.
London's not worth a hand to mouth existence if you not in your own place or council.

i've got lots of family in (North) London and I adore going to stay with them so I hope they never move Older generation who were lucky enough to buy are fine, my sis and her partner will probably have to move further out if they want to buy a family home- that is a bit sad. I don't like to think that ordinary people won't have babies/ bring up children in London - It's a wonderful (and surprisingly friendly) city imo.