“I don’t think London needs any more ‘gentrification’ ie. more white people, more coffee shops/farmers markets and no property under a million quid? Isn’t enough of the city like that? I like Harlesden how it is, thanks!”
“Bizarre comment! confused”
Not really, in context.
Gentrification doesn’t mean coffee shops, coffee shops are just an indicator that gentrification is taking place.
Gentrification means that the established community are being replaced by people who are paying more money for housing so that long standing residents have to move away once they need a home to accommodate kids. Areas where generations of close knit communities are broken up because adult children cannot afford to live near their older parents.
Areas where the long standing community see their corner shops selling specific cooking ingredients replaced by hipster delis.
In many of the areas listed on this thread the community displaced is black or Asian. It has been well documented. I live in Brixton, where ‘gentrification’ has affected the white working class community and the black community in many ways, from astronomical house prices to finding that all the favourite restaurants are reducing the spice levels to suit a different palate if not priced out by rising rents by property landlords who get more from the proprietors of champagne bars.
The black orientated (but inclusive) clubs and music venues are replaced by wealthy young (white) party goers from all over London.
It really isn’t surprising that gentrification is often called ‘ethnic cleansing’ when tension runs high, and a Texan billionaire trustsfarian buys Brixton market and evicts a crucial community food store.
The champagne bars and restaurants in Brixton teem with a very different clientele in terms of race and class than the people bearing their heavy carrier bags home into the estates.
There is a race aspect and it is disingenuous to deny it.