Sunday 13 May 2012

Gentrification II

Middle-class Upwards are very keen on indigenous culture, and a sense of community, and a village feel, and preserving old ways of life. But they are colonising Newington Green bit by bit, and they and the original inhabitants live side by side, their lives interleaved with each other. People who live in Hathersage or Besant Court, or on the Milton Gardens estate, shop at Costcutter and have a cup of tea and a burger at Jesshops, the Flamingo or the Gate. Turkish people go to the Turkish Social Club and the Basak Patisserie. Upwards go to the Trattoria, the Acoustic, the Cellars Pub (or is it the Edinburgh?). They don't go to the Weavers, but perhaps everyone meets at the Alma, which has Sunday roasts and sport on big screens.

I've filtered pictures of the Green into Set A and Set B.

More about gentrification here. And here.


5 comments:

  1. It's quite nice when it is at that mixed stage. It's when it becomes entirely gentrified that it becomes boring and bland. Must check the area out again, looks really fun. I haven't been there for some years.

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    Replies
    1. You mean gentrification will become "entire"?

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  2. If a place becomes entirely gentrified, where do the original inhabitants go?

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  3. That is a persisting problem, with rising house prices they simply can't afford to live in the area.

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