Brixton has been named as one of the UK’s 30 coolest places to live by the Times newspaper.
Listed number 25 in the feature, published today, the article gives the average house price as £685,000 for a three bedroom terrace. It claims Brixton is populated by “a mix of singles and young families”.
The newspaper says: “There’s a fine line between gentrification and standardisation. Unusually for somewhere so urban Brixton has a great range of independent shops.”
It continues: “Brixton Village in the market has become a foodie destination. And it’s on the Tube.”
The latest praise for Brixton in the national press is sure to add to the gentrification debate, days after Lambeth council approved the loss of any social housing with the luxury Brixton Square development, to be replaced by more expensive “affordable housing.”
What do you think about the accolade? Is it a good or bad thing for Brixton? Leave a comment below, or tweet us @BrixtonBlog.
[…] 30 list – beating the Somerset town of Glastonbury by one place, but coming just behind Brixton in south London. First place went to Hebden Bridge in […]
The social housing estates of Brixton seem to have had endless refurbs and rebuilds applied to them over the 14 years that I have lived there, Angel Town, St Matthews, Clapham Park, Roupell Park: Myatts Field and Loughborough are currently getting a huge faceleift and rebuild – that is certainly not the case in many other areas, you go to Willesden and take a look at the social housing there. Brixton – both sides of the coin are benefitting. For years it was only the socail housing, of which there is a dissproportionately high percentage ( hence all the crime) – now there are some new private developments are everyone hot under the collar becaue there is little new social housing in this one development. Well, in the Brockwell Park development on Tulse Hill there was little social housing and it did not change the mix in the area. As far as I am concerned, Brixton is getting some good press, at National level and this can only be good for the place. It will encourage people to go there and spend their money, and live there even, and do same. The alternative is the grubby past that was quite undesirable also, so let’s give it a go and see if there are benefits. I walked through the town today, and went for a sandwich at the San Marino cafe. It was full of suited people spending money and generating a lively positive environment. I can remember not so long ago, Brixton during the day time was just full of dodgy looking people walking around with no where to go, ,looking down and out and unemployed, and certainly not as mixed racially or socially it seemed to me to be today. We will see how it goes but my impression os very positve. Pity the council itself seems to be letting us down though. The new Square that had all that work and fine finish is deteriarating rapidly and the council does nt seem to care or have a clue how to put it right ( eg.g collapsing road, lights not working, surface of paving really dirty)
what about the people who have lived in bad housing for years with leaking roofs and cramped conditions- not so cool for them is it –movin in a few YUPPIES and some rather expensive foodie places does not suddenlu change the reality of the poor except to widen the Gap between the haves and the Have nots- ‘Camden Town comes to Brixton’ is an uncomfortable mix for some !!!!!!!!!
Hmm a Times readers idea of ‘affordable’ is very different to mine then.
Is there life in Peckham?
Ditto all the above. Please move along, nothing to see here. Next stops – Gypsy Hill, Peckham, Streatham, Tulse Hill, Norwood. They need your help, hipsters.
Meaning, leave Brixton alone now – it”s been given enough attention to be able to continue by itself. There are plenty of other areas that could do with the same ‘concentrated’ attention (which would make them flourish again). Shoreditch is now fine. Brixton is fine. Move on.
Because Brixton has good transport links and the tube takes you to North London in no time – no need to wait for a train for ages.
Why can’t ‘someone’ take the same kid of interest in Peckham?? SPREAD the interest I say; don’t just ‘convert’ one area at a time.
Ah you’re in luck – Time Out listed Peckham as the place to be in London 2013 http://now-here-this.timeout.com/2013/01/13/the-2013-a-to-z-of-london-cool-from-non-secret-bars-to-scandimania/