kalibuzz
downtown
exactly in the sense that it looked like a run down shithole, with piss alley next to it, why so pedantic???
Crown and Anchor pub, Brixton Road, Brixton goes card-only
- Thread starter boohoo
- Start date
kalibuzz
downtown
he got the gist of it, imagining a total transformation from a run down pub serving the older generations winos to a hipster/yuppi space where the old drinkers get priced out from, which is exactly what happened. just stating a fact, that's all.
editor
hiraethified
The pub was falling apart and soon to join the growing list of closed pubs in Brixton. A group of people pooled their resources together to save the pub and provide something that had a real prospect of staying open and serving the area.
It's almost impossible for small independent boozers to compete with the big breweries on discount pricing, but with the cheapest ale priced at £3.30, a sit down with half a pint is hardly beyond the financial realms of most folks.
Instead of digging up four year old comments about yuppification to have a sneer at the place, I'm just happy it's still there for the local community to enjoy.
Brixton Hatter
Home is south London mate
To be fair, the old Crown & Anchor was often just populated by one man and a dog. Which is why it closed down.
editor
hiraethified
So what's your argument? You'd rather the pub had closed because you personally object to the fact that it's now not serving the cheapest beers in town?
editor
hiraethified
Indeed. The only time I'd ever seen it busy was when they did the odd punk gig there - the rest of the time it was just a run down pub marking out time before its inevitable conversion into 'lifestyle flats.'
Crispy
The following psytrance is baṉned: All
good luck with that
kalibuzz
downtown
well the inhabitants of the life style flats need somewhere to drink, too?
Brixton Hatter
Home is south London mate
One of the sad things about all this is that many of the new drinkers I've talked to in the Crown & Anchor never even went in to the pub before, despite living very close to it for reasonable periods of time. I know the old place didn't look very welcoming from the outside (you couldn't see in through the windows/doors) but I personally find it extremely difficult to not go in a pub which is right next to my house!
editor
hiraethified
I think I'll wait until you manage to come up with a point that makes some sense, preferably without recourse to pointlessly dredging up four year old quotes.
Monkeygrinder's Organ
Dodgy geezer swilling vapid lager
Actually I think it's a good example of the complexities of the gentrification debate. It really isn't for 'hipsters and yuppies' in my opinion. The cheaper end of the beer sold is about the same price as most places (including the older local pubs) and given that the place has been closed for years it hasn't squeezed out a much loved local. Seeing as no-one in their right mind would attempt to recreate an old, mostly empty pub, due to the economics, and I'm not sure you could properly recreate that sort of atmosphere in a new place even if you wanted to, it's probably about as good as you could hope for in that location from most viewpoints.
But is it gentrifying? It definitely is. It will attract more people and make that area more desirable and ultimately contribute just a little bit to pushing up prices.
But is it gentrifying? It definitely is. It will attract more people and make that area more desirable and ultimately contribute just a little bit to pushing up prices.
editor
hiraethified
That process is already well under way - look at the big blocks being built next to JAMM. I wonder how long it'll be before those new residents start lodging complaints about the noise too (a la Duke of Edinburgh).
Crispy
The following psytrance is baṉned: All
The new flats next to Jamm have been complete for years now. The new ones are a good 50m away so shouldn't be a problem as far as noise complaints are concerned.
kalibuzz
downtown
I might not make sense to you and whether what I have to say is pointless or not is open to debate. Or maybe you are Judge not Editor?
Brixton Hatter
Home is south London mate
Couldn't agree more.
I don't think the pub itself is 'gentrifying' necessarily. Wealthy young professional people already live in the area because of the relatively good value property/new property and proximity to the tube. But there was nowhere around there where they were spending their money. Now the pub has opened some of the community is out drinking in the pub, instead of sitting in front of the telly or doing whatever it was they were doing before. It's just more visible perhaps.
Crispy
The following psytrance is baṉned: All
Without a doubt. The new owner knew exactly what he was doing when he bought this place.
kalibuzz
downtown
exactly. now they don't need to go to Clapham anymore
Brixton Hatter
Home is south London mate
Yep....as I predicted earlier in this thread. He even waited 6 months and let the squatters stay in the pub for a bit whilst the flats opposite were being finished. There's a whole load of new flats being built round the corner on Robsart Street, with a load more finished about 6-12 months ago. There's probably at least 1000 additional, relatively wealthy people living in that area than there was a year or two ago.
Monkeygrinder's Organ
Dodgy geezer swilling vapid lager
Fair point but I do think it's part of the process. Obviously it's not as simple as 'new pub opens, prices go through roof, area becomes trendy' (although some of the Brixton Village threads veer in that direction) but it is another small step that way IMO.
kalibuzz
downtown
True, I went to see the layouts some years ago in Stockwell Community Centre, as some of the flats had to be social housing. When I questioned the developer about the open kitchen designs which is often not suitable for large families and undesired as well due to cooking smells he made it quite clear that they were designed with professional people in mind, they go and eat out. Well counsil tenants can go live outside of London then ..
editor
hiraethified
The noise complaints may well come from people leaving the pub and thus upset the nu-residents. A friend of mine had a proposed venue in Loughborough Junction refused for that very reason, despite the fact that the nearest housing was some distance away.
editor
hiraethified
The presence of newly-arriving, relatively wealthy people in the area doesn't always guarantee the survival of a pub though. Sadly.
Brixton Hatter
Home is south London mate
Same as the redevelopment of Myatts Field North estate.
But it's part of a vicious, or virtuous, spiral of gentrification. Professional people move to a working-class area because it's well-located for the tube and the property is cheap. Enterprises spring up to serve them - whether it's in Brixton Village or Brixton Road. The existence of eateries and revitalised pubs just makes the area even more attractive to professionals, pushing prices up further.
Often though it goes too far. High prices push up mortgage costs, punters cut back on discretionary spending such as pubs and eating out, businesses go bust, the place gets run down again. It's happened often enough round here before. However, I do think we are seeing a long-term revival of the inner cities driven largely by rising fuel costs which make suburban living less attractive. A generation ago, yuppies moved out of Clapham to breed in Godalming; now they stay into middle-age, so the next cohort that would have taken their place has to look at places like Brixton.
editor
hiraethified
Have you been to Clapham recently? I don't think this pub is much like what's popular there.exactly. now they don't need to go to Clapham anymore
Brixton Hatter
Home is south London mate
Yeah I think that's fair enough. The pub is a sympton of a process that has been going on for years.
kalibuzz
downtown
so out of 808 new built homes, 146 will be affordable. wow
Brixton Hatter
Home is south London mate
Yeah - and that's "affordable". As in, the only way you can afford it is to buy a mere 25% of it and rent the rest off the developer. So definitely not social housing. And only "affordable" to people with relatively good incomes anyway.
