Flash new-build apartments like the stylish Dalston Square (pictured) have altered the appearance of many an east London neighborhood but some long-time residents say they have been priced out by the changes.A little over 30 years ago, Dalston was just another gritty, working class neighborhood to the northeast of central London.
Today, boutique cafes dot the high street, hipsters with delicately manicured beards saunter about on fixie bikes while flash newbuild apartments rise high above the local train station.
“It’s just such a cool place with lots of creative people,” said 23-year-old Amy, a fashion student originally from France who lives nearby.
A short bus journey south reveals a similar story in Shoreditch, the nerve-center of east London’s flourishing tech hub and home to the newly developed “Silicon Roundabout.”
Like in Dalston, local council initiatives and business incentives have enticed nascent start-ups and ambitious young professionals in the creative and tech industries to the area.
A glimpse through a ground level office window reveals a group of twenty-somethings lounging around on bean bags as they daintily tap away at Macbooks and tablets. Across the room, another casually dressed bunch huddles around a table tennis table with bats in hand ready to brainstorm. ….
