[rkique]

> The residents group even stopped a comically ugly post-war Tesco from being demolished, pressuring Westminster City Council to designate the Dean Street store an ‘Asset of Community Value’.

Seems like there's a conflict here between the interests of the residents and the general public. I can't imagine eating out every night is something affordable or desirable for the locals.

[junto]

It’s a typical classical gentrification problem.

People move in to areas that are famous for their grubby nightlife and “liveliness” only to then whine and protest about the nightlife and associated noise. Not moving there in the first place never crosses their minds.

It’s a wonderful hodgepodge of bars, restaurants, clubs, queer life, sex clubs, prostitution and general seediness. May it remain so.

[parpfish]

some gentrifiers are pulled into 'grubby, lively' neighborhood because they're attracted to those qualities. these gentrifiers won't complain and will likely try to preserve those attributes.

but there's another class of gentrifiers that aren't pulled into these neighborhoods. rather, they are pushed out of the places they'd like to live and have to settle for the grubby lively neighborhood. these are the ones that complain because they don't really want to be there in the first place.

people don't like to talk about this distinction because they like to treat all gentrifiers as invaders/colonizers without realizing that many of them are also displaced from their neighborhoods

[jdietrich]

The cheapest flat currently for sale in Soho is listed at £525,000. If someone has been displaced to one of the most expensive neighbourhoods in Europe, I will play them a song on the world's tiniest violin.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/144599747#/

[dijksterhuis]

> but there's another class of gentrifiers that ... are pushed out of the places they'd like to live and have to settle for the grubby lively neighborhood. these are the ones that complain because they don't really want to be there in the first place.

In my experience, these people are fine. They suck it up and get on with it, grateful to not be living in a cupboard... or sofa surfing ... or homeless. Or they move on.

The complaints usually begin with one of

- people who moved to the area after reading a Time Out article about how "cool" the area is

- property developers

- people moving into the new builds built by said property developers

Soho is a bit of an odd one though. Been that way for time.

[euroderf]

The whiners are looking for windfall gains. Like people buying houses under airport landing paths.

1) Get it on the cheap cos it's noisy (or otherwise unpleasant in some specific way) there. 2) Use various legalistic/lifestyle pretexts to drive away the source of discomfort. 3) Profit!

[graemep]

I used to live in Covent Garden many years ago.

I had a neighbour who constantly, vociferously, and once or twice mildly violently, complained about noise. I had no idea why he chose to live there.

I am not sure they are looking for windfall gains. I think a mixture of stupidity and wanting to have everything ("I want to live in a lively city centre with lots of places to go out to in the evening that is quiet when i want to sleep").

[88]

Same as those advancing the anti-motorist policies mentioned in the article.

Buy property on the cheap because it’s on a busy road. Campaign to have the road fully/partially blocked to motor traffic, and/or speed limit reduced to something ridiculous (20mph) so motorists end up using other routes to make progress.

If challenged, claim it’s all about the safety of children walking to school. You’d have to be a monster to deny those windfall gains.

[throwaway22032]

Having lived in an area like this, it's not just a matter of money but more that having a relatively local store is an essential service which all of the restaurants in the world don't make up for.

It's Monday morning and you want to buy, I don't know, paperclips, loo roll, a bottle of bleach, etc. You don't have a car because you live in Soho so you can't just load up at the weekend with everything.

I don't really understand how the supermarkets make money in areas like this to be honest, it's always seemed as if just selling up would be more profitable.