There was a time when the words “London Fields” came with a warning rather than a recommendation. Today, it’s more likely to appear on a list of London’s most desirable postcodes than in tales of places to avoid. But for the people who remember what London Fields used to be, the transformation tells a more complicated story than trendy cafés and soaring property values ever could.
It is no understatement to say that London has changed significantly over the last 20 years. As the population has grown and more people have called the capital home, areas have changed.
Several areas, such as Walthamstow and Peckham, are examples of gentrification and change. Another would be Hackney but in particular, London Fields. Hackney, as a whole, used to be a place where, back in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s, people would say ‘don’t ever go to Hackney’ because it was classed as dangerous. Now, it is one of the most in-demand areas to live in London.
According to Rightmove’s latest data on the most popular area for home hunters, Hackney came in second behind the Docklands. London Fields could be considered the jewel in the crown. The park the area is named after, Broadway Market, with its stretch of cafes and restaurants, and the lido, has made the area a trendy hotspot for those moving to London. It has even been dubbed as the ‘new-Australia’, as Australians have started ditching their traditional home of Clapham and moving to London Fields.
Tanya Reynolds has always lived in East London. She originally moved to London Fields 15 years ago after moving from nearby Stepney Green. Growing up in Tower Hamlets, it was always said – ‘Don’t go to the badlands of Hackney.’ She told MyLondon: “People made Hackney out to be different and worse. We were always told never to go here. Seeing all the boujee places here now, they would never have been here 15 years ago.
“I’d say the community has changed in the area. We’ve started noticing a lot of people with American accents around. We hear a lot of Australians as well but not as many elderly people. It seems like a memo has gone out for people to come here.
Parris, her son, said: “Even growing up in Tower Hamlets, you’d always be told, ‘ Don’t go to London Fields. Once we moved here, the people who made it fun were still here because they could afford it. Now, those same people can’t afford the houses here.
“There is a lot of nostalgia, though, about how things were [better back in the day], but it was still rough. It’s inevitable [that people will come]. Would you have wanted the area to stay the same when there was nothing? It’s sadly the price you have to pay. There’s always a lot of anger at wealthy people coming in but there are a lot of factors to consider.”
The average house price in London Fields was £718,636 over the last year, according to Rightmove’s data. The majority of properties sold in London Fields over the last year were flats, with an average price of £576,810. Terraced properties sold for an average of £1,239,611, with semi-detached properties fetching £1,940,000. These numbers are in stark contrast to an area people considered a ‘no-go’.
The area’s high prices are in stark contrast to the stories and lived experiences. A few years ago, there was a shooting in the Grand Union Crescent.
“I think everybody who lived around East would have known London Fields used to be a no-go area, especially at night, Levi tells us as he works out at the pull-up bars within the park. He can always be spotted at bars working out with Broadway Movement – a community that is always present in the park, running workouts or community classes.
“Gentrification has its pros and cons but it helped this area become a lot safer for everyone to come and see the potential of it. I’m not surprised to see it as one of the most in-demand places but it does alienate some people. I think it’s what happens in life. We, the people, create the trends and make places viable for growth, but when places are in high demand, prices go up, which means the people who have been there forever feel alienated.”
Planet Organic and Aesop are hard to miss on a weekday, standing out alongside the several cafes and restaurants that line the street, showing how the area has changed. On the weekends, the market is in full force as stalls and independent vendors take centre stage. The feeling of ‘safe’ was something people we spoke to kept referring to.
Levi Palmer, 44, moved to East London from Texas 20 years ago. He remembers when walking along the canals that are now part of London Fields, he didn’t feel safe.
He said: “It’s interesting [to see it’s so in demand]. Being by the canal is beautiful, but I remember that, back in the day, walking along it wasn’t necessarily safe from 2008 to 2010. At night-time, it would feel sketchy. Now, it feels super safe. I would love to own a place around here but the prices are crazy.
“You can see now people are moving to the area because it’s trendy. You see people move here then move out after a few years. It’s sort of like a class-tourism at times.”
Alex, 24, Tilen, 27, and Billie, 20, were in Third Culture Deli. Alex and Billie are both from Australia, a prime example of London Fields’ new demographic. They’ve seen the area get busier over the years, with celebrities moving into the area, making it ‘cool’ while prices rise continually – yet, they still think it is one of the best places in London.
Tilen said: “Everyone who wants to experience London differently seems to come here. It’s safe. Broadway Market feels sort of like a village, and it’s the centre, and you want to live around it. You can find people who have been living here a long time. I think there’s a community here. It’s a new Australia.
Alex said: “Everything has got expensive here, even the coffee. The area is nice, and the park is always packed in the summer. It’s nice being near a small body of water (that you can’t go in), but it’s nice to look at.
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