{"id":12715,"date":"2013-07-18T12:17:07","date_gmt":"2013-07-18T11:17:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/?p=12715"},"modified":"2026-06-12T11:10:15","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T10:10:15","slug":"the-a-z-of-gentrification-sure-fire-signs-that-your-neighbourhood-is-upwardly-mobile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/the-a-z-of-gentrification-sure-fire-signs-that-your-neighbourhood-is-upwardly-mobile\/","title":{"rendered":"The A – Z of Gentrification – sure-fire signs that your neighbourhood is upwardly mobile"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/p>\n

Compiled with the help of folks living at the sharp end of a rapidly gentrifying neighbourhood, this guide hopes to let you swiftly identify the tell-tale words, phrases and signs that indicate your area is about to move ‘upmarket’.<\/p>\n

Before you start spluttering the froth from your stretched piccolo latte<\/em>\u00a0into your fashionable waxed moustache, please note that not all of the individual things listed are necessarily bad <\/em>or even outright proof of impending gentrification, but collectively<\/em> they are likely indicators that the neighbourhood is ‘on the move’.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

A<\/span><\/h1>\n

Adults calling their parents ‘Mummy’ and ‘Daddy’
\nArtists everywhere (often rich ones replacing the poor ones).
\nAirbnb all over your street
\nAmerican millionaire DJs\u00a0 closing down local clubs
\nArtisan bread.
\nArtisan beer.
\nArtisan artisans.
\nArtisan fucking everything.
\nArtisanal.
\nArt events.
\nAntic pubs.
\nActors.
\nArtist lofts.
\n“Adventurous” cuisine.
\nAstroturfing.
\nAl fresco dining.
\nAlcohol promotions.
\nArt galleries.
\nApple MacBooks.
\nApple stores.
\nAntique stores selling any old shit.
\nAnger\u00a0from locals\u00a0(growing daily).
\nAffordable rents that are not actually affordable.
\nMeaningless awards (‘Greatest Neighbourhood,’ ‘Best market’ etc).
\nA-Boards outside bars and restaurants with ‘amusing\/ironic’ comments.
\nAwards for everything (‘Best Artisinal Cheesemakers With A Green Shop Door 2016’)<\/p>\n

B<\/span><\/h1>\n

Bare light bulbs in bars, cafes, barbers etc.
\nBars named after the long-departed previous industry (The Laundry, The Old Forge etc)
\nBikes (single speed\/vintage)
\nTrendy bike stores
\nBarratt Homes.
\nBillionaire DJs buying up the area.
\nBrioche fucking buns.
\nBarbour clothes.
\nBloggers.
\nBaristas.
\nBistros.
\nBoutique festivals.
\nBoutiques.
\nBeards.
\nBranding.
\nBuy to Let.
\nBoutique hotels.
\nTrendy barbers.
\nBraying.
\nBBC interviewers.
\nBMWs.
\nBreakfast clubs
\nBuzzword spouting landgrabbers.
\nBlack cabs.
\nBow ties.
\nBlazers.
\nBespoke cocktails.
\nBlackboards with ‘witty’ slogans.
\nBillionaire socialites DJs buying up half the town<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

C<\/span><\/h1>\n

Craft fairs.
\nCraft shops.
\nCraft beer.
\nCrafted.
\nCoffee shops.
\nCollectibles.
\nCoffee with fancy designs on the froth.
\nCocktails.
\nCupcakes (“the footsoldiers of gentrification”).
\n‘Community’ grants for well-heeled and well-connected new arrivals.
\nCreatives.
\nSpecialist cheese shops.
\nChalkboards with ‘quote of the day’ or some such other bollocks
\nChampagne & Cheese (or ‘Champagne & Fromage<\/a>‘ for the gentrifying jackpot).
\nCrepes.
\nCocktails.
\nCocktail with stupid names.
\nCocktail bars.
\nCocktail bars with stupid names.
\nCanvas shopping bags promoting local shops\/blogs\/ethical guff.
\nCosta Coffee.
\nCaffe Nero.
\nChristmas jumpers (‘sooo kooky’)
\nCharcuterie.
\nCricket people.
\nCo-operatives crucified by the local council.
\nCelebrities.
\nRecently arrived ‘Community Spokespeople’.
\nCrowdfunding appeals.
\n‘Cleaner required’ notices.
\nLocal characters and colour (as in fast disappearing).
\nConspicuous wealth.
\nChain stores masquerading as independents.
\nCouncil sell-offs.
\nCash from chaos.
\nCod Caribbean restaurants (see Turtle Bay<\/a>)
\nCurated art shows.
\nCurated trainer shops (yes, really<\/a>)
\nChocolatiers.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

D<\/span><\/h1>\n

Niche Delis
\nDesign collectives in the pocket of corporates
\nDJs in shops
\nDJs in markets
\nDJs in the street
\nDJs every-fucking-where.
\nDisposable income.
\nDeck shoes
\nDevelopment partners.
\nYou’ve become a ‘Destination’ (as in ‘foodie,’ ‘fashion’ etc).
\nTiny dogs carried by their owners.
\nDemographic shift (rich in -> poor out).
\nDesigner shops.
\nDivision.
\n‘Discoveries’.
\nDisplacement.
\nPaid dog walkers.
\nLuxury developments with idiotic ‘edgy’ names \u00a0(e.g. Block Porn<\/a>)<\/p>\n

E<\/span><\/h1>\n

Eateries.
\nEstate agents.
\nEstate agent cars with ‘trendy’ artwork.
\nYour neighbourhood described as ‘edgy.’
\nEthnic cleansing.
\nEvictions.
\nEdwardian chic.
\nEntrepreneurs.
\nEvening Standard features.
\nEvent magazines\/sites.
\nExodus (movement of Jah people).<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

F<\/span><\/h1>\n

Facilitators
\nFilm crews.
\nFrozen Yoghurt.
\nFoodie blogs.
\nFood feasts. A meal is no longer enough. It has to be a ‘feast’.<\/em>
\nFoodies.
\nCelebrity food journalists banging on about their latest ‘discovery.’
\nFoxtons.
\nFucking Foxtons.
\nFucking Foxtons’ wanky Minis.
\nFucking Foxtons’ wanky Minis and the twats sat inside them.
\nFucking Foxtons etc etc ad infinitum.
\nFlat whites.
\nFoursquare.
\nFlat caps.
\nFixies.
\nFood photos.
\nFacebook pages.
\nFarmers’ markets.
\nFashion shoots.
\nFair trade bags.
\nFestivals (pop up festival\/food festival etc etc)<\/p>\n

G<\/span><\/h1>\n

Gail’s Bakery. A 100% guarantee that the neighbourhood has gentrified,
\n‘Guerilla’ actions for corporate sponsors.
\nGuerilla Gardening.
\nGourmet burgers.
\nGolf club bags being wheeled about by twats.
\nGolf apparel.
\nArty graffiti.
\nLocal websites moaning about gentrification.
\nGated communities.
\nGated Mews.
\nGrant-sucking entrepreneurs.
\nGrammar school boys.
\nGlobal food.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

H<\/span><\/h1>\n

Hipsters.
\n‘Holistic’ things.
\nHats.
\nHot Dogs.
\nHot dawgs.
\nHyperlocal websites.
\nHyperlocal newspapers.
\nHyperlocal anything.
\nHomogenisation.
\nHubs.
\nHeritage claimers.
\nHaves and Have Nots.
\nHideous nicknames for your neighbourhood (e.g. Brixton becomes ‘Brikkers’).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I<\/span><\/h1>\n

Iconic branding of the neighbourhood.
\nIndustrial units converted and rebranded (‘The Old Ballbearing Factory’ etc).
\nInfantile descriptions like ‘yummy’ and ‘scrummy’
\nInfluencers
\nInfluencers with film crews
\nInstagram photos of the iconic branding of your neighbourhood.
\nInstagram photos of meals
\nInstagram photos of chalkboard with wacky messages
\niPads.
\niPhones.
\nIrony.
\n‘Ironic’ sexism.
\nIronic jumpers.
\nBusinesses claiming to be ‘improving’ the area.
\nInequality.
\nIntolerance.
\nInternships (unpaid).
\n“I Love Brixton\/wherever” tote bags created by newly arrived businesses.
\nImpresarios.
\nIncubators for\u00a0business.
\nI Saw You Coming – rubbish tat shops for well-heeled gullible types.<\/p>\n

J<\/span><\/h1>\n

Joggers.
\nJogging clubs.
\nJay Rayner.
\nJumpers across shoulders.
\nJolly japes and whizzo wheezes.
\nJamjar drinks.
\nJuice bars.<\/p>\n

K<\/span><\/h1>\n

Kids’ discos
\nKids’ raves
\nKids’ fashion events
\nKnitting.
\nKickstarter ventures.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

L<\/span><\/h1>\n

Lattes.
\nLifestyle living.
\nLoft apartments.
\nLuxury flats.
\nLocal businesses priced out.
\nLifecoaches.
\nLocals (as in fast disappearing).
\nLeica cameras.
\nLumberjack chic.
\nLudicrous little lapdogs.
\nLudicrous little lapdogs in handbags.
\nLexadon property developers.<\/p>\n

M<\/span><\/h1>\n

MacBooks
\nMoustaches.
\nMochaccinos.
\nMixologists.
\nMankles.
\nMedia people.
\nMicro breweries.
\nMoney supplying parents.
\nMan bags.
\nMultisports clubs.
\nMummies. Yummy mummies. Posh mummies. Mummies referring to themselves as mummies.
\n‘Iconic’ murals everywhere<\/p>\n

N<\/span><\/h1>\n

Neighbourhood described as once ‘notorious’.
\nNetworks.
\nNovelty nick nack stores.
\nNinja knitting.
\nEndless noise complaints from people moving into a ‘vibrant’ area.
\nNeighbourhood newspapers.
\n1970\/1980s\/1990s retro fashions.
\nNathan Barley.
\nNu-folkies.
\nNibbles.
\nNight markets.
\nNovelty cocktails.<\/p>\n

O<\/span><\/h1>\n

Organic everything.
\nNew arrivals outraged at non complimentary reviews for their favourite nu-hoitie-toitie fooderie.
\nOld shop signage kept above a trendy new and unrelated store.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

P<\/span><\/h1>\n

Pop up shops.
\nPop up bars.
\nPop up restaurants.
\nPop up boutiques.
\nPop up fucking pop ups.
\nPop Brixton.
\nPosh artisan sausages.
\nPhoto features.
\nPadded jackets.
\nPosh people.
\nPampered pets.
\nPampered pet stores.
\nPubs closing down to make way for upmarket housing and supermarkets
\nPlanning permission (lack of).
\nPlacemakers.
\nPhotographers everywhere.
\nMassive 4×4 prams.
\nPersonal trainers.
\nPeople photographing their fucking food.
\nPrivilege.
\nPeople bragging about property deals.
\nPolitical apathy.
\nPulp’s ‘Common People’ never sounded so relevant.
\nPre-loved (i.e. second hand crap).
\nPulled pork.<\/p>\n

Q<\/span><\/h1>\n

Quirky.
\nQuilted jackets.
\nQueues.
\nShopping ‘Quarters’.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

R<\/span><\/h1>\n

Rejuvenation.
\nRegeneration.
\nRe-imagining.
\nRenaming.
\nRebooting.
\nReprogramming.
\nReinventing.
\nRent rises.
\nRugby shirts.
\nRugby shirts with collars up.
\nRed trousers.
\nRidiculous job titles.
\nRugger chaps
\nRunning clubs.
\nRecently arrived complaining about the even more recently arrived.
\nResentment.
\nRude customers.
\nRetro markets.
\nRay Bans.
\nRiding boots.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

S<\/span><\/h1>\n

SLR film cameras.
\nStudios.
\nSelf interest.
\nSquats (lack of).
\nSocial cleansing.
\nSocial housing (lack of).
\nSocial media influencers.
\nSkinny jeans.
\nSpacemakers.
\nSourdough.
\nShipping containers re-purposed into vibrant commercial hubs.
\nSupper clubs.
\nSushi.
\nSainsburys.
\nScoping.
\nStarbucks.
\nSkis.
\nSuits.
\nSushi.
\nSpectacles (huge).
\nSunglasses (huge)
\nShoreditch-style restaurants.
\nSecurity guards.
\nTraditional Street Markets (disappearing).
\nSnobs.
\nSecret foodie extravaganzas.
\nSpeakeasies.
\nShabby chic.
\nSmall plates
\nSharing plates
\nStupid shaped plates
\nSausage dog cafes.
\nSky high prices.
\n‘Street food’.
\nStupid bar\/restaurant names
\nShop signage that looks like it was painted by a 5 year old.
\nShop shutters painted by trendy artists .
\nSchools sold off for yuppie flats.
\nShameless self-promotion.
\nSweet shops.
\nStupid bar names.
\nSupper clubs.
\nSecret Gardens in pubs.
\nStreet art sponsored by brands<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

T<\/span><\/h1>\n

Talks about gentrification.
\nTime Out features.
\nTrendy tattoo studios.
\nTwats everywhere.
\nTweed (ironic).
\nTourists.
\nTossers.
\nTennis.
\nTour guides.
\nTote bags (promoting some local hipster shop\/blog)
\nTapas.
\nTesco Metro.
\nTV crews.
\nTories slithering in.
\nTory attitudes.
\nTwitter hashtags.
\nT shirts of underground bands never seen – or even listened to – by their wearers.
\nTwee shit.<\/p>\n

U<\/span><\/h1>\n

Uniform (skinny jeans, ironic glasses etc., copied directly from Brooklyn circa 2005).
\nUltimate frisbee team.
\nThe upwardly mobile.
\nUnaffordable rents.
\nUkuleles.
\nUpcycling.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

V<\/span><\/h1>\n

Vibrant.
\nVibrancy.
\nVibrant Hubs.
\nVibrant bars.
\nVibrant clubs.
\nVibrant fucking everything.
\nVintage shops.
\nVarsity jackets.
\n‘Villages.’
\nVice Magazine.<\/p>\n

W<\/span><\/h1>\n

Walking tours.
\nWorkshops.
\nWorking class’ apparel.
\nExclusive wine shops.
\nWine Parlours.
\nWellington boots.
\nArriviste writers reviewing everything.
\nOrganised walks.
\nWaxed moustaches.
\nWealth gap.
\nWeb designers.<\/p>\n

X<\/span><\/h1>\n

eXtortionate prices.<\/p>\n

Y<\/span><\/h1>\n

Yoga.
\nHot Yoga.
\nYoga chains.
\nBraying yuppies.
\nYuppies out!
\nYummy mummys.
\nYoung professionals.
\nYarn Bombing.
\nYummy things.<\/p>\n

Z<\/span><\/h1>\n

The place turns into a fucking zoo.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Have we missed anything?<\/strong>
\nPlease add your own suggestions below and we’ll add the good ones!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Compiled with the help of folks living at the sharp end of a rapidly gentrifying neighbourhood, this guide hopes to let you swiftly identify the tell-tale words, phrases and signs … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":12871,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3,194,456,193],"tags":[1191,646,572,450,1318,645,189,10,1320,1319,644],"class_list":["post-12715","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-brixton","category-london-features","category-news","category-places","tag-brixton","tag-estate-agents","tag-foxtons","tag-gentrification","tag-gentrifiers","tag-gentrify","tag-guide","tag-london","tag-toffs","tag-twats","tag-yuppies"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/a-z-gentrification.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pQI7P-3j5","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12715","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12715"}],"version-history":[{"count":93,"href":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12715\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66789,"href":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12715\/revisions\/66789"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12871"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12715"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12715"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}