It’s obvious to see that over the years the face of Shoreditch has dramatically changed and with it the inhabitants. Not so long ago a walk through brick lane on Sunday would comprise of flamboyant “hipsters” selling customised outfits and vintage gems on makeshift market stalls. Now brick lane has become a paradise for tourists. The streets are so packed you’d be lucky if made it from top to bottom without giving up and heading home. Furthermore the tighter enforcement on selling goods without a proper licence has made impromptu street trading virtually extinct. Even the Shoreditch skyline is slowly changing as the looming cranes close in heralding the new age of luxury property. This new found popularity is doing wonders for the area, especially within an economic downturn. The ever increasing boutiques, vintage shops, coffee shops, and cafés – not to mention the army of bars around every corner – makes this boom in businesses truly phenomenal.
Yes, Shoreditch is now thriving but at what cost? There are some cries to say that Shoreditch has “become commercial” and “sold out”. That this once thriving metropolis of bohemian culture is now turning into a hybrid cross between Camden and Oxford Street. Could this just be snobbery from the people who thought they were once part of this exclusive club that has now opened its doors to the masses, or is this a genuine cry of anger from the artisans of the aesthetic who now feel that they are being pushed out of their lands to seek a new mecca?
Regardless of these issues, 20 years ago Shoreditch High Street had nothing other than decrepit scenes of crumbling buildings and abandoned, rat-infested warehouses. Even if some think that Shoreditch is losing its title as London’s alternative scene, the progress that has been made surely outweighs all else. This region has evolved so much and hopefully it will carry on growing.