Back in September, the Cereal Killer Cafe in East London (pictured) found itself the target of anti-gentrification protests. Hundreds of protestors descended on the cereal-only cafe, daubing the word 'scum' on the window, setting fire to an effigy and reportedly leaving the owners fearing for their lives.
The incident left me wondering more and more about the effects of gentrification on our society.
On the one hand, I know first-hand the ill effects it can have. I was born into a working class family in Leyton, East London. However in the late 1980s, we were forced to relocate to Harlow, Essex, a poor working class town, as my parents were no longer able to afford to stay in their flat.
Nonetheless, as part of a new, educated generation with more mobility and freedom, I have flirted with the middle-class 'hipster' culture that is often associated with gentrification. I have dabbled in the odd independent quirky bar or store, sipped experimental cocktails at a historic pub stuffed with taxidermy, and even bought a Levis jacket from a quirky vintage shop. These were satisfying experiences.
I am well aware that many elements in this ostensibly non-conformist gentrified world are just as uniform as the rest of mainstream society. The clothes you find in gentrified neighbourhoods around the world are often very similar (vintage and chequered), and the old working class is usually glamourised in old historic pubs and dingy cafes.
But I found these experiences inspiring. They inspired me to support local businesses, projects and art. And I think they inspire a future for neighbourhoods too.
In this regard, they are a far cry from the capitalist invasions that are prominent in almost every urban city centre around the world.
When my grandmother was growing up in East London, she could walk to her local butchers, grocers and bakers, and they were all independently-owned businesses. They have mostly disappeared now and today we have no choice but to buy our fruit and vegetables, bread and meat from giant billion-dollar corporations like Tescos in the UK, Walmart in the US and Woolworths in Australia.
Which is worse? A one-off cafe that sells over-priced cereal, or the realisation that every shop on every street is owned by one of a handful of powerful corporations?
Parts of New York, Melbourne and London have been transformed by what mostly falls under the category of urban regeneration. If an old area is dying — filled with abandoned