Wood Green: London's Unusual Gentrification

0:00On March 8th, Wood Green stands out in London as the one neighborhood skipping the usual gentrification wave. While places like Peckham see luxury builds and rising costs, this area near Turnpike Lane Station looks rundown, worse than it did 20 years ago. Locals joke it's been gentrified backwards with the high street losing its spark. Back in the day, the high street buzzed with tailors, handback shops, and friendly traders like milkmen and butchers who all knew each other. Now many of those spots are gone, leaving empty storefronts in a sense of decline that has some businesses on the edge of leaving. Residents offer split takes on the situation. A watchmaker who's been there 38 years says safety worries key traders low key, surviving only on loyal customers from afar. Meanwhile, a seven year local praise is the lasting cultural mix from around the world and the extra energy from events and nearby Alexandra Palace. Pockets of change are popping up, especially near the station. In 2017, a old council site turned into Blue House Yard, a lively spot with colorful huts, studios for jewelers and crafters, and even a bus turn pub.

1:10It's temporary though, ahead of bigger redevelopment and owners call it welcoming, but note uncertainty ahead. House prices here average 578,000 pounds, below London 654,000 pound mark, and much less than, posture spots nearby. As the area evolves, some view these shifts as London's natural mix of diversity across all walks of life, keeping things vibrantly unpredictable.