Anti-gentrification protesters damage Cereal Killer cafe in Shoreditch

Sad to hear this is happening in the UK as well.

Overnight Gentrification is a valid concern for long-time residents in many communities.

I've seen more than my fair share of major cities undergo the process, and it's always the long time locals, artisans, elderly and disabled who seem to get shoved out onto the streets or forced to move when a Yuppie decides to buy their apartment complex and "make improvements" which causes the rental rates to rise above the means of the folks who have lived there for decades - or in some cases - their entire lives.

Seattle and Austin were the hardest hit recently from personal experience....and the newcomers to the area who could afford the renovated high cost of living - well, some of them....not all...but a large majority...brought an influx of all sorts of problems ranging from increased traffic congestion and in some cases high priced designer drugs which attracted some really nefarious types of dealers, which brought in a new brand of violent crime and gang activity in some areas.

Terrible mess for those who aren't in the higher income brackets.

Apartments which once cost $450 skyrocketed to rates exceeding $1200 - for a one bedroom apartment, or even in some cases, Efficiency and Studio apartments. It's not a joke. Also, Historical buildings were being demolished to make way for bland and cookie cutter boxes with nothing really interesting about them visually aside from a paint job.

Once again, gentrification takes it's toll on not only history and traditional architecture, but also becomes an affront to humanitarian issues with the swatch of displacement of human beings.

As one of the protest signs in a threatened area in Seattle read years ago:

"When a city cleans up...it dies."

I'm sad to admit I understand the motives behind this cafe Demonstration.

I do hope more people take notice of how their beautiful but overpriced lavish lifestyles and consumer habits are disaffecting people who are just trying to make ends meet and hopefully take some proactive measures to insure that integration with considerations to the original long term populace is balanced out.

I've been trying to warn my current town of how devastating these types of "new investors" can be....I really hope they listen and are wise about who they allow to buy and sell properties in our Historical areas.

Certain strains of Newcomers can completely destroy a traditional community in a matter of ten years or less depending on who it is buying and flipping properties and ownership of various buildings.

I agree that the business model is sound, and he saw a niche, and that beards and ankle swinging trousers where moving into the neighbourhood and ran with it.

I used to live in the Cotswolds in the 3rd most expensive postcode in the UK at one point. To put it in perspective a 1.5 bedroom terrace house, 1 reception room and a kitchen downstairs will set you back £750 a month in rent.

The main town next to my village was full of coffee shops, in the 9 years I have lived and visited there the amount of coffee shops has tripled! They outnumber actual shops.

The posher more boutique and artisan the better, the more popular. All catering for the second homers that come of a weekend, whose first home is in London.

No one who didn't buy a house 25 years ago in Cirencester can afford to live in Cirencester, so they have to move to Swindon, where I live now, and even the prices and coffee shops are mounting up here.

The point is the living wage, and supporting the communities that have issues, rather than the "upwardly mobile" tramping on them and pushing them out.

a reply to: MrsNonSpecific

I have to wonder why someone hasn't set up a cheaper cereal bar in the same area since the high price of the cereal seems to be the issue. Probably the truth is their prices aren't high after overheads and no one can undercut them easily.

A poster campaign illustrating the lack of life force in over-processed cereals would have more of a long term effect than a bit of paint thrown at the windows. The kids would really get scared if they knew what they were eating.www.positivehealth.com...