LOCALS living in an area hit by gentrification are being pushed out by TikTokers and Instagrammers who flood the streets to take pictures for their feeds.
Shoreditch used to be , populated by up-and-coming hipster artists and musicians.
But in recent years, the borough has been hit by the gentrification curse.
When Flying Eze paid a visit, the tidy cobblestone streets were strewn with walking tours, groups of tourists and .
Almost every building on the roads influencerssay you “need” to go to is covered with stickers, posters or graffiti (of various skill levels…)
But half of the shops were closed in the middle of the day, and those that were open have a less-than-optimistic outlook for their future.
With big windows, a colourful exterior and and inviting atmosphere, The Artist Café has been in Shoreditch for 10 years.
“SOCIAL MEDIA CHANGED EVERYTHING”
But owner Senol Feyu said he's worried for the future and doesn't know if they will even last another year.
“I've been here 10 years now, but we've changed the name.
“We used to have loads of local people coming in every day. They would come in and sit down.
“They would chat to us and get a coffee and a bagel. But now the behaviour has changed, the eating habits have changed.”
When Flying Eze visited at 9am, there were around four people who came in – and only one stayed to eat.
One customer asked for a smashed avocado and halloumi bagel on gluten free bread, and then dashed out the door with it in hand.
“ has changed everything. They come in and take a photo of their food and drink and they leave. They don’t come back.
“They don’t care about the quality of what they're given, they just want a photo. They just want to post and share about it.
“Day to day is a struggle. It changes all the time. Next year I’m not sure what we can do, if we will be here still. I don’t know what the future holds.
“Big companies come and buy up the buildings. Next door is closed, down the road has been bought up too. Everywhere is closing down.
“I don’t know what we can do. We are trying our best. There are no more local people coming in.
“It’s like 1984 by George Orwell – everything is changing so fast.
“There are Pret A Mangers everywhere. One here, one down the road – so close!
“We used to have so many more customers. It’s all about social media now and I’m old generation guy.”
The owner said that things really took a turn for the worst after Covid: “Everything has changed.”
“We used to do do £1 coffee for the office workers but now they’re all work from home. They come in two times a week.
“Now people just go to Tescos and Sainsbury’s for a meal deal and a coffee there because they do coffee.”
Up the road, with an eye-catching yellow front, is Kybelle coffee shop.
A waitress there said local people don't really come in either.
“There are lots more . They come in and never come back.”
“THE RENT IS TOO HIGH”
A short walk away is the famous Brick Lane spot. It used to be known for its curry houses and was affectionately nicknamed “Banglatown”.
But now it is prime real estate and homes are being knocked down to make way for luxury developments.
Local businesses said they can't afford their leases any longer, with one worker telling Flying Eze they don't think the shop will last until the end of this month.
Brick Lane Deli Grocery opened in May 2023, but documents on Companies House filed last month show it has been dissolved.
Worker Khan Jabakhic said: “Some local people still come in but not as many.
“It is a struggle to earn money here. People think it’s a famous road, , lots of money. But they just walk around.
“I’ve been here three months. All the shops come and go. One has changed owners three times in one month, another on the corner changed three times in three months.
“Rent is too high. People come for social media. They go to the famous bagel shop – they used to queue around the corner and up the street but even their queues have gone down recently.”
The that brings people to Brick Lane.
“PEOPLE COME FOR SOCIAL MEDIA”
Beigel Bake – only two doors down from the – was so full that customers spilled outside onto the pavement and into the road – even on a cloudy, rainy day.
People took photos of their bagels on the way out of the door before eating them, and there was a TikToker who even came prepared with a microphone (that retails for £136) outside.
Down the road, those at Brick Lane Post Office have seen the changes to the iconic street over the years.
One worker told Flying Eze: “There are many many tourists here.
“It used be very residential. But in the last five years it’s all changed.
“It’s very touristy now. People come for the graffiti. There are lots of graffiti artists and walking tours. They don’t come for the shops.”
Felicity Hobb, who has worked at the Crisis charity shop on Brick Lane for two years, agreed.
She said: “People come for the graffiti and for the vintage clothes shops.
“They come all this way for those because they’ve seen them on social media.
“They come in here with a TikTok video on their phone asking for directions how to get there and don’t buy anything anywhere else.
“It’s all tourists.”
The street is flooded with vintage clothes shops and markets. Some have leaned into the edgy grunge aesthetic while others are more high-end and minimalistic – but a t-shirt at either will likely cost an arm and a leg.
THE SAVE BRICK LANE CAMPAIGN
In 2023, there was a massive “Save Brick Lane” campaign set up that said the local Bangladeshi community is being pushed out by .
The boiling point was plans for the redevelopment of the Old Truman Brewery – and it became the battleground for the area's soul.
Furious residents fought back against the “ugly” plans for four floors of corporate offices alongside a retail area.
But the council approved the plans – despite the 7,000 objections.
The site is now a megadevelopment that boasts of “independent boutiques, bars, diners, a food hall and music venues”.
The huge building looms over the street of shuttered shops struggling to survive.
Back in 2004, Brick Lane was the focal point of multiculturalism in the city and there was a huge surge of interest in British-Asian food.
But in the time since the road has become dominated by Instagram-friendly cafes and trendy spots.
And it's not the only one. New research by the Trust for London revealed that the East End, Southwark, Brent and Haringey have seen the most extreme gentrification between 2012 and 2020
Spitalfields saw a 45 per cent increase in residents' pay, closely followed by Aldgate, where locals' pay went up by 29 per cent.
The researchers said: “One of the biggest threats of gentrification is that it makes London so expensive families can no longer afford to raise children here.”
Manny Hothi, the Trust’s chief executive, said: “This research points to something that many Londoners have suspected for years – the city is becoming increasingly unaffordable for low-income families.
“We’re witnessing families and long-standing communities being priced out on a scale we haven’t seen before.
“London's diverse blend of communities is what makes it one of the best cities in the world. But the current trend shows the city is at a tipping point, at risk of being a homogenous place where only people above a certain income bracket can afford to be.
“If we want London to be a city where people from all backgrounds, of all ages, can live and thrive, urgent action is needed to address the affordability crisis.”
