Islington: Georgian Terraces and the Geography of Gentrification
Tony Crosland called it "the worst slum in Europe" in the 1960s. By the 1990s, the same terraces that had housed overcrowded working-class families were selling for six figures. By the 2020s, some had passed seven. Islington's transformation is one of London's most complete gentrification stories, and depending on who you ask, either a success or a cautionary tale.
Upper Street, running from the Angel to Highbury Corner, is a mile of restaurants, bars, theatres, and estate agents' windows. The Almeida Theatre produces work that transfers to the West End. The King's Head, Britain's first pub theatre, has been running since 1970. Canonbury Square looks much as it did when George Orwell lived there in the 1940s, except the residents now work in media, law, and finance.
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Tony Crosland called it "the worst slum in Europe" in the 1960s. By the 1990s, the same terraces that had housed overcrowded working-class families were selling for six figures. By the 2020s, some had passed seven. Islington's transformation is one of London's most complete gentrification stories, and depending on who you ask, either a success or a cautionary tale.
Upper Street, running from the Angel to Highbury Corner, is a mile of restaurants, bars, theatres, and estate agents' windows. The Almeida Theatre produces work that transfers to the West End. The King's Head, Britain's first pub theatre, has been running since 1970. Canonbury Square looks much as it did when George Orwell lived there in the 1940s, except the residents now work in media, law, and finance.
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