The recent developments in the London Road area have certainly added a new dimension to the city. This once run-down location is now (supposedly) Brighton’s answer to Shoreditch. While this may be pushing it somewhat, it certainly has become a hotspot for new and diverse businesses sitting alongside some of the city’s more trendy drinking holes and eateries.
The turnaround happened when the controversial development of the old Co-op department store got underway. This once rambling building sat idle around the time of the recession in 2008 and seemed to represent the general malaise of the area in general at this time. Many opposed the building of a block of student flats on this crumbling site but what many missed is, these days, where there are students there is money. As the new flats neared completion it was evident that the publicans in the area where following suit and the local boozers got a makeover. Simultaneously the redevelopment of The Level to a family-friendly public amenity and the refurbishment of the Open Market to the bustling centre it is now further enhanced the area.
The final piece in the puzzle was its discovery by ‘London Home Buyers’ who after being forced to relocate by astronomical prices in the city wanted to find a home in an area with a similar buzz to Hackney and easy connections to the Capital.
So now it really is a property hotspot. Popular, sought-after, convenient and trendy. Good restaurants and bars, street food and market stalls, and a wide-range of housing – from contemporary flats to large Victorian homes. London Road may just be the place to buy in 2016.
Read Restaurant Brighton’s culinary view of London Road here