Monday, September 23, 2013

What's so good about Brixton?

By Frank Gordon


Location

Brixton is an inner-city area of London. It is part of the Borough of Lambeth, and includes the SW2 and SW9 postcode areas. Brixton lies about four miles due south of central London, and six miles north of the Greater London boundary.

History

Until the middle of the nineteenth century, Brixton was essentially an agricultural settlement, although there had been a Roman village here and Brixton is mentioned in the Doomsday Book. The first development was in early Victorian times when Vauxhall Bridge linked Brixton to Central London; later, the arrival of the railway led to major residential expansion.

Community

In 1954, West Indian immigrants arriving on the Empire Windrush were accommodated nearby, and this began Brixton's history as one of Britain's earliest multicultural communities. Nowadays Brixton is the focus of London's Black cultural activity, and also houses ethnic communities originating all over the world.

Transport

The Victoria tube line has its terminus in central Brixton, and is used every day by thousands of commuters. There are also good surface trains to central London and the Kent coast, and many bus routes linking Brixton to the City and the rest of South London.

Shopping

Brixton Market is the focus of the area's food shopping, drawing customers from a wide radius to its famous fruit and vegetable stalls, which sell a huge range of international specialities. In addition to the main market, which opens every day, there is a weekly farmer's market. Brixton has a wide range of shops, including Morley's, a long-established department store.

Business

Brixton has a reputation for creative industries, including its major role as a centre for Black music. There are companies specialising in film and TV production, and many small businesses involved in IT and web commerce.

Entertainment

The Brixton Academy is a music venue with a national reputation. Film-lovers will appreciate the Ritzy Cinema, which in addition to multi-screen movies has its Upstairs space for comedy, music and more. There are smaller music venues and many pubs and clubs, drawing a cosmopolitan crowd from all over London.

Food

At night and weekends, the covered market area hosts Brixton Village, an international collection of over twenty cafes and restaurants, serving exciting and reasonably-priced food to crowds from all over South London. As a gastronomic hub, Brixton attracts pop-up restaurants and special events.

Education

There is a wide range of schools and colleges in Brixton and its surroundings. As a residential area which increasingly attracts young professional families, Brixton is producing results above the national average at schools such as St Martin in the Fields High School for Girls.

Property

In the past, Brixton's property prices have been lower than most of inner-city London, which has contributed to its development as a centre for artists and entrepreneurs. As its reputation has grown, prices have begun to rise, so that although it still has affordable property, many expect that in time property values will match those of traditionally more affluent areas.




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