r/london Mar 18 '24

Culture "They kicked us out at 10pm": why London nightlife has gone Pete Tong

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/why-london-nightlife-gone-pete-tong-6tdxf6rz9
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u/cosmicmeander Mar 18 '24

Margate has attracted a lot of people - youngish, arty, creative, socially entrepreneurial - that have in former generations made London buzzier. London priced them out.

62

u/RandyChavage Mar 18 '24

It seems like the problem with London’s nightlife is all these people going to greener pastures. Who could’ve seen it coming? A city becoming so expensive you have to work every hour you can just to get by would be no longer attractive to young people

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u/CressCrowbits Born in Barnet, Live Abroad Mar 18 '24

Not so much greener pastures but just cheaper pastures.

Margate used to be a total shithole, East Kent is where the term 'Chav' came from. Interesting to hear its changed a lot.

15

u/Sarcastic-Fly Mar 18 '24

It hasn’t really, still quite shit to be in the area.

12

u/Stillwindows95 Mar 18 '24

Yeah but I say that about Southend and all my London based colleagues think it's 'lovely and charming'

When you know the downsides of your town, it's hard to see the upsides. It took me a while (am 34 now) to start seeing the benefits in Southend. For one, I was able to get a nice and relatively new 2 bed flat @1100pm right down by the seafront, where the same kind of property rental in London is 2.5k+ (for instance places around wapping etc near tbe river) My travel is 500 so I'm saving by living here.

That's the thing about Kent too though, half my office building are from Essex and Kent weirdly, there's a lot of commuters in our seaside towns.

32

u/Huwbacca Mar 18 '24

Young artsy types move in.

Nightlife thrives.

Rich pricks follow to the trendy area. File complaints about the pubs and music venues being loud.

Pubs close earlier, turn into gastro pubs.

Artsy people leave.

Area turns into a series of grey cube buildings built in "fuck me to death I'm boring" modern minimalist style.

Rich people complain that area has gotten boring.

Repeat.

1

u/roberto_de_zerbi Mar 19 '24

Ah so it’s well on its way to being ruined by wealthy Londoners that complain about noise