London politicians talk about creating ‘high streets for all’. The fate of two unique places will show whether they mean it
There are two places in London that would be the pride of any other major city in the world, yet which face an imminent threat to their survival. They are the Latin Village in Seven Sisters, and Banglatown in Spitalfields. Although there are big differences between the two, they also have much in common. Both are places renowned for their minority-ethnic population, both are in areas of historic deprivation and both are bursting at the seams with small independent businesses. Spitalfields and Seven Sisters have long been tough areas with high levels of poverty, but the ethnic minorities that have given London so much of its energy and interest have made them home – and made them hum.
The “Indian” restaurants of Brick Lane (run mainly by men who originate from the Sylhet region of Bangladesh) are world famous, and in normal times draw hordes of tourists, as well as students and office workers. The broader area has grocery shops, textile sellers and tailors that cater to the large Bangladeshi community. It is, says Sean Carey of the University of Manchester, a co-author on a recent project called Beyond Banglatown, “totally unique: there is no other place like it in the world”.