New Development Stroud Green Road

Vista

I have just joined this website and note that last summer questions were being asked as to what was being built on the site of the old cinema fronting John Jones Art Framers.

I am the developer and will be building a mix of luxury one bed and two bed apartments http://www.s-and-oproperties.co.uk (Flash enablement will be necessary to view the images) Completion is due September 2009

The ground floor and basement area are for restaurant and retail units which will shortly be marketed. The final mix will depend on prevailing market conditions and interest.

We are hoping this will greatly enhance the station end of Stroud Green Road

Peter Phillips
S and O Properties

poxy

<a href="http://www.s-and-oproperties.co.uk/underground_map.htm" target="qwerty">Your Tube map is a little out of date!</a>

markpack

Given how run-down the site had become, I'm glad it's being redeveloped. There is often though quite a lot of litter and graffiti along the pavement on Stroud Green Road at the building site. I wonder if you might be able to do a bit more to be a 'good neighbour' during the construction?

Vista

Mark

The new building has been designed especially to try and combat the problem of graffiti which plagued the original building. We have designed the pillars and support sections of the building to be on the inside behind the glass front - hopefully this will help.

As far as litter is concerned I will ask the builders to look out for this but I do feel it is rather down to the public and the lack of street cleaning from the council.

markpack

That's good to hear about the design. In the meantime, I'd have thought you're responsible for state of the hoardings around the site?

Re. litter - in practice, I think everyone has to do their bit to keep our area clean, and to be fair the litter around the site doesn't look to be coming from those working on it. I guess the problem around the site at the moment is the number of places (e.g. foot of scaffolding) where litter can get lodged and so not be caught be a straight-forward sweep along the pavement.

Vista

Dear Poxy

Thank you for pointing out outdated tube map.

I have replaced with an updated one

Vista

Dear Everyone

Given that the development is being undertaken in a recession when many are reluctant to expand their businesses, we will to a large extent be dictated to by the demand created at the time of marketing. I would have however welcome your thoughts as to what kind of restaurant/ retail outlets you would like to see come to the area.

andy

I would say NOT a betting shop, Subway, chicken restaurant or estate agent. There's nowhere (really) to get music, books or clothes. If i were you, I'd try and poach Dotori from their rubbishy building. Also, picking a mainly white development next to an 8-track open air railway line and bus station? That's going to get dirty quickly.

hellojo

I completely agree with Andy. Also, please no more corner shops that sell a million types of tins and packets - they are useful but we don't need any more.
Stroud Green is missing a bakery/somewhere that also sells good bread - especially when Tesco and the beigel bakery are closed. Also cheese.

In the original proposal, wasn't there going to be space for either a cinema or a swimming pool on the site? I saw something at the planning stage a few years ago.

rainbow_carnage

A second-hand bookshop would be lovely. As would a second-hand music shop, like the one in CE.

Anything second-hand (but nice) would do ok in this economic climate. Vintage clothing, furniture. I buy most new things online.

Also, a decent cafe/coffee shop that stays open after 6pm. Perhaps it could be combined with a bakery. We've had three bakeries fail on this street in the last few years, two in the same location. All of them were crap. I'd love to buy fresh, locally baked bread, but it needs to be of better quality than what's on offer in Tesco. The bakery at Yasar Halim seems to do good business. Their breads and baklava are fantastic!

It would be nice to have a decent greengrocers for a change. Woody's used to be ok, but has really gone downhill. I don't know if anyone can compete with them, plus the two Tescos and the Lidl.

unaesthetic

how about a small independent live music venue? somewhere willing to put on unsigned/up and coming bands, maybe something like the smaller venues in camden 10 or 12 years ago or so. with a selection of nice rums and tequilas behind the bar. and if this is a wish-list, it should not be trendy in any way. and happy to cater to experimental & noisy music nights :)

i agree with the suggestions for a deli/cafe/bakery above. somewhere you can get a good cup of coffee and a sandwich and buy a nice loaf of bread and some good cheese for supper.

unaesthetic

as an aside/addition, i was thinking about things that are elsewhere in london that i wish were closer, or we had a local version of...

gordon's wine bar (mmm, port and cheese. bring on the gout)
marine ices (beats pappagone & porchetta hands down if you ask me)
yasar halim (yes i know it's really close but i'm feeling lazy)
the birdcage pub in stokey
konditor & cook (best muffins ever)
screen on the green/curzon soho
the breakfast club (i know they're both only in islington but i refer you to the above laziness comment)

any more?

rainbow_carnage

To add to Andy's list of things we do not need:

another nail salon
a fifth pizza place (unless it's really, really good)
a third Tesco
another chemist (unless it's open on Sundays)
another greasy spoon

tosscat

Isn't the breakfast club a greasy spoon?

tosscat

How about a tribute cafe called 'Pushing up Daisies'?

tosscat

@ unaesthetic - didn't that pub opposite the south entrance to the FP tube foot tunnel used to be your small venue request?

unaesthetic

tosscat - maybe, but it's a bit dead at the moment.

and the breakfast club is an 80s-themed brunchy type place. i don't remember if they did full english etc but they certainly had very decent eggs florentine, huevos rancheros and the like, and good coffee, with bloody marys and mimosas and other civilized brunch comestibles. my only problem with it was its vague air of hipsterishness, but i guess that's what's keeping it in business.

Colette

I'm also backing cries for a good bakery/deli/coffee shop (along the lines of Good for Food on Blackstock rd). And a good butcher. I really would love a good butcher; although that's probably wishful thinking.

Vista

Thank you for your ideas - Please keep them coming

Unaesthetic as far as loud music is concerned thats a no no. We have to consider the residents in the apartments above.

katiejane

a branch of Rasa and a Monmouth Coffee. Super duper.

totally agree with andy re: dotori - those guys could do wonders with a bigger and better site.

@ tc - breakfast club isn't a greasy spoon - are you getting muddled up with s&m?

mapsa

No loud music? So what about quiet music? A venue for ambient music perhaps? Otherwise, let me also join in the general clamour for the butcher, the baker and the civilised comestible maker.

Colette

A good independent off licence would be nice too (especially if the rumours of Jack's demise are true). Jack's is great for beer, but the wine selection is pretty abysmal.

David

Proper tapas please. Something like Bar Camino in Kings Cross might work though I don't care for the trendiness, just good Spanish food. A Brindisa would be awesome but doubt enough share that view. Perhaps a clothes shop - wasn't someone on here looking into starting one? Hold on... perhaps chase [Danny](http://www.stroudgreen.org/discussion/278/old-charity-shop-on-tollington-park/) up.

unaesthetic

mmm, tapas

and lolz for the "quiet music venue"

andy

A woolworths?

Vista

Andy why didn't I think of that??????

Lucy

I would like: cinema (like everyman in hampstead or electric in nottinghill - might bring in the crouch end/muswell hill crowd!) tapas - definitely. dog creche!!

Lucy

ooh, and having just read about jack's - a decent off-licence (think someone has said this)

markpack

There are an awful lot of cafes in the areas that are at the bottom end of the market. I'm surprised there aren't more that are one notch higher in the expense / quality stakes.

Not that I'm criticising those there are - some of them, and their staff, are fab. Just surprised that there isn't more of a range of types.

In deference to the interests of those of you with less hair than me, surely we need somewhere that sells wigs?

Vista

One of the main problems with Stroud Green Road is that it is almost exclusively made up of small independant shops and restaurants.

The only main players are Nandos, Tesco and Lidl. Therefore more upmarket or main stream companies are reluctant to put their toe in the water.

Agents have already told me that the addition of a cinema to the area would be a no brainer magnet for the main players.

I guess they see a lack of big names and automatically think there is no money or very little demand in the area which of course is not true.

Unfortunately, I do not think that my site would be suitable for an Everyman type cinema as the basement level is too shallow but I will look into it.

I understand too that other plans for the area are in the pipeline although nothing formal has yet been proposed and so no details are available yet.

Another major problem is that in todays climate of massive discounting and recession companies are reluctant to expand their businesses unless it is to prime location retail sites.

I want to thank all of you for your input and hope you continue to keep this thread alive.

Regards

Vista

andy

For me, one of the main attractions of the area is that it doesn't have the 'main players' in it. I think that's true of lots of people in the area. If you could find a way of encouraging genuinely interesting and independent businesses to set up in your property, you'd be creating something unique. Which in the current market, is the only way you'll make your money back. Think Lambs Conduit Street rather than Upper Street.