Stroud Green Shoots?

andy · March 2011

Through 2009/2010 there was a generally downbeat vibe about the economy in general and the area in particular (found in classic threads like [Credit Crunch Deadpool](http://www.stroudgreen.org/discussion/1183/credit-crunch-deadpool/) and [Home closing](http://www.stroudgreen.org/discussion/1801/home-is-closing/).) But with the opening of Season, Boulangerie Bon Matin, the Stapleton getting a facelift, Sainsburys opening and even Vitors it feels like things are on the up again. Green shoots of recovery?

Arkady · March 2011

*Especially* Vitors.

Mirandola · March 2011

I moved here in January, so it's clearly all down to me.

Roy · March 2011

No, it was all done in anticipation of <i>my</i> arrival :-)

Toddlesocks · March 2011

Nah it must be because i left SG for 2 yeas, came to my senses and am now back

andy · March 2011

Thanks everyone. That's helpful.

ADGS · March 2011

I have a full-time job for the first time since the close of 2008, so put me down as a sign of green shoots. Of course, I now remember that there is only one good thing about having a job, ie the cash. And I have to wait ages for that.

Emma · March 2011

But for all those places that have opened, there's a place that's closed down to make room for them, right?

I do think that the building work resuming in the place next to John Jones is a positive sign though, it seemed to be doing nothing for yonks.

ShaunG · March 2011

@toddlesocks, you really been gone for two years? I've been on this thing longer than I thought. Welcome back. and in reply to the original question, yes it does feel like it. Would be nice for there to be the start of a commercial upturn, so that there can be some light at the end of the public finances tunnel (which has been the subject of plenty cut-based threads). And the development formerly known as Vista is another arrival, surely not long before that's open and we can finally get our pavement back.

Roy · March 2011

@Emma: it doesn't necessarily follow. Often during a downturn you get shops closing and not being replaced by anything - hence high streets with lots of vacant units. During a recovery you then see new businesses opening and renting those vacant units.

Not been in SG long enough to comment on how relevent that is to the local situation, though.

-roy

andy · March 2011

Season was the Colombian place before, which I liked but which always seemed only marginally viable. Season is better. Boulangerie Bon Matin was Coffee Haven. BBM is better. Is Sainsbury's better than Woody's? (see other threads, *passim, ad nauseum*) Vitors was empty before. So I think it's upgrades all round.

Roy · March 2011

Actually, my main complaint is that walking around in the evening all those solid steel shutters make it feel like a war zone and I guess it's impossible to tell what proportion of shops are in business but they just all feel like they're boarded up.

Maybe it's just a big city thing but I find the level of armour that shops on SGR feel appropriate genuinely surprising.

I mean, I really don't feel like I've picked a dodgy dangerous bit of London to live in, but it does seem like approximately 90% of shop owners think otherwise...

-roy

dion · March 2011

@ andy - what is more remarkable is that they are opening during a largeish economic downturn where it is extremely hard to get any decent finance for new ventures. Cf Dudley's - while its Enfield branch may be very popular - this looks like a classic example of easy finance prompting the expansion and then suffering when refinancing debt comes around or when marginal trade eventually dries up. Opening or expanding small businesses now, I would argue, is not so much a sign of confidence in the economy, rather confidence by the business owners that they are quality businesses built to last. @roy - if your leased shop comes with shutters, it would be crazy not to use them. It could be a hangover of a more window breaking past...

kreuzkav · March 2011

I think shutters on many of the shops date back to the 80s and 90s in the days of ram-raiding. Now with increased CCTV there's probably not such a big need for them, but as said why would an owner get rid of them now.

Arkady · March 2011

I understand that one can no longer secure planning permission for roll shutters, so perhaps their number will decrease over time.

Jenowl · March 2011

Last night I noticed that the lovely new BBM doesn't have shutters and I was irrationally worried that it would immediately be targeted and have its windows broken. I think that was because most of the shops around it were shuttered and it seemed vulnerable in comparison.

sincers · March 2011

I think there's a point to be made about the relative prosperity of London through the recession compared to regional economies. The plight of town centres in much of the UK does not appear to affect London in the same way, largely I would guess on a account of both population size and demographic makeup. You can't easily buy plantain or get your weekly wig fix in Bluewater for example. This makes for a much healthier mix of business and opportunity. I'm not suggesting there hasn't been recessionary effects, but I reckon Miso and Dudleys would have closed even if there wasn't a recession.

Mirandola · March 2011

Plus there's firefly house and the mind cafe and the park theatre coming soon. All good and none of them chains.

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Toddlesocks · March 2011

Thanks ShaunG, nice to be back

I went to SG Road today for first time in ages, it did not seem to have as many closed shops as i have seen in some other London areas, was sorry to see the second hand shop that used to do furniture ( was it mind ?) was no longer around.

Roy · March 2011

Re shutters, it's not so much the presence of shutters that I'm complaining about, but the fact that they're completely opaque. I'm more used to the ones which are a sort of lattice with rectangular holes, so you can still look through the shop window. They're a couple of shops here that have those but they're in the minority. Maybe they're not strong enough to protect against ram raiders?

-roy

ShaunG · March 2011

Yes toddlesocks, it was called I think the Stepping Out shop, but run by mencap. Went a long time ago, a shame as it was one of those interestingly chaotic charity shops. I'd forgotten about it. Its replacement, a very characterless cheap kitchen items shop, has just closed down. We also lost Home. I'm not sure there were other greatly missed places, though I did have a fondness for Coffee Haven - that'll probably disappear once I try Boulangerie Bon Matin.

miss annie · March 2011

Stepping Out moved down to the Seven Sisters/Hornsey Road junction but closed about 3 weeks ago. Shame as it was a splendid source of pretty china and lovely old furniture.

Toddlesocks · March 2011

That is really sad about Stepping Out, it was by far my fav shop in SG road, we practically furnished our flat from it . The guy who used to run it was quite funny “if you’re buying that towel for your dog your treating it too well ", then going on to enquire "what is it anyway, a wee stinky one " lol ( though my hubby found this far funnier than me).

It was about the only shop i went to SG rd. for *sigh*

Donna · March 2011

I agree Toddlesocks, I miss the Stepping Out shop too.

Emma · March 2011

The new clothes shop seems like Fonthill Rd overspill to me. A few days ago when I walked past I saw they had a dress which is currently on sale in New Look but by the time I had an opportunity to go back and look around properly they didn't have it any more.

Fin · March 2011

The area's changed an awful lot over the last 5 years or so. Some new businesses have understood and are capitalising on this; Front Room, Stapleton Tavern, Season and Bon Matin for example, others haven't; Dudleys, Coffee Haven, quite possibly Yemek.

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