Race Is ON To Tart Up London Road!

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Before the student housing gets completed and occupied. Fantastic to see a massive and swanky-looking cafe-bar go up on the site of the old Blockbusters store, and every pub - other than the Branch Tavern, obviously - seems to be undergoing a major refit. Swish new sign for the Open Market also. Maybe even the Emporium will reach critical mass and stop looking like a pop-up shop. Gentrification finally, and not before time. Just need the Greens to wave their magic wand now and pedestrianise the street and it'll suddenly look very good indeed. Anyone know if its possible to buy shares in Barracuda Shopfitting Limited because they seem to have cornered the market in the that part of town. It's a shopfitting FRENZY!

 

[Notters]

Before the student housing gets completed and occupied. Fantastic to see a massive and swanky-looking cafe-bar go up on the site of the old Blockbusters store, and every pub - other than the Branch Tavern, obviously - seems to be undergoing a major refit. Swish new sign for the Open Market also. Maybe even the Emporium will reach critical mass and stop looking like a pop-up shop. Gentrification finally, and not before time. Just need the Greens to wave their magic wand now and pedestrianise the street and it'll suddenly look very good indeed. Anyone know if its possible to buy shares in Barracuda Shopfitting Limited because they seem to have cornered the market in the that part of town.

Swanky bar? It looks like a shite wetherspoons to me. The same people are opening a place somewhere else in town too though I forget where I saw it.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Swanky bar? It looks like a shite wetherspoons to me.

You've not seen the board outside with the prices then? These are not Wetherspoons prices.

 

[Ernest]

Always thought Wetherspoons would open a pub there

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Before the student housing gets completed and occupied. Fantastic to see a massive and swanky-looking cafe-bar go up on the site of the old Blockbusters store, and every pub - other than the Branch Tavern, obviously - seems to be undergoing a major refit. Swish new sign for the Open Market also. Maybe even the Emporium will reach critical mass and stop looking like a pop-up shop. Gentrification finally, and not before time. Just need the Greens to wave their magic wand now and pedestrianise the street and it'll suddenly look very good indeed. Anyone know if its possible to buy shares in Barracuda Shopfitting Limited because they seem to have cornered the market in the that part of town. It's a shopfitting FRENZY!

Yep ... and once that's complete lets do the Lewes Road too!

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Always thought Wetherspoons would open a pub there

Same, but reckon it'll be that tatty one (World's End?) by Preston Circus.

 

[Nitram]

Not a Wetherspoon, the chain is Loungers, pretty large with a mix of people definitely more trendy than your average London Road inhabitant e.g The Branch. Been a couple of times since it has opened. Good range of drinks and American style food. Hare and Hounds opening next week under new ownership, Open Market partly trading and the new student accommodation to come. Things are really looking up for this area after years of neglect.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

. It's a shopfitting FRENZY!

I skim-read that as 'shoplifting frenzy'. London Road, innit.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I skim-read that as 'shoplifting frenzy'. London Road, innit.

Indeed. Took all my willpower to stop from keying it as 'shoplifting frenzy' also. Presumably all the chavs will start to migrate east towards Lewes Road?

 

[backson]

But where will all the people with dogs on bits of rope go?

 

[Bulldog]

Swanky bar? It looks like a shite wetherspoons to me. The same people are opening a place somewhere else in town too though I forget where I saw it.

95 Western road. I think that puts it somewhere opposite Waitrose. Opens in about a week.

 

[pishhead]

Always thought Wetherspoons would open a pub there

They looked numerous times at the site where the new lounge bar is.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

But where will all the people with dogs on bits of rope go?

Walking along in a permafug of cheap tobacco, methadone oozing from every pore.

 

[Dover]

Bulldog is spot on, it is on the old Debenhams/Rock & Roller site.

I have just walked though the Open Market, and was really impressed. Once all the shops are filled, and I was told by one of the stall holders, there will be pop up stalls in the middle of the market concourse.

 

[Badger]

They still need to sort out all the vagrants who hang about in the Aldi, Co-op, KFC area (or "TRAMP TRIANGLE" as I like to call it).

 

[BBassic]

Have they decided to raze the Bat and Ball yet?

 

[Lincoln Imp]

London Road has huge potential.

It's the closest large shopping area to great swathes of prosperous housing between Preston Park and Ditchling Road.

Almost every building in it, including all the neglected and abused ones, is actually very attractive.

It is next to a future St Peters Plaza, which in turn will link London Road to North Laine.

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

The Level was the key for me. Its absolutely great there now and has dragged the rest of the area up.

Is the lounge place the same owners as Modello on Church Road? I like that place

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

It is next to a future St Peters Plaza, which in turn will link London Road to North Laine.

St Peters Plaza?!?!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Gentrification finally

It's a shame that the only way we seem able to regenerate areas is to gentrify them and force the prices up.