London Sights Day 3: Brixton - Annemieke, Sanne.

ORIGIN BRIXTON

Around the 1860s and 1890s Brixton underwent a huge transformation after it was linked with railways and trams to the centre of London. Large houses were built along the routes into Brixton which attracted the middle class, they didn’t live here long because around the 1900s they were replaced by a huge working population. All the houses were turned into flats and boarding houses which were popular among the theatre people, marking the start of Brixton’s close association with the arts. Around the first quarter of the 1900s Brixton became the largest and best shopping centre  of south London.

In world war II the area was bombed which led to urban decay, which was followed by slum clearances and the building of council housing. After the war many immigrants from the West Indies and Ireland settled in Brixton. Around the 1980s there were a lot of riots due to high unemployment and crime. In the 1990s, Life in Brixton changed along with gentrification. The reaction to gentrification have been mixed as it resulted in a higher price for the house, which resulted in the leaving of original residents. The area still has a multi-cultural, diverse atmosphere which creates one of the most unique areas of London