This part of Brixton is bursting with energy. Home to not just Brixton tube station, but also the Loughborough Junction railway station, it’s so accessible that it’s easy to forget how far south you are of central London. While many of the post-war flats and terraced houses have been becoming more expensive, it’s an area that still attracts many new young professionals and artists. That’s not to say that the neighbourhood has lost its community of diverse families though. This diversity shines through when wandering the stalls at Brixton Village and Market Row, which sits on the famous Electric Avenue - the first street in the neighbourhood to have electricity. Just north of these delicious food stalls, sits the trendy new container park, Pop Brixton, where young Londoners gather after work for drinks. For anyone visiting to celebrate David Bowie’s roots, a stop at the Bowie Memorial is a must. Aside from the neighbourhood’s strong music and art ties, its food scene has also been growing - drawing in many central Londoners to some of the high-end restaurants like the well-reviewed Salon.

This part of Brixton is anchored around Loughborough Junction station. Back in 1660, Lord Loughborough had acquired a manor house by Lambeth Wick. Before the house was demolished in 1854, it served as an all boys’ school. By 1863, the railway station had opened leading to the area’s further densification. Many of the large villas that had lined the streets were quickly converted into multiple flats to accommodate more people. Today, some of the original villas still exist, but since many of the buildings were damaged in the wars, a good portion of the neighbourhood is filled with larger housing estates.

The largest roundel on the Underground network is outside of Brixton station. The roundel wasn’t actually introduced to London’s transport network until 1908, when it was used to differentiate the station name from surrounding advertisements.

With multiple markets in the neighbourhood, the area can feel a bit hectic and crowded at times. Even so, residents appreciate the markets and view them as one of the highlights of the neighbourhood. This makes all of the chaos worth it.

Completed in 2018, The Edge is a housing development in Brixton that offered 1- to 3-bedroom units, which were all sold by February 2019. All flats are light-filled and even have their own terraces or balconies. Each building surrounds a set of shared gardens as well. The speed at which units were purchased is not especialy surprising given the high interest of many, particularly young professionals, to move to the area.

Brixton town centre’s up-and-coming character and young, creative, nigh-life friendly atmosphere have begun to take their toll on the neighbourhood’s affordability. The town centre has been rapidly changing as a result of increasing interest in its development and economic activity. Lambeth Council has received a number of applications for denser, high-rise developments in the area, including a 19-storey office block on Pope’s Road, which has now been amended to include more community facilities and green space. The developer of the old Olive Morris House site, now renamed Brixtoncentric, has also completed the development and placed the final set of houses for sale in the market. What many of these developments have in common, however, is a shared concern in the Brixton community that they encourage gentrification, high-end private developments and blatantly disregard the area’s character.

Earlier in 2022, London Square was selected to be Lambeth Council’s preferred development partner for the Growing Brixton Rec Quarter project, to bring new affordable homes, workspace, jobs and public realm improvements to Central Brixton. London Square has committed to delivering at least 240 new homes that meet the needs of Brixton residents including larger family homes. Half of these will be affordable homes comprising 70 percent at council rents and 30 percent as either shared ownership or London Living Rent. International House will be retained and extensively refurbished to provide 7,800sqm workspace for local businesses and a further commitment to making at least 20 percent of the building affordable workspace. Perhaps recognising concerns over the social impacts of gentrification, a robust Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion strategy will be delivered as part of the development, with a particular focus on extending opportunities to Black and Minority Ethnic communities, young people, women, and people with a disability.