Haven't been in to Kente yet. What's it like? How's the coffee?
Mind you, I've not been into SugaHill for a while either. Must make an effort this week. Good spot.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE THE OLD HSBC BANK TO BE?
)I agree poppy, i wouldnt see Kente and 'The Thai Pad' (HSBC) in the same league of shops. Sydenham does need more restaurants and the old HSBC is probably one of the few units thats large enough to contain a small restaurant. Something of the equivalent size of Gourmet Burger Kitchen which are often quite small premises esp the one in East Dulwich.
We need more trendy bars, restaurants, coffee bars, at least one or two chain coffee shops - they certainly make an area look the part, also we need more Estate Agents which i believe will develop naturally for when more professionals move into the area. There really arent that many at the moment considering the amount of housing in the area.
If were talking of Estate Agents id love to see a Foxtons, they look amazing, if not a bit too good for an Estate Agent, i think a Foxton's branch in itself would make people move to the area just because it looks so lush!!!!
We need more trendy bars, restaurants, coffee bars, at least one or two chain coffee shops - they certainly make an area look the part, also we need more Estate Agents which i believe will develop naturally for when more professionals move into the area. There really arent that many at the moment considering the amount of housing in the area.
If were talking of Estate Agents id love to see a Foxtons, they look amazing, if not a bit too good for an Estate Agent, i think a Foxton's branch in itself would make people move to the area just because it looks so lush!!!!
Oh my God...United states of Generica or what? How can you possibly want chain coffee shops who shred small local coffee shops like Kente and Sugahill and force them out of business. Do you know how many independent coffee shops have had to close since the introduction of Starbucks? And their coffee is rubbish - alegedlly it's the cheapest coffee on the market, the scraps ground down and sold at a massive premium.parker wrote:at least one or two chain coffee shops - they certainly make an area look the part, also we need more Estate Agents
If were talking of Estate Agents id love to see a Foxtons, they look amazing, if not a bit too good for an Estate Agent, i think a Foxton's branch in itself would make people move to the area just because it looks so lush!!!!
As for Foxtons - did you see the documentary on a while ago? All look no content. High mark up, pressure driven sales, sales, sales...they are who give Estate Agents a bad name - gimme Property World any day!!!
G-man
In Parkers defence, Foxtons, much as I am no fan of them, do look great. If our current estate agents, or if independent once looks as good as foxtons then I'd be all for that.
Also the same regarding coffee, some Starbucks don't look like Starbucks at all and partly in their defence they are trying to introduce more Fairtrade coffee and lots of ethical business practices, biodegradable packaging etc. My rub with the likes of Starbucks is that they take over like Japanese lock weed.
I'd love independent businesses to look as good as lots of these chains, use the same ethical principles and more Fairtrade goods (which I am a huge fan of) but be unique and local rather than just another outlet of a large faceless corporation that fleeces consumers through marketing hype.
Perhaps if that were the case then the chains wouldn't be as popular as they are.
Also the same regarding coffee, some Starbucks don't look like Starbucks at all and partly in their defence they are trying to introduce more Fairtrade coffee and lots of ethical business practices, biodegradable packaging etc. My rub with the likes of Starbucks is that they take over like Japanese lock weed.
I'd love independent businesses to look as good as lots of these chains, use the same ethical principles and more Fairtrade goods (which I am a huge fan of) but be unique and local rather than just another outlet of a large faceless corporation that fleeces consumers through marketing hype.
Perhaps if that were the case then the chains wouldn't be as popular as they are.
I agree totally with you all about Foxtons as a company, id go as far as to say they're not good for their employees health! I dont like them and i did in fact see the documentary about them but whether we like them or not they are definetely one of the most recognised signs (in south london) of an area that is 'up and coming', 1) Foxtons do actually look great and i could picture them stuated where 'Ring O' Roses' are at the moment looking exceptional as opposed to what Sydenham is currently used to - that being the likes of 'Robinson Powell' with their cheap, tacky looking sign ruining the art deco charactered building which you probably wouldnt see in somewhere superior like Balham, 2) I think we need more estate agents anyway since the 'demise' of George Proctor and believe this will come in time when others step in after high street improvements.
As much as i am aware of stringent ethical business sense and in general coffee quality from company's like Starbucks i know however that it is infact s**t, however they are again a sign of an area that is on the up, it just is! I cant be that wrong saying this when everybody here seems to long for a Pizza Express, can i? Eh?! ..It really wouldnt hurt for a chain store to open up and increase the propensity of prospective buyers in Sydenham. 1) Im not saying they should all be chain coffee shops, it doesnt hurt to have one or two chain coffee shops in the high street, most places do (and it works), 2) People dont have to use them if they dont want to, 3) There is enough competition already in the high street offering people something the chains dont specialise in, i.e. intensive fairtrade produce, 3) Personally i would welcome a Costa or Cafe Nero over a Starbucks as indeed their quality is better, 4) The chains must be doing something right, 5) House buyers usually like to see these shops whether they agree with the company's policies or not, people arent going to not buy in Kirkdale just because there is a Tesco express, they realise the majority of people will use it anyway, 6) Large firms may imply local economic growth is evident and is indeed the sign of a business that is staying for the long-term which appeals to people buying houses settling down here in Sydenham.
Regarding Lee's point on Starbucks, i am aware of a place where they have opened without planning permission in a villagey area that like Sydenham people do not necessarilly want the opening of one of their stores in their area and the company have gone against not only the petitions held by the residents but stunningly the local borough council's planning policies. Sheer and utter corporate ignorance.
Regarding chain stores i believe that a good example of people being put off moving to an area like Sydenham due to the surroundings is that episode of Location location location, where those guys didnt like the look of the high street because generally there wasnt the existence of shops like Caffe Nero in which they seen in Crystal Palace, it really does have a major perceptable effect which needs to be overcome in an area which right now has a degree of business uncertainty.
http://www.sydenham.tv/cgi-bin/sydtv_jukebox.pl?On not wanting to live in Sydenham&NpYz9cWn5H8
It doesnt hurt to have a few chains because they do complete successful, silubrious high streets like Beckenham, Clapham, Balham, Putney and East Dulwich. Where the idea of 'style over substance' is derived it may unfortunately be seen that some of these chains are if you like 'symbols' endorsing the idea that buying a house here is a good idea and that it is a neighbourhood with a positive and long-term future, like the belief that if the big companies are successful here then there must be a degree of disirableness in the area, like a sense of security for buyers when they do that tiny little thing like putting hundreds of thousands of pounds into buying a house in a locality.
As much as i am aware of stringent ethical business sense and in general coffee quality from company's like Starbucks i know however that it is infact s**t, however they are again a sign of an area that is on the up, it just is! I cant be that wrong saying this when everybody here seems to long for a Pizza Express, can i? Eh?! ..It really wouldnt hurt for a chain store to open up and increase the propensity of prospective buyers in Sydenham. 1) Im not saying they should all be chain coffee shops, it doesnt hurt to have one or two chain coffee shops in the high street, most places do (and it works), 2) People dont have to use them if they dont want to, 3) There is enough competition already in the high street offering people something the chains dont specialise in, i.e. intensive fairtrade produce, 3) Personally i would welcome a Costa or Cafe Nero over a Starbucks as indeed their quality is better, 4) The chains must be doing something right, 5) House buyers usually like to see these shops whether they agree with the company's policies or not, people arent going to not buy in Kirkdale just because there is a Tesco express, they realise the majority of people will use it anyway, 6) Large firms may imply local economic growth is evident and is indeed the sign of a business that is staying for the long-term which appeals to people buying houses settling down here in Sydenham.
Regarding Lee's point on Starbucks, i am aware of a place where they have opened without planning permission in a villagey area that like Sydenham people do not necessarilly want the opening of one of their stores in their area and the company have gone against not only the petitions held by the residents but stunningly the local borough council's planning policies. Sheer and utter corporate ignorance.
Regarding chain stores i believe that a good example of people being put off moving to an area like Sydenham due to the surroundings is that episode of Location location location, where those guys didnt like the look of the high street because generally there wasnt the existence of shops like Caffe Nero in which they seen in Crystal Palace, it really does have a major perceptable effect which needs to be overcome in an area which right now has a degree of business uncertainty.
http://www.sydenham.tv/cgi-bin/sydtv_jukebox.pl?On not wanting to live in Sydenham&NpYz9cWn5H8
It doesnt hurt to have a few chains because they do complete successful, silubrious high streets like Beckenham, Clapham, Balham, Putney and East Dulwich. Where the idea of 'style over substance' is derived it may unfortunately be seen that some of these chains are if you like 'symbols' endorsing the idea that buying a house here is a good idea and that it is a neighbourhood with a positive and long-term future, like the belief that if the big companies are successful here then there must be a degree of disirableness in the area, like a sense of security for buyers when they do that tiny little thing like putting hundreds of thousands of pounds into buying a house in a locality.
Just so people know what foxtons looks like and what Parker is referring to:
Personally, although I hate them as a company and find a lot of their staff arrogant, I like how they look with a bright interior, simple signage and bright egg chairs. They do add a little cool to the high street, and lets face it, they look better than the estate agents we have in sydenham!.
They are not to everyones taste though!
However, there is NO REASON why all estate agents can't look inviting, improve their signage and be part of a revitalized high street. I have no idea why a lot of estate agents look so miserable.
Personally, although I hate them as a company and find a lot of their staff arrogant, I like how they look with a bright interior, simple signage and bright egg chairs. They do add a little cool to the high street, and lets face it, they look better than the estate agents we have in sydenham!.
They are not to everyones taste though!
However, there is NO REASON why all estate agents can't look inviting, improve their signage and be part of a revitalized high street. I have no idea why a lot of estate agents look so miserable.
Regardless of whether you would actually want Foxtons to open up here, I rather doubt that they would be in any position to do so - they are in real financial difficulties:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009 ... f-business
The East Dulwich Forum has had so many threads about their branch closing down that their regular posters are quite bored by it all.
I think Leenewham has (in this and several other threads) raised some really interesting questions about how you get small firms to use good design to attract customers. You have to remember that many people who run small firms work extremely long hours and have to juggle many different priorities whilst not having any great expertise in design, so I am reluctant to criticise particular shops for not looking as smart or trendy as they might. But surely there must be a way (or maybe there are existing services that aren't as well known as they could be) to provide a fairly low-cost basic design consultancy to individual shops, whether it be via Business Link, trade bodies or advisory organisations?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009 ... f-business
The East Dulwich Forum has had so many threads about their branch closing down that their regular posters are quite bored by it all.
I think Leenewham has (in this and several other threads) raised some really interesting questions about how you get small firms to use good design to attract customers. You have to remember that many people who run small firms work extremely long hours and have to juggle many different priorities whilst not having any great expertise in design, so I am reluctant to criticise particular shops for not looking as smart or trendy as they might. But surely there must be a way (or maybe there are existing services that aren't as well known as they could be) to provide a fairly low-cost basic design consultancy to individual shops, whether it be via Business Link, trade bodies or advisory organisations?
Lees ideas are quite inspiring. I have also had thoughts along the lines of what Thomas was suggesting, with perhaps Lee being part of a consultation workshop for traders to 'up their appearance'. This would coincide well with the proposed improvements to Sydenham Road
I know we are not in the best financial climate, but now is a good time for businesses to think about how they are percieved and what sort of market they (as individuals and as trading groups) are aiming for. A concerted and co-ordinated approach may work wonders.
I know we are not in the best financial climate, but now is a good time for businesses to think about how they are percieved and what sort of market they (as individuals and as trading groups) are aiming for. A concerted and co-ordinated approach may work wonders.
Some things suggested on this website seem to be more about people trying to make fat profits on their houses, basically.
I want improvements on the high street to help my family be able to shop more locally, where the experience is more enjoyable than it is at the moment, and where it feels safer walking around late evening because there is a hive of activity on the high street, rather than two long rows of grey shuttered shops...
I want improvements on the high street to help my family be able to shop more locally, where the experience is more enjoyable than it is at the moment, and where it feels safer walking around late evening because there is a hive of activity on the high street, rather than two long rows of grey shuttered shops...
I would hope that all posters in here are in it to improve the area for all, not just to inflate their property price.poppy wrote:Some things suggested on this website seem to be more about people trying to make fat profits on their houses, basically.
I want improvements on the high street to help my family be able to shop more locally, where the experience is more enjoyable than it is at the moment, and where it feels safer walking around late evening because there is a hive of activity on the high street, rather than two long rows of grey shuttered shops...
Poppy's idea of a high street that doesn't just shut down at 5.30 is a great one, and more people means it feels safer.
If all the shops are independent and we have few chains, then great.
I have created a poll on the www.whatifsydenham.wordpress.com blog along these lines.
I moved here because Sydenham had a nice feel to it. It felt like there was a sense of community you don't get on other areas. I feel much greater loyalty to the likes of Sugahill and Tratorria than Costa or Zizzi (and the owners are much nicer.).