London - Brick Lane was once known for the dozens of curry houses opened by Bengalis who moved nearby for work in the 1950s.
But a wave of fashionable galleries, restaurants, shops and bars has transformed the street beyond all recognition.
Shoppers throng there by day for vintage clothing and homewares. In the evening it gets even busier with those looking for a big night out.
Property prices have soared because of Brick Lane’s proximity to the City of London, and luxury apartments for international buyers are springing up everywhere.
The influx of cash in an otherwise impoverished area has led to complaints of “social cleansing”. Even charitable trusts have agreed for estates to be demolished and redeveloped.
Long-standing residents claim the area is losing its soul as well as becoming unaffordable for those not on high salaries.
But the recent opening of a Versace fashion store close to the Cereal Killer Café that was targeted on Saturday suggests little is about to change.
Daily Mail