notting hill west indian community

[tali122]

although there is still a notting hill carnival- do the west indian community still live in what is essentially a very wealthy middle class white area?- surely they would not have the income for multi-million pound houses?
if they dont where did this apparent mass exodus all move to?-was it an enforced move?- did some become instant millionaires under the right to buy scheme by selling up?
also although the area was once rundown has moved very upmarket wasnt it still far far more expensive than average property prices due to its london location and scale and history of the houses?

[Andy008]

Notting Hill still does have some rough parts. Not all of West London is rich. This is a common delusion for a lot of people who live there, in the same way that people still insist on describring Brixton as "nice, because it's vibrant and multicultural".

And yes, I have been to Notting Hill.

[shehin]

1)Why wouldn't some of the West Indian community be prosperous enough to live in the affluent areas?

2)The first answer to the question suggests that the West Indian community will still be able to live in Notting Hill because there are rough areas!

I am not West Indian but if I were I would be very insulted by the question and the first answer.

[JudgeJ]

Let's take a step back before too many more of us become unnecessarily and prematurely offended. Notting Hill is not, in fact, full of multi-million pound houses. Whilst there are undoubtedly some very desirable properties in the area (as there are in most areas on London) most of the old houses have been turned into flats and bedsits. You have to go a little further out to Holland Park to see where the film stars live.

Also, Notting Hill is not "essentially a very wealthy middle class white area". A wide variety of people of all races, colours, and (presumably) incomes live in the area. Just because there were no black faces in the film of the same name does not make it true!

[Andy008]

Many of the houses may well have been bought by affluent West Indian. Equally, many of them may have been in families for several generations and passed down. It's location in London does not have a great deal to do with price - as Stratford is on a very fast tube link to Waterloo, yet is very far from a des res.

[ursula62]

In the 50s and early 60s many of the big Victorian houses in the area were split into very small flats and bedsits which were rented out to migrant workers - most of whom came from the West Indies. These were people that Britain invited over to fill gaps in the workforce following the end of the second world war, and they were, and still are, very welcome.  A lot of the houses were allowed to become almost derelict as the landlords neglected the properties and concentrated on just making money from the rents without investing back into the properties.

It is largely thanks to the efforts of the tenants that the area experienced a regeneration. Subsequent legislation allowing tenants to buy freeholds of rented/leased property has helped the descendants of those original workers to buy a piece of the London they helped to rebuild.

[brachiopod]

Oi !! Andy008, my Stratford res is very des !! ;o)