Finding the Actual Shoreditch Hidden Behind the Brand
Bohiney Magazine | The London Prat
The Shoreditch You Have To Look For
Friday night, in Shoreditch, and the actual Shoreditch is still here. It’s just invisible. It’s in the buildings where artists still live because they got grandfathered into pre-gentrification rent. It’s in the small venues that haven’t been turned into luxury restaurants. It’s in the community gardens and the community centers and the spaces that rich people don’t know about.
The Shoreditch that appears in guides and social media is completely fake. But the real Shoreditchthe actual communitystill exists for people who know where to look. It’s just increasingly hidden. And increasingly aware that it’s temporary. Everyone here knows that eventually their space will be discovered. Renovated. Gentrified. Turned into luxury apartments.
The Invisible Community
What I’m documenting is the Shoreditch that isn’t Instagram. The community spaces where working-class people still live. The artist studios in buildings that look like they might collapse. The affordable pubs where locals drink instead of tourists. The DIY venues. The shared kitchens. The actual culture that still happens when you’re not looking for it on social media.
This community is small and fragile. But it’s real. And it’s worth documenting because it’s disappearing. The people who live here know they don’t have much time. Eventually, their buildings will be developed. Rents will go up. They’ll be displaced. The authentic Shoreditch will move somewhere else cheaper.
The Precarious Present
What’s interesting about Shoreditch right now is that it’s in this weird liminal space. The expensive version is completely dominant. But the actual community still exists in the margins. You have to know where to look. You have to know people. You have to be willing to go to places that don’t have good lighting or Instagram-friendly décor.
The people doing actual creative work in Shoreditch are aware that they’re living in borrowed time. They’re creating with the knowledge that their space is temporary. Which adds this urgency to what they’re doing. Everything feels like it needs to be documented before it disappears.
The Documentation
What I’m trying to do is document what Shoreditch actually is for the people who live here. Not for tourists. Not for Instagram. Just honest documentation of what community looks like when you can’t afford to pay luxury prices for luxury experiences. What it looks like when community is about actual connection instead of curated experience.
The real Shoreditch is still here. It’s just invisible to people who are looking at the marketed version. And it won’t be here much longer. So I’m trying to document it before it disappears completely.
For real Shoreditch perspectives, check NewsThump.
SOURCE: https://bohiney.com/
