A butcher, a baker and a candlestick maker would be a good start. I visited Essex Rd for the first time recently, another busy bus route with a mix of affluent and deprivation. Simply having a good butchers, fishmongers and veg, a decent pub (and my personal favorite!) a lovely material shop/ cafe with space downstairs for courses, tutorials etc. gave me the hook to want to return. That peppered with an off-licence, betting, pound shop and all that we're familiar with up here is infinitely more paletable.
How do you magic that? Maybe check if there's a group behind essex Rd driving an initative?I think forget about hanging baskets and street widening. Get a stronger hold on what shops the locals are willing to have. I can't imagine if asked people actually want so many betting, beauty, charity etc type shops.
I'm on a low income but I'd rather shop at Morrisons and grab their deals and then with the savings get fresh produce and ethically reared meat elsewhere. That's a personnel choice but doubt I'm alone in that thinking. Loads of young families in PG.
