And who here remembers how funky Covent Garden was just after the fruit and veg went off to Planet Stratford?

And how they swore it would be developed sympathetically and affordably for little retailers and the Retail Chains would NEVER get in yada yada.

It's not even been "gentrified" - it's been "Rentrified" for greedy bastard landlords to make a killing.

"The future is already here -- it's just not very evenly distributed" William Gibson