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The Times

September 13, 2002

Young in London

Where to go, what to buy

A truism about gay house-hunters is that generally they do not need to be near schools or the other facilities of family life. However, some locations that are increasingly popular with the gay community seem to undermine this theory.

Top of the list is Crystal Palace, as part of a broader discovery of South London. As gay bars close down in the Oval and Kennington, they are opening, along with saunas, further south in Streatham and East Dulwich. The most established of the South London areas, certainly for those on a bigger budget, is Clapham. This hotspot boasts not only bars such as the Two Brewers and Kudos but also a branch of the Soho Athletic gym. Clapham is top of the request list on the Outlet website (www.outlet.co.uk), along with Bloomsbury and Bethnal Green.

This indicates that falling rents have allowed tenants to move up the ladder but it also hints at the increasing importance of East London. Bethnal Green — and the area around the Columbia Road flower market — has become a huge draw, not just because it is central but also because of the number of ex-council properties for sale. The gay community has pioneered the trend of reclaiming once-threatening estates and, in the rush to buy something affordable, the stampede has taken them eastwards into Hackney and Stratford. For anyone looking to perform this trick in a more central area, the hot tip is Elephant and Castle, which is on the cusp of a huge regeneration.

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