Your city's most bohemian areas

[Jaeger]

Bohemianism - The term bohemian, of French origin, was first used in the English language in the nineteenth century to describe the untraditional lifestyles of marginalized and impoverished artists, writers, musicians, and actors in major European cities.

LONDON

Todays Bohemian London is far more centered towards the East End of the city at Brick Lane, Shordith and Hoxton, and to some extent this reflects the gentrification that has engulfed some of the historic centres of Bohemian Culture. However Camden in North London remains a central part of London's Bohemian Charm.


CAMDEN TOWN - Camden Town is an inner-city district located in North London. Camden Town is famous for its crowded markets, liberal attitude and associations with popular culture. Since the 1960s the Roundhouse has been a centre of alternative culture, and later associated with punk and Goth subcultures.




The Roundhouse - http://www.roundhouse.org.uk/




HOXTON AND SHOREDITCH

Hoxton is now the centre of London's Alternative Art Culture with many galleries and unique places to eat, drink and shop



BRICK LANE - Brick Lane has Traditionally been an immigrant area in the East End and today it is a very colourful area offering a diversity of shops and cultural attractions








Historically areas such as Bloomsbury, Soho, Notting Hill, Carnarby Street and the Kings Road have all at one time been centres of youth culture, alternative lifestyle and engendered a bohemian spirit.

Carnaby Street in the 1960's when it was the centre of Mod fashion



Carnaby Street Today



Portobello Road, Notting Hill



London Soho





The Kings Road in Chelsea in the 1960's when it was considered chic



Malcolm Mclaren's and Vivian Westwood's Kings Road Shop was one of several such shops on the Kings Road back in the 1970's, when the Kings Road was the centre of Punk and Skinhead Culture.

http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/Eng...mes/1384/1159/



McLaren's and Westwood's original Kings Road SEX boutique at 430 King's Road as it is today.



The Kings Road Today



Many Actors and Musicians have made Primrose Hill their home in recent years.



Covent Garden



Neals Yard, Covent Garden

[Somnifor]

Minneapolis is arguably the most bohemian or countercultural big city in the Midwestern US. The main neighborhoods are Uptown, Northeast, Whittier and Powderhorn Park. Uptown was the center of the cities' punk rock scene in the '80s, Northeast was where the rave and underground hip hop scenes happened in the '90s. Whittier and Powderhorn are the places that are on the upswing now. Much of the south side of Minneapolis is underground style these days, it's not concentrated in a few spots the way it used to be.

Conventionally the '80s are seen as the cities' glory days as far a the creative community goes but I think there is more going on now, it's just that there is no big star to pin things to now like there was back then.

[Snowy]

I love Neal's Yard, it's one of London's best-kept secrets. It's just such a lovely little place and I love seeing the looks on tourists' faces when they discover it by chance, pure magic. It is TINY though!

[Kensingtonian]

in toronto: kensington market or parkdale. they're both bohemian in different ways. parkdale is the trendy, new bohemiam area. the artists keep moving west along queen street as gentrification follows them, making it too expensive.

kensington market has somehow held off serious gentrification despite being so central, although it's still happening a bit. augusta closer to college street has pricier restaurants and stores, but kensington ave., baldwin st. and augusta near dundas street are still nice and grungy and bohemian.

[PedroGabriel]

for us bohemian (boémio) means a person that often engages in alcohol in bars and clubs, gambling and/or sex. I fail to understand the thread's point. Seems anglosaxon-centered.

[Kensingtonian]

well, the origin is french, so it can't be that anglo-centered. and, as defined by jaeger at the beginning of this thread, bohemianism is defined as the untraditional lifestyle of artists, writers, etc.

i always thought of bohemians as people from families who are well-off financially who move to poorer areas of town. either because they are artists not making much money or they choose to live that way for other reasons.

[Jaeger]

Originally Posted by Kensingtonian

well, the origin is french, so it can't be that anglo-centered. and, as defined by jaeger at the beginning of this thread, bohemianism is defined as the untraditional lifestyle of artists, writers, etc.

I suppose the term could be widened to reflect modern culture, and Bohemanism could include alternative lifestyles, alternative thinking and even youth cultures.

[monkeyronin]

Toronto's Kensington Market. Pictures are by Taller, Better, from his thread here: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=334362

[monkeyronin]

Queen St. West and Parkdale, Toronto. Photos from: http://www.streetsandsoul.com/scenes.html

[Taller, Better]

You've gone to a lot of work and shown us some amazing pictures! A lot of research and I enjoyed it. I hope the crankies out there take a big valium and enjoy the tour!

[Xusein]

LOL, I always wanted to visit Kensington Market, just to see the hype.

[Svartmetall]

I was upset to find out that the biggest squat in Berlin for artists is being shut down. It's a bit special as it contains 31 ateliers, a theatre, cinema and restaurants.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...599933,00.html

[city_thing]

Originally Posted by Jaeger

Bohemianism - The term bohemian, of French origin, was first used in the English language in the nineteenth century to describe the untraditional lifestyles of marginalized and impoverished artists, writers, musicians, and actors in major European cities.

LONDON

Todays Bohemian London is far more centered towards the East End of the city at Brick Lane, Shordith and Hoxton, and to some extent this reflects the gentrification that has engulfed some of the historic centres of Bohemian Culture. However Camden in North London remains a central part of London's Bohemian Charm.


CAMDEN TOWN - Camden Town is an inner-city district located in North London. Camden Town is famous for its crowded markets, liberal attitude and associations with popular culture. Since the 1960s the Roundhouse has been a centre of alternative culture, and later associated with punk and Goth subcultures.

Camden Town is where I lived until I was 14, near Chalk Farm Road tube station.

It's changed incredibly from when I was a kid, largely due to it becoming a tourist hub and Eastern Europe being brought into the EU (it seems to be flooded with drug dealers from the Balkans now).

My parents were very 'arty farty' and they worked for the UN, so we had to live in Central London and they loved Camden so we lived there. After that we moved to Copenhagen, and then to the North East of England. I still miss Camden a hell of a lot.

Great idea for a thread Jaeger

[Taylorhoge]

Today the East Village,Greenwich Village,West Village,Willamsburg,Lower East Side,Red Hook,Carol Gardens,Long Island City

Before:SOHO,DUMBO,Gramecy

[the spliff fairy]

yep In London

Today: Soho, Whitechapel, Shoreditch, Hoxton-Hackney

Before: Soho, Islington, Camden, Notting Hill, Marylebone, Farringdon (Camden is now overrun by tourists, the rest have gentrified)

Way before: Soho, Chelsea, Covent Garden

Coming up (read: where all the priced out artists are moving to): Brixton, Camberwell, Dalston, Bethnal Green, Vauxhall (the latest gay village)

[Jaeger]

Originally Posted by Taller, Better

You've gone to a lot of work and shown us some amazing pictures! A lot of research and I enjoyed it. I hope the crankies out there take a big valium and enjoy the tour!

Cheers Taller, Better

Liked the Kensington Toronto pics

Originally Posted by the spliff fairy

yep In London

Today: Soho, Whitechapel, Shoreditch, Hoxton-Hackney

Before: Soho, Islington, Camden, Notting Hill, Marylebone, Farringdon (Camden is now overrun by tourists, the rest have gentrified)

Way before: Soho, Chelsea, Covent Garden

Coming up (read: where all the priced out artists are moving to): Brixton, Camberwell, Dalston, Bethnal Green, Vauxhall (the latest gay village)

Exactly

Forgot to mention the Islington Set, and of course Bloomsbury had it's intellectual bohemian group, with the likes of Virginia Woolf, John Maynard Keynes, E. M. Forster, and Lytton Strachey.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloomsbury_Group

Originally Posted by City Thing

Camden Town is where I lived until I was 14, near Chalk Farm Road tube station.

It's changed incredibly from when I was a kid, largely due to it becoming a tourist hub and Eastern Europe being brought into the EU (it seems to be flooded with drug dealers from the Balkans now).

My parents were very 'arty farty' and they worked for the UN, so we had to live in Central London and they loved Camden so we lived there. After that we moved to Copenhagen, and then to the North East of England. I still miss Camden a hell of a lot.

Great idea for a thread Jaeger

Yes Camden has always been a very unique area. I suppose all areas are subject to change, but there have been some postives such as the re-opening of the Roundhouse, and I suppose the tourist money will at least ensure Camdens alternative shops and markets survival even if it is increasingly commercial.

Copenhagen has a Bohemian scene from what I have heard.

I suppose the closest thing in the North East are areas such as Ouseburn Valley in Newcastle, which has it's own festival and art galleries such as the Biscuit Factory, as well as venues such as the Cluny.


http://www.headofsteam.co.uk/default.aspx?tabid=10194

http://www.thebiscuitfactory.com/

[Jaeger]

Other British Cities known for their Bohemian Vibe include:

Brighton - Flourishing Bohemian and Gay Scene





Bristol - The West Country is with Bohemian Culture whether it be the Glastonbury Festival or the colourful streets of Bristol. The Montpelier area of Bristol is famous for it's Bohemian scene. Expect strong cider and plenty of traditional ale





Edinburgh - Home to the World Famous Fringe Festival and has a Cosmopolitan and Bohemian outlook





Manchester - has the busiest gay village in Europe, one of the largest China Towns and Rusholme the cities curry mile has a Brick Lane feel to it. Manchester Northern Quarter is closely linked with the cities Bohemian scene. Manchester is also world famous for it's musical creativity and many bands, as well as clubs such as the late Hacienda

Manchester Bands - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...rom_Manchester





































Manchester's Northern Quarter doubling as New York City for the film 'Alfie' (2004).





Canal Street at the Heart of Manchester's Gay Village - The Gay Village is the busiest and largest Gay Village in Europe.

http://www.manchester2002-uk.com/gay/gay-vill2.html

http://www.manchester2002-uk.com/gay/gay-vill1.html

[Kensingtonian]

LOVED brighton when i was there. i actually liked it better than london. i was so impressed that a small city could be so vibrant. canada and the u.s. have some amazing big cities, but the small cities, for the most part, just plain suck.

[the spliff fairy]

yep If you ever come to UK, you have to visit Brighton. Its everything thats good about London - cosmopolitan vibe, youthful populace, leftfield politics, buzzing nightlife and thousands of white Regency era buildings, all by the sea - but without the crime, litter, breakdowns and commuting. It's said one fifth of the population is LGBT, and the many English language schools ensure a cosmopolitan and young student population.

[flesh_is_weak]

the kensington market pictures reminded me of something really urgent: buy clothes for summer...i flew in last fall so i didn't bother to pack some summer clothes