The former bohemian quarters of London then and now

Feb 9, 2016

Bohemian lifestyle is strange and often off-putting for people with more conservative views. Today however it has much appeal, especially to younger generations that are by definition more rebellious, but now have to fight consumerism in every way. Bohemians usually lived in not-so-well to do areas that offered cheap accommodation and access to circles with similar interests and views of life to theirs. London has three major districts that were considered at some point of history to be the bohemian quarters of the capital. Those are Chelsea, Fitzrovia and Soho. Let’s see what those places were like in the past, and what has become of them.

Chelsea

• Before

Throughout the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the next one Chelsea used to be the district of London that attracted most of the writers and painters living in the capital. The reasons for that are obvious. Bohemians are well known for their alternative lifestyles and chronic lack of money, and Chelsea, then not exactly a slum, but quite near it, provided not very comfortable, but very cheap accommodations that were accessible to this type of people. Some of the most notable painters who lived and work here included s Dante Gabriel Rossetti, J. M. W. Turner, James McNeill Whistler, William Holman Hunt, and John Singer Sargent. Author Virginia Woolf was also a resident of Chelsea for quite some time — her family’s home was located on the King’s Road, where the more affluent residents of Chelsea used to live. She created a prominent literary circle while living there. The foundation of the Chelsea College of Art and Design was also a factor in the establishment of Chelsea as a haunt of young artists in the beginning of their careers

Now
Today Chelsea has gone through a process of serious renovation, gentrification and has come into fashion with some of the most affluent people living in the capital. The days of old, when one could stay in Chelsea for a modest sum, are long gone. Some of the most expensive properties in London are located here. The artistic past of the district is preserved by the College of Arts and Design, which was mentioned above, as well as by the Chelsea Art Club. The area is a fashionable shopping destination with boutiques by all major world brands to be found on its territory.

Fitzrovia

• Before

Virginia Woolf, George Bernard Shaw and Arthur Rimbaud are all related to the Central London district of Fitzrovia, which is another one of the three major bohemian districts in the past of the capital. Walter Sickert, Ford Madox Brown, Thomas Musgrave Joy, Dylan Thomas, Aleister Crowley, and George Orwell are only some of the artistic figures who are related in some form or another to Fitzrovia. What attracted all of those people and many more before and after them to Fitzrovia is the fact that thanks to the heavy residential building that took place here in the 19th century, it was one of London’s most accessible central residential districts. The area has been immortalized in the works of most literary figures who lived there at some points of their life, including in Orwell’s magnum opus 1984.

Now
Today Fitzrovia is considered to be a rather upmarket location, which is easy to explain bearing in mind the central position the district has on the map of London. In contrast to Chelsea however, where there is little difference in the status of the residents today, Fitzrovia contains a number of council estates as well, which means there is a wide disparities of wealth here. If you want to live there, there is a high chance you will manage to find a place that is suited to your budget. Finding licensed and insured domestic removals in London for there would be even easier. It is a pretty vibrant place thanks to the fact that many companies are based either at Fitzrovia or in its immediate vicinity. According to the Fitzrovia Partnership’s 2014 Economic Report, well over 128 000 people work within 0.5 kilometers from the district. The area, much like other places in Central London, is also famed for being home to a number of celebrities, politicians and businessmen who represent the highest classes of modern British society.

Soho

• Before

Even today the name Soho brings mostly associations with night clubs, striptease joints, bars ect. For several decades from the end of World War I until the 1980s, Soho was the true bohemian and night life district of London. The 2i’s Coffee Bar, the first rock club in Europe, was opened here in 1956. La Discothèque, Whisky a Go Go, Ronan O’Rahilly’s and other cult venues were located there too. The Windmill Theatre attracted people who were into performing arts, and many authors writing about London at least mentioned Soho in their novels and short stories, all in the vein of Soho being the place to be if you are looking for nightlife entertainment and of course, or somewhat degenerate/bohemian way of life. This changed in the 1990s in part because of sticker regulations of the sex industry being introduced, and the fact that many businesses actually left Soho at that time.

Now
Even though major businesses are lacking at this point in Soho, the area remains a centre of the sex industry in London. Prostitution is said to be wide spread in many streets of the district and drug-deals are also often made here according to police reports. All in all, Soho is not the safest place in London to be after dark, despite its central location in the City of Westminster. There are several efforts to bring business back in Soho in recent years, most notably a campaign that was developed by a local community group and launched on St Valentine’s Day in 2006 at the old Raymond Revuebar in Walkers Court. The slogan of the whole thing was We Love Soho, and celebrities in attendance included Charlotte Church, Amy Winehouse and Paris Hilton.