Steve writes
When you think of London’s Old East Village (OEV), what comes to mind? Is it the neighbourhood’s historic character, its unique shops and restaurants, its arts and culture scene? Maybe you picture Kellogg Lane or the Western Fair District. I hope all of those images come to mind. But I suspect that for many Londoners, the area is still most strongly associated with the social challenges that frequently make the news, particularly our city’s homelessness crisis.
Four weeks ago, I began this short series because I wanted to tell a fuller story of Old East Village: one that acknowledged the very real challenges while also shining a light on the extraordinary assets, businesses, organizations, and people that make this neighbourhood one of the most distinctive districts in our city. My hope was not to minimize the problems, but to broaden the conversation and ultimately ask what we can do to help this area thrive.
Over the past three weeks, I’ve introduced readers and viewers to business owners, community leaders, and frontline service providers who have chosen to invest their time, talent, and energy in OEV. Every one of them spoke passionately about the neighbourhood’s culture, creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and sense of community. And every one of them also spoke honestly about the social challenges they confront every day and the changes they believe are needed.
This final edition in the series of Steve’s Reflections is my attempt to bring those conversations together. Some of the solutions are surprisingly simple: visit the neighbourhood, explore its shops and restaurants, attend a market or arts event, and spend time supporting the businesses and organizations that are working hard to build a vibrant community.
But the harder work requires a different path. We need to focus on the levers that can reduce the flow of people falling into homelessness, expand the supports available to those already in distress, and replace conversations driven by blame and finger-pointing with conversations focused on practical, measurable solutions. Old East Village does not need to choose between compassion and vitality. Our challenge is to build a neighbourhood—and a city—that can deliver both.
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Steve’s Reflections is sponsored by Old East Village BIA
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We’re teaming up to send you a new feature every weekday:
Monday - Buckle Up - podcast with Matt Brown, SPONSORED BY HAMILTON ROAD BIA
Tuesday - Tour with Cedric Richards - SPONSORED BY LONDON BICYCLE CAFÉ
Wednesday - City Hall Notes by Mike Donachie - SPONSORED BY SPERO LAW
Thursday - the Forest City Arts and Culture Roundup by Diana Tamblyn - SPONSORED BY DOWNTOWN LONDON
Friday - Reflecting - with Steve Cordes SPONSORED BY OLD EAST VILLAGE BIA
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