A WOMAN who bought her home for just £4,000 has revealed the major change that’s set to put a dampener on her “marvellous” area.
Valerie Kohn, 82, loves living in Golder’s Green, North London, but feels that changing shopping trends could see it take a turn for the worse.
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Valerie moved into the area, dubbed Little Israel due to its large Jewish community and cultural scene, in 1954, with her semi setting her back just £4,000.
She’s felt no need to move over the years as the community has “everything we need right on our doorstep”.
However, she has noticed a change in the local high street, especially in terms of the quality of the shops lining it.
Valerie told MyLondon: “The area used to be quite a smart shopping location a few decades ago.
“There used to be lots of trendy dress shops, shoe shops and similar places along the high street but when Brent Cross became more popular most of the business moved there.”
There are also issues with young people being unable to get on the property ladder in the area and expand the community.
The average house price in Golders Green is a whopping £1.2 million, with many family homes going for over £2 million according to Rightmove.
However, some residents still hold out plenty of hope for the area.
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Keren Zion, 29, who runs a local bakery, said: “This is part of what makes the area unique as there’s a great community feel.”
Likewise, deli worker David added: “I’m originally from Israel and it reminds me a lot of home due to the community.
“I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”
Then again, no area is perfect, as residents of a town named the UK’s best place to live revealed a major downside that drives them crazy.
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