23 Businesses Currently For Sale in Harringay

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Permalink Reply by empyrean_aisles on February 13, 2008 at 10:13

I see a couple of the social clubs are up for sale. Do those places remind anyone else of the Bing in the Sopranos (ie the seedy bar/strip joint where the mob bosses hang out and do their deals out the back)?! I mean, 'social clubs' that you can never see into, that women seem to be forbidden from (except as waitresses - one place was advertising for one), and that men are always hanging around outside ... what's going on? Part of me wants to play the clueless tourist and barge on in just to find out what on earth is going on in there. Anyone on this board every been into one?

Empyrean (whose childhood in a faraway country was clearly much more sheltered than she realised)

Permalink Reply by Liz on February 13, 2008 at 10:30

You would never get through the door. Some of my mates tried to enter one 'just to see'...they were made most unwelcome. 'Nuff said. However, you wonder if they will survive as younger members of the community move away from such isolation, preferring to hang out with local friends rather than sitting in the front of shops playing cards. Who knows?

Permalink Reply by empyrean_aisles on February 13, 2008 at 10:34

So perhaps they should be renamed Anti-social clubs?!

Permalink Reply by Birdy_Too on February 13, 2008 at 12:00

The social clubs are a cultural Turkish/Kurdish/Cypriot thing that we are not use to, well I am now.

To me they are sexist dives, full of smokers, shouting at women and “gobbing” on the street.

I have been in two, both by accident. First one was next to King Kebab, I entered thinking I could get a drink at 4am in the morning, they politely said next door, at King Kebab.

There is, or was one next door to the cab office by the big internet café. I walked through the wrong door trying to get a cab and saw loads of blokes crowded around a pool table with a wooden make shift surround on it. Some sort of dices and cards were been thrown. These guys had wods and I mean wods of £50 notes in their hands, I would estimate at least ten grand in each hand.

A guy hurried me out and showed me the taxi office.

When I first moved to Harringay nine years ago, there was loads of trouble between rival factions, of what I assumed were the PKK and the CPP, it’s really quietened down in recent years.

Permalink Reply by hannah on February 13, 2008 at 20:09

I hate them. I always thought you needed a special licence to have an exclusive club, and I wonder if these have such a thing. They at least are unwelcoming, so in my view that is "exclusive". If a group of "non-belongers" went in and requisitioned a pool table they could not object I expect, and many times I have found the prospect very tempting. Time to reclaim the high street and open up all these dark and seedy corners to all local residents I say!! After all, what is a high street for. And where on earth is the local bookshop?

Permalink Reply by rahman on February 13, 2008 at 22:03

They are mostly members only clubs.

Most were blitzed after the 'incident' outside Fairline a few years ago which led to the heavy police presence in the area and the closure of the really dodgy ones.

I dont mind them so much. There arent that many of them anymore, and if old men want a place to go and play cards, whats the biggie.

I hope green lanes doesnt turn in to a stretch of gastro pubs and organic health shops.

(Can you tell that I was born and brought up here and like the vibe we have?)

and what on earth germany has got to do with green lanes, i dont know.....

Permalink Reply by Hugh on February 13, 2008 at 22:39

Steve, who wrote the post from Berlin was born and brought up here in the fifties. He's staying connected with the area, in part through this site. We can often learn a lot through comparison, don't you think?

Permalink Reply by HoL Site Admin on February 15, 2008 at 1:04

This post refers to one of sevral posts deleted on this discussion which had strayed too far off topic.

Permalink Reply by Liz on February 13, 2008 at 22:59

I would agree with you. I too would hate to have 5 shops selling expensive baby clothes and 10 more selling recycled pens and then have to pay through the nose for a loaf of bread or a bit of fish a la Crouch End. There is, on the other hand, a case for preserving the character of the place and its history. We are a diverse and very friendly community here, I talk to all my neighbours who are from many parts of the world. We should beware of coming across as 'gentrifiers' as I sincerely believe that most of us are far from that. There are community groups who we should feed this into or else we may just look like a bunch of whingers who do no more than moan to each other about how awful it all is. Maybe it's time this site evolved a 'green lanes strategy' of its own and take the fight to the draughty Church halls of Harringay. Come on, lets look the planners right in the eye...

Permalink Reply by Birdy_Too on February 14, 2008 at 12:40

Great post Liz

I don't like the butchers as I am a carrot cruncher, but it takes all sorts to form a community whether I personally like them not.

I don’t particularly like these cafes but some people of the community do. As someone has said the real dodgy ones have closed since all the goings on five years ago.

Permalink Reply by rahman on February 14, 2008 at 19:21

Great post Liz, I would agree. Im afraid I believe that the 'monaning' (if thats what it is to be called) on this site does come across as 'gentrified moaning' and probably would put a lot of the local community off getting involved with the issues raised.

Especially if German-Turkish/ assimilation issues start being batted around as though they are relevant to Harringay.

Just something to think about.

Permalink Reply by Hugh on February 14, 2008 at 22:58

That's useful feedback rahman. Thanks. And you're right that the German- Turkish issues are not core to the debate here. (An interesting aside perhaps?) It's great that people can vent somewhat on this site, but what's important is that out of the venting comes change, hence the Turning Discussion into Action, the current residents' priorities survey and the site's leading role in the Betting Shops Campaign. It also aims to be a source of information to help people drive action for themselves.

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