Cafe Crema in New Cross Road is apparently facing eviction by its landlord, Goldsmiths College. The Cafe is a popular student hangout, also known for its film shows and other events.
I'm not sure how imminent this threat is, or whether it extends to the other shops in that stretch, including Prangsta and Rubbish & Nasty. It does highlight once again the role of Goldsmiths as a major property owner/developer in the area - over the past 20 years or so it has expanded to take over a Church, former primary school, former Town Hall and the Laurie Grove Swimming Baths. It would be a shame if it now used its wealth/power to close down one of the few points of interest in the anonymous traffic corridor that is New Cross Road.
Supporters are asked to pop down to 306 New Cross Road to sign a petition. Inevitably there's also a Save Cafe Crema group on Facebook.
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All those shops have had the threat of repossession by Goldsmiths hanging over them for years now. As I understand it, every now and again Goldsmiths flexes its muscles and suggests that it might start taking action, and then pulls out when it realises how complicated evicing all the tenants, sub-letters, squatters, etc would be. I think it was the insecurity generated by this that drove off the health food cafe that was there before Crema. Maybe this time is finally for real.
It is certainly not good for the College's political capital in the neighbourhood that it acts like this...
The tennants are being evicted because the buildings are unsafe, it would be irresponsible of the college to ignore this. Personally, I don't see what all the fuss is about cafe crema is crap, the coffee is probably the worst i've ever encountered and the service is even worse, not to mention the rude staff.
Hopefully it will be replaced by something better!
Ok you're welcome to your opinion of Cafe Crema, even if it is one not shared by the numerous people who really appreciate it (see for instance the Save Cafe Crema group on facebook). You are missing the point though about the buildings being unsafe. The tenants are not objecting to moving out while essential building works are carried out, but they would like the opportunity to move back in afterwards. I think most people locally would rather have the few idiosyncratic shops that are there now than see them turned into, say, more office space for Goldsmiths.
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