Wednesday, December 28, 2011

In the Neighbourhood

Ork Posters, based in Chicago, produce typograpic map posters of cities across the world. For London they do one for both London boroughs and London neighbourhoods (below):



Of course borough names and boundaries are prescribed and well-established, but neighbourhoods are more subjective and change over time. Here's a detail of the SE London section, featuring among others New Cross, New Cross Gate, Deptford, Brockley and Ladywell. No doubt there could be much discussion on what's been missed out, what shouldn't be there, and where the boundaries should be - that is the nature of neighgbourhoods, no two people carry the same map in their head.  


Incidentally I found out about this map from Adventures of a Frogsbif - a bilingual blog documenting a French student's adventures in London while she studies at Goldsmiths in New Cross: 'London never sleeps. This city is never silent. I live next to a pub backyard, which means that I can hear people talking from noon to 1am, then there's the noise of people talking in my flat, or in the flat next door, or in the other blocks, or down on the green. There's also the constant roar of cars going by, rythmed by police cars and ambulances' alarms freaking me out every half hour. One would think the whole Lewisham population would be dead by now, considering how many people already called the cops these last days' (full post here).

See also her thoughts on British food, and lots of recipes with French alternatives!

1 comment:

Gaëlle said...

Wow, I just saw this! I don't know how I never saw it before. Thanks a lot for the shoutout anyways, even if I'm a year late seeing it!