Amid Rising Gentrification, London’s African Churches Find a Way to Thrive

For Londoners who have been in the city for years, the change is obvious. Not long ago, the southeast neighborhood of Peckham was the heart of London’s Nigerian population. But over the last few years, you’re more likely to see white middle-class hipsters in their twenties and thirties posing in the pink stairwell of Frank’s, the local rooftop bar. Like Brooklyn in New York, most came to the area for the lower rents — and stayed because of the burgeoning creative scene.

For Londoners who have been in the city for years, the change is obvious. Not long ago, the southeast neighborhood of Peckham was the heart of London’s Nigerian population. But over the last few years, you’re more likely to see white middle-class hipsters in their twenties and thirties posing in the pink stairwell of Frank’s, the local rooftop bar. Like Brooklyn in New York, most came to the area for the lower rents — and stayed because of the burgeoning creative scene.