Leith is in the midst of a noveau-golden-era. I’ve been living here for almost 10 years, and things just got interesting.

Leith, Edinburgh’s once-busy port, fell into decline after WW2 when the ship yards closed. In the decades that followed it became notorious for dereliction, crime, prostitution and – thanks to Trainspotting – heroin addicts. Not a place you’d probably choose to live in or want to visit.

Regeneration projects have helped bring life back with government headquarters and regeneration of the docksides, but right now Leith seems to be in the middle of a steroidal growth spurt.

New Leith Cool

Almost every time I walk down Leith Walk there’s a new café, bar, or shop that’s popped up. Buildings that stood derelict for a decade with peeling paint are now getting snapped up, renovated and turned into something new. It feels exiting. There’s a buzz, a busyness and a sense of something happening.

Right now we seem to be in the midst of almost the perfect planetary alignment; an atmosphere ideal for new start-up businesses. Leith Walk is made up almost entirely of some 100 retailers, cafes and bars. Though there are a handful of chains (Dominoes, KFC, Tesco and now Sainsbury’s) the vast majority of businesses in Leith are small, independent businesses.

The result? Edinburgh’s coolest, quirkiest and most interesting area. Some are even calling it ‘Edinburgh’s Hipster District’. ‘Hipsters’ may not always be welcomed with open arms by long-time locals, but it’s clear that the demographic of Leith is changing, and that is bringing something fresh.

New university accommodation on Leith Walk has injected students in to the area. Tourists are venturing further and further down The Walk, and more people are moving in as Leith’s desirability increases.

Life In Leith: An International Edinburgh

Yes, Stockbridge maybe Edinburgh’s poster girl, and it is a pretty picture with its yummy mummies, yoga classes, and a shop selling nothing but macaroons, but give me life in Leith any day. Stockbridge is just a bit staid; Leith is where the life is.

We have the butchers, fishmongers, bakeries, cafes, charity shops, tailors and Tattie Shaws – probably the best grocer in the world. They are just as good as those in Stockbridge – just much cheaper.

Plus in Leith, things get a whole lot more international. There are entire shops selling Indian goods, Chinese goods, Polish, Russian, Mediterranean, Italian, Scandinavian and more. Then there’s the breweries, gin distilleries, antique auctioneers, cobblers, carpet houses, galleries, rehearsal rooms, record shops and re-makers. Aye, Leith has got plenty going on.

Up and Coming

Price was the primary reason I moved to Leith in the first place. It was close to Edinburgh’s city centre, close to work, and had all the amenities, but rents were a couple of hundred pounds less than in Edinburgh’s more ‘desirable’ areas such as Stockbridge or Bruntsfield.

I knew Leith was a little rougher round the edges, (‘up and coming’ and all), but after moving here, I quickly realised that not only was it cheaper than other parts of town, it was much more interesting.

The Rise of Leith’s Swedish Mafia

When I first moved to Leith, there were very few pubs I dared step foot in. Most didn’t look particularly inviting to an ‘outsider’. But that’s changed a lot. Edinburgh’s ‘Swedish Mafia’ (note: I am aware of no actual criminial syndicate connections – I just like the name) were one of the first to colonise Leith bringing a new and much needed brand of bars to the area. They were cosy, quirky and friendly, and instantly found a market, highlighting the demand for watering holes that were more welcoming than the more traditional ‘old man pub’ establishments.

Opening Sofi’s Bar, their original base in the heart of Leith, just metres away from the notorious brutalist Banana Flats, they then cast their eye towards town, establishing base stations along the way with Boda Bar, Victoria and Joseph Pearces.

The Shore, which has for a long time been Leith’s main ‘hip’ area populated by several ‘new media’ companies, some excellent restaurants and a handful of good pubs, is spreading to the rest of Leith.

Now Leith Walk and the surrounding area boast many more pubs catering to the new Leith clientele: Woodland Creatures, The Black Fox, Brass Monkey, Tourmalet, Leith Depot, the Lioness of Leith, the Parlour Bar and more. All these places are tapping in to a new demand from locals, and also attracting more people from futher afield.

Terraforming Leith’s Economic Atmosphere

Doubtless more chains will move in, now that the ‘terraforming’ has been completed by the small, local businesses, who have prepared the economic atmosphere and readied it for larger companies to capitalise on the action. But I hope that Leith will retain its exciting mix of micro-businesses for a long time to come yet.

On that note, remember: vote with your money. Think carefully about where you spend your pounds. Support the businesses you want to survive or they’ll die; use them or lose them.

Leith Litter and Love

Leith is still rough round the edges. It is still ‘up and coming’. Stroll down The Walk and you’ll still see the hard-up and homeless clutching cans of Tenants Special. There’s still junkies queuing for methadone outside the pharmacies each morning. There’s still dog shit in the streets, and a lot of litter in the gutters.

But that’s Leith, and the boom will continue regardless.