What makes a modern suburb trendy? Lots of places to eat and drink, perhaps? A youthful and vibrant population? Are live music venues and good leisure facilities a must?
After Crookes, in the west of Sheffield, was named the sixth coolest neighbourhood in the UK by Time Out magazine, the BBC spoke to people in the area to find out what they think makes the area so great.
Popular with students and young families, Crookes was described by Time Out as “not flashy or fussy” but packing “a lot of punch for its size.”, external
Its offering of restaurants, cafes and bars was part of the rationale, while residents and business owners said the neighbourhood’s independent style and tight-knit community are what make it so “cool”.
Maurice Champeau has run the Crookes Social Club, a venue that regularly hosts gigs and events, for 15 years.
“I’m not really surprised to be honest with you because we’ve got a cracking little community in Crookes,” he says when asked about the ranking.
“We recognise each other’s faces. It’s almost a village within the city,” he added.
While the Mulehouse Road venue is a longstanding feature of the neighbourhood, serving as a working men’s club from 1919, the high street has changed over the last decade.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
