Brixton residents say soaring house prices and bougie shops are driving families out and destroying the area.
House buyers need to shell out as much as £400,000 more to buy a two-bedroom property in the South London town than they would have in 1995.
Locals fear people who have grown up in the area are being forced to look elsewhere because of rocketing house prices.
They say newcomers to the neighbourhood complain too much, and are nostalgic for a time when neighbours would drop by each other’s houses.
In 1980, Brixton was known for high unemployment and surging crime, with almost half of all of Lambeth’s robberies and violent thefts committed in the area.
Anger at a lack of opportunities and racist discrimination by police boiled over in April, 1981 when the Brixton riots saw Met Police officers violently clash with young Black people over two days.
Fast forward 40 years and the area is known for its stylish restaurants, trendy bars and soaring house prices.
Flats on Railton Road, where the riots began, regularly sell in excess of half a million pounds.
Research by estate agents Savills suggests the cost of a home has surged 76 per cent in the last five years.
Brixton’s re-branding as a fashionable neighbourhood hasn’t been without controversy.
Most recently, a Texan millionaire DJ’s plans to build a 20-storey tower overlooking Brixton’s Electric Avenue has met with fierce resistance from locals who feared the area’s character was being destroyed.
One of those uneasy about Brixton’s changing face is Vince McBean, 66, president of the West Indian Association of Service Personnel, based in the area.
He was making final preparations for an event on Sunday in Brixton’s Windrush Square, celebrating the arrival of thousands of people in the UK from the Caribbean between 1948 and 1971.
He said: “It seems to be a story of gentrification what has happened here. It has got more expensive and that’s driving out certain people.
"And it’s driving out the happiness that people used to have.
“People used to live in each other’s houses and come and go.
"Now the people that are complaining about that and the noise are those who came in and bought up houses when they were cheap.
"The prices are now going up but these people didn’t want to know the area when it was nothing.”
Brixton resident Zoe Smith is one of those who took advantage of the cheap house prices when she moved into the area 15 years ago.
Ms Smith said she liked Brixton’s diversity but feared it could lose its charm if gentrification continued at the same speed.
She said: “I really like the fact there’s a huge sense of community here and the fact it’s diverse.
"There’s lots of different people living next to each other.”
She later said: “There’s probably an unfortunate side to gentrification which has pushed away some of the communities that have been living here for a long-time.
"If it carries on the area will become a completely different place.”
But Derek Chong, who has ran a fruit and vegetable stall on Brixton’s Electric Avenue for 32 years, said the area still had a unique feel despite rocketing house prices.
The 62-year-old said: “It has got its own energy – there’s a lot of diversity.
"It has still got that.
"After the riots no-one was interested.
"You couldn’t even give a house away here.”
Chong, who works 16 hour days at the stall, said he expected the area to get more expensive if the Hondo Tower development goes ahead.
Mr Chong said: “It’s going to attract a certain type of people to the area – people with money.
"It will raise the value of property even higher.
"Brixton has got great transport links – 10 minutes you’re in the middle of London.
"People with money know this.”
Over in Brixton Village Market Alexandre Kinuthia, manager of bistro Cheese + Fizz, said he’d never visited the area prior to starting his job there 18 months ago but since then had fallen in love with the area.
The 25-year-old said: “Before working here I never came to Brixton – it’s not really a tourist area.
“I like the mix and the fact that it’s always alive.
"It’s got really good food.
"It’s not five stars but you can eat from across the world.
"You know everyone who works in the village.
"Even if you don’t know their names you say hi. In a big city like London, saying hi makes a difference.”
On Brixton Station Road, Joze, a musician who has lived in the area since he was born, was enjoying ice cram with his friend Keiddy Cruz, 23, visiting from Guildford and her daughter.
Joze, 24, said: “I think gentrification has been a good thing overall. It has brought lots of shops and activities here.
"As long as it doesn’t take away from the culture, it’s a good thing.
“There used to be lots of gang violence and it felt dangerous to walk around at night.
"I feel like it’s a lot better now.
"There are still some areas like Angell Town where I wouldn’t feel safe, but it has improved in the centre.
Keiddy, 23, said: “I like visiting Brixton.
"I come here lots and I love how diverse it is compared to Guilford but I wouldn’t move here.
"It’s cheaper in Guilford and there’s less crime.
"Having a child changes your perspective.”
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