WE need to talk about gentrification.

My dad opened his law firm in the year I was born. In 1987, his business operated out of an office on Belfast’s Bloomfield Avenue.

In the eighties and nineties the street was bustling with small businesses and fancy boutiques. The city centre wasn’t safe and customers liked shopping locally.

When I worked for my dad, the avenue was recovering from the crash in 2008. To Let signs and shutters dotted the road.

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When we went out for lunch, my favourite spot was the cafe across the road. It wasn’t fancy but it did the best soup and sandwiches.

Today, the street looks very different.

My favourite spot is gone. A cafe called Halt replaced it. It sells artisan pastries, matcha and vegan mushrooms on toast.

The decor is crisp, trendy and everyone who works there looks effortlessly cool. I’m a frequent visitor.

Beside Halt there’s an artisan bakery/record shop called “Bread and Records”. Every time you walk past you can smell croissants.

This is happening across east Belfast.

On the Newtownards Road, there’s a craft beer bar called Boundary across the road from the Con Club.

Beside it, the Banana Block at Portview Trade Centre hosts a bazaar every month for small businesses and local traders.

The last time I was in there, somebody was selling jeans for £100. Every month there’s a wine and cheese night that costs around £40 per person.

Down the road from the Banana Block, there’s a food bank and Hosford House, a homeless hostel.

© The Irish News