Euan McGrory: When did Leith Walk become so hipster?

Maybe it was the day that Starbucks opened. Or maybe it was when greengrocer Tattie Shaws started stocking chorizo.

James Welby of Leith Walk greengrocer Tattie Shaws. Pic: Jon Savage

Either way there is no denying that Leith Walk has passed a point where its so-called ‘gentrification’ is no longer in question. Where once old boozers and butchers shops stood, there are now taco bars and shabby chic cafes. The high street chains are moving in and so are the students and young families with money to spend. The famous street - which has had its share of ups and downs over the years - is once again a hive of activity, bustling with newly opened businesses and unmissable signs of growing affluence.

Of course, as with all change, there are downsides. The arrival of high street chains - Sainsburys, Tescos, Starbucks - will inevitably make it harder for some of the local independent food traders to survive. And, as has happened elsewhere in the city, the growing interest in the area from developers is threatening to squeeze out the music scene, with the future of the popular venue Leith Depot under threat. These are the costs of success as Leith enjoys perhaps its highest prosperity and lowest unemployment in living memory.