It doesn’t need me to poll Camdenist readers about their views on London, as I absolutely know the vast majority of you are fully enamoured with living in the capital, despite its challenges.

Yet we’ve all doubtless had a few conversations of late with concerned friends, remote relatives, or superior-sounding expats about how the city is perceived as too dangerous and/or in a state of terminal decline.

In such pointedly polarised times, I suppose a proverbial cultural melting pot with the power to stir great emotion was always going to become a target for politically motivate point-scoring, but some of this stuff is really off the charts.

A combination of anti-Sadiq sentiment, augmented with some common-or-garden racism and casual prejudice, then super-charged by malicious bot farms intent on stoking disharmony, has lead to an often comedic gulf between Londoners’ lived reality and the persistent narrative that our home is some kind of lawless hell hole.

So, while the capital has just scored a major gong (the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize 2026) for its world-class innovation, vastly improved air quality, transport infrastructure and vibrant public spaces, the Mayor simultaneously had to go on the record to decry the “disinformation blizzard” that continues to swirl regardless, where the hot button topics of crime, violence and clashing beliefs are fully weaponised to badmouth London in the attention economy’s post-truth scroll wars.

It’s certainly landing reputational blows, too. Earlier this year, YouGov found that most Britons (61%) now think London is ‘an unsafe place to live’, a big increase across the board. So there’s no doubt that sentiment originating from online far right agitators is currently being accepted as ‘fact’ by millions, who have been confused by the algorithmic prevalence of triggering violent video clips and the snarky words of questionable commentators.

And yet. It’s an inescapable truth that we’ve seen two horrendous murders here in the Borough in the last month.

Such violence rightfully causes fear, grief, anger and a search for accountability, but the inevitable way the usual agitators seized upon these devastating incidents to push their narrow agenda offers nothing to solve any of the complex issues behind them. It definitely makes things worse.

The sensational nature of this content as a form of viral engagement/entertainment hook sums up so much of what is wrong with the current libertarian free-for-all of the social platforms.

Perception is everything, as the Mayor knows. Fear is real, even if what is feared actually befalling you might not be. Whipping up hateful ‘I told you so’ stories about statistically/thankfully rare crimes reveals a twisted glee at how damned - and damned wrong - us Londonphiles must all be. Meanwhile, we just get on doing the daily work of supporting stronger community bonds and rejecting hate across the city, in our millions.

The things I love about London the absolute most, are often those most savagely attacked by the keyboard critics: multicultural enclaves, bountiful street art, Notting Hill Carnival, daily encounters with edgy nonconformist characters. They represent joy, tolerance and creativity, which is all obviously a real threat to certain fading power structures.

Put into any kind of historical context, from Dickensian squalor to post-war race riots, the capital is unquestionably safer than ever, though. I’d say the real danger - culturally at least - is a slide towards bland over-sanitisation and regulation.

That’s my perception, but I know its far from shared elsewhere, particularly online. Yet, we’ve similarly seen the much-touted online perception of a city like Dubai, (regularly juxtaposed with London for being so much more safe, clean and prosperous - at least if you ignore the human rights issues and repressive government overreach), fall apart in the buzzing shadow of Iranian drone bombs.

If the carefully constructed reputation of one city as ‘safe’ can crumble so fast, so can the equally manufactured narrative that our city is apparently so lacking.

Speaking with an Afghan refugee in Camden this week, I heard only that London represents security and opportunity for his family. Of course, he’d quickly be portrayed online as the ‘wrong kind’ of Londoner to be enjoying the place so much, but his perception is just as real and valid as anyone else’s.

While the local murders are shocking, the actions of one or two disaffected, angry young men simply do not represent what this massively varied city and its wealth of culture and lived experience is all about.

That shouldn’t need to be pointed out, but here we are.

As the Mayor suggests, London might be “the canary in the coalmine” for many more such disinformation outrage battles to come, but we also have the chance to make it the place where the fightback began.

Let’s make that happen.

Despite the prevailing doom felt right across the nation’s cherished hospitality industry, Camden’s pubs just don’t die easily (even if it takes some serious community mobilisation to keep them incubated when in dire need).

Hot on the stilettoed heels of vital LGBTQ+ drag pub The Black Cap returning after over a decade in the dark last month, April has seen the return of lovely backstreet local The Star in Chester Rd, too. It comes complete with masses of optimism after a successful campaign to save it from permanent closure, as story that sits behind an increasing number of boozers in the ‘hood now.

Particularly exciting it the return of Tufnell Park Film Club to its old haunt upstairs, with screenings shown every Tuesday.

And, low and behold, another long-closed local fave, Camden Road’s The Unicorn now looks set to return as an outpost on the live music circuit once more. With such positivity on the pub scene despite numerous challenges, the next question looms over the former Camden Arms right opposite Camden Rd Overground station, which was dragged down with the precipitous fall from grace of Brewdog. Surely that well-appointed hostelry won’t sit dark for quite so long…

COMEDY: 🎭 The old Belushi’s sports bar at Mornington Cres has become dedicated comedy and live entertainment venue Hot Toddy’s, promising regular stand-up shows championing rising comedy talent, outrageous LGBTQ+ performances, free karaoke parties and capsule hostel beds upstairs, aiming to become an exciting hub of Camden’s nightlife as the summer gets going.

MUSIC: 🎤 It’s Record Store Day on Sat 18th Apr, which means a celebration of all things analogue and vinyl. Look out for ragga metal legends Skindred takeover at Raven Records in Camden Town for signings, chats and demos, and a special in the monlth-long series of outdoor DJ and live gigs at Kingley Court’s Soho Sounds, supporting the frenzied crate-digging going on at other key local bastions of the black stuff including Phonica, Sister Ray and Reckless.

SHOPPING: 👗 There’s a new pop-up location for the excellent Charity Super.Mkt just launched over at Finchley Road’s 02 Centre, which brings together loads of different leading charity shops offering stylish preloved clothes, as co-founder and urban visionary Wayne Hemingway told us when he was a Guest Editor of Camdenist back in 2024. Look out for their Fashion with Compassion upcycling workshops on Sat May 7th offering practical tips ways to re-vamping beloved garments, and a specially curated capsule collection with exclusive discounts for students.
It all started at their Classic Car Boot Sale, which also returns this weekend, Sat 18th & Sun 19th, to its home of Granary Square in King’s Cross for what is always a riot of music, fashion, food and vintage vehicles.

MUSIC: 🎤 Africa’s celebrated musician and visual artist, Nissi brings her Afrobeats, R&B and soul sounds sung in English, Yoruba and pidgin to the Jazz Cafe on Thurs 23rd Apr. Sister of Burna Boy, its a rare chance to catch this compelling artist in a club setting.

FOOD: 🥫 The latest addition to Camden Town’s smorgasbord of international supermarkets has just opened on Parkway, with a new branch of Russian deli Dacha, featuring meticulously laid-out racks of pickles, sauces, sweets and signature caviar, too.

BOOKS: 📚 Up at Ally Pally, the North London Book Festival brings masses of authors and readers under one roof for a guaranteed inspiring three days, Thurs 23rd - Sat 26th Apr, of readings, panel discussions, Q&As, workshops, and book signings.

FOOD:🌶️ There’s a spicy new Thai kitchen residency at King’s Cross listening bar Spiritland throughout April on Sunday’s (lunch and dinner) and Mondays (dinner) with the acclaimed Bangkok Delivery Boy.

COMEDY: 🎭 Dave Chawner is a stand-up currently writing a show about quitting alcohol and getting his shit together, and diving into the complex relationship today’s culture has with booze. He’s previewing Dry Humour at Camden Comedy Club on Thurs 24th Apr.

ART: 🖼️ The 16 interdisciplinary artists and curators that make up the newly formed Palace Cinema Art Collective have their firs show in their new Kentish Town gallery home on Fri 25th Apr with a free private view of House Warming, which then runs all weekend.

🥕 Celebrate the arrival of Spring and its fresh harvest of vegetables on Sat 9th May as local sustainable food champions Vegbox and Eat Club team up for Seasonal Surprises, a cooking workshop followed by a community meal, at Calthorpe Community Gardens. You’ll learn to prepare some simple, delicious, seasonal dishes and then meet fellow local food enthusiasts around the table afterwards.