Beyond all the great local businesses, what actually makes Govanhill cool?

Latest NewsPostCommunityDiversityPolitics

Sep 19

Written By Greater Govanhill

After Govanhill was named the fifth coolest neighbourhood in the world, and the news made it all the way to the Scottish Parliament, we asked local people what they think actually makes the area so special.

*The Govanhill Street Music Festival outside The Community Newsroom | Photo by Mikael Phillips*

By Rhiannon J Davies

It’s been quite a week for Govanhill.

Time Out named Govanhill the fifth coolest neighbourhood in the world, causing agreement among some and outrage for others. Writing about the area, Time Out contributor Annie McNamee highlighted some familiar local favourites, from Fulton’s and Errol’s Hot Pizza to Category Is Books, Burning House Books, Jeju Baked Goods, Transylvanian Coffee, the Bell Jar and the Rose Reilly. She also pointed to Glasgow Zine Library and the neighbourhood’s mix of Irish pubs, Pakistani and Indian restaurants and Eastern European businesses.

She wrote: “Thankfully the area, which has been Glasgow’s most diverse for a century, hasn’t lost its background amongst all the hype... This welcoming ethos is Glasgow at its best.”

This prompted Glasgow Southside MSP Holly Bruce to lodge a motion in the Scottish Parliament stating:

That the Parliament understands that Govanhill has been named as Time Out’s fifth coolest neighbourhood in the world; further understands that this area in the Glasgow Southside constituency is known for its community spirit, independent shops and creative activity; celebrates Govanhill's independent music venues, queer bookstores, multicultural food and drink businesses and lively community spaces, and believes that the existence of these local organisations and businesses only adds to the area's longstanding diversity and strength in character.

It came just a week after Reform UK MSP Thomas Kerr used a very different set of words to describe the area, calling Govanhill a “ghetto” where “multiculturalism has failed and integration does not work”. As we reported earlier this week, this is in stark contrast to what Kerr said about Govanhill’s “spirit and diversity” as “something to be celebrated” when we interviewed him in 2024.

Read more on Thomas Kerr’s comments here.

As a magazine, we launched to challenge negative stereotypes about the area, enable people to tell their own stories and shine a light on all the people and projects working to make a change. It’s a model that’s been recognised around the world for doing journalism different, and even saw us win a European Award for Local Media in Barcelona earlier this year (which we think is quite cool!).

If you want to support our work, become a member today.

We love seeing Govanhill celebrated. But for us what makes Govanhill cool is the people who live here and the community spirit of inclusiveness, activism and creativity that runs deep. So, rather than leave it to journalists and politicians to tell us what makes Govanhill special, we asked the people live and work here:

What actually makes Govanhill cool?

Juliana Ramírez-Muñoz

“Govanhill is cool because there are more than sixty languages spoken in the area. Also because it has its own festival. Also because it has the memory of the occupation and fight for the Baths so alive. Also because it has its own independent journalis, mag.”

Jennifer Ní Bhriain

“Daisy Street Community Centre, Big Noise, the amazing library and staff, local transport, bike lanes, proximity to the park and city, and just the general anything-fkn-goes vibe.”

Simone Stewart, Arts Manager at Govanhill Baths

“I have met so many different people who have migrated from so many parts of the world here who have broadened my mind with their different perspectives, togetherness and wonderful hospitality.”

Suz, Radio Buena Vida

“While politicians continue to claim Govanhill is one big happy melting pot, it can still feel like it is a collection of quite separate communities in many ways.
“Yet, living and/or working in Govanhill means so many different people, cultures and communities live, shop, eat, drink, celebrate, play and protest together. We rub shoulders with one another, we cross paths, we intersect, learn from each other and grow relationships and communities as a result in a way that doesn’t happen in homogenised neighbourhoods.
“I feel it is very ‘cool’ that long-running neighbourhood businesses like Anarkali and Ramsay’s chippy welcomed us so openly and generously as ‘newbies’, literally feeding us while we were working all hours trying to get Buena Vida up and running. And that Annie who runs Queens Park Café and the Victoria Bar, or Daryl who runs Short Long Black and is from Govanhill, were so happy and open to sharing info and tips on everything from who they use for their bin collections, to licensing lawyers, food suppliers and a million other things. It is nice to be able to in turn pass our own knowledge and experience on to others.
“The sheer diversity of food available is also very ‘cool’, as is the mix of the old and the new businesses and the everyday versus high-end places serving it. Allison Street in particular should be mentioned, from the sweet shops to the fruit and veg shops and butchers, to places like Shinwari and Kurdish alongside newer Qasba.
“So many shops and cafes are open late in the evening. Being able to buy fresh fruit and veg at 8pm at night, for example, or have tea or ice cream at 9 or 10pm rather than everything shutting at 5pm is ‘cool’.
“The constant discovery of new foods, music, cultures and drinks makes it ‘cool’, and the fact that you can still find independent printers, key cutters, newsagents, launderettes and hardware stores still in business means you can live in this community and avoid using Amazon or going to a retail park or huge supermarket for the majority of things you need.”

Morag Ramsay

“One of the coolest things in Govanhill is Radio Buena Vida and what their founders Speedy and Suz have built up in terms of a radio station-based community bringing together people from every part of the Govanhill community.
“Programmes in different languages, representing the full range of people, cultures and languages present in this fantastic part of the city. As well as the shows and who and what they include, the cafe as a place to come and meet is unique.
“It’s so much more than the sum of its parts, punches well above its weight in terms of impact and reach. Govanhill would be so much the poorer without it!”

Laura Vroomen

“Govanhill is not always as clean as we would like it to be, but instead of moaning about it or pointing the finger of blame, the Govanhill Community Litter Pick gathers once a month to give the neighbourhood a bit of a glow-up.
“Attracting a very diverse group of people – young and old, newer and more established Scots – it sends out a clear message that Govanhillians take pride in their streets. And in each other, something that is celebrated with a shared lunch afterwards.”

Cat Cochrane

“What I love about living in Govanhill is when I pop into a cafe or pub for a bite to eat or a quick pint, not only am I supporting a local business and not a corporate chain, I also end up chatting to other local creatives and the next thing we’re collaborating on a new project.
“Having experienced this twice in the past year, it shows that creative partnerships and the production of shared ideas thrive organically at grassroots level in the area.
“When people hear about this, they definitely want in on some of the creative Govanhill action.”

Lenna Lidstone

“With a great team of native speakers I run an English language cafe in the basement of Queen’s Park Baptist Church. We are situated on the edge of Govanhill, so the majority of our guests are local to that area.
“Currently we have Pakistani, Syrian, Afghan, Sudanese, Yemeni, Iranian and Turkish. There’s a lot of laughter when we meet together on a Wednesday morning and we love the way they intermingle and enjoy each other’s company.
“Govanhill is now home and I think that’s pretty cool!”

Alan Rorrison

“I love the diversity of the area, so many different cultures and people living together in one area. I also love the creativity and social awareness that exists as well. All the social enterprises and art spaces that exist.
“All the businesses and areas on Albert Road are evidence of that, also the likes of Category Is Books and other places where people feel accepted and welcome.
“I honestly wouldn’t live anywhere else!”

Kev Kiernan

“One of the things that makes Govanhill cool is that it can never be gentrified. It's too working class at its core and the relatively high level of social housing prevents any kind of ‘wealthy takeover’. Just ask the person who tried to operate a ‘kimchi bar’ on Allison Street!”

Katharina Szekely

“How alive it felt. Incredible community spirit (although not everyone signs up for it ;-)). Diversity coupled with the usual Glasgow mindset of being helpful, friendly, resilient and having a cracking sense of humour = win. Doesn't compare to anywhere else I've ever lived.
“Also, if Govanhill is the Ellis Island of Glasgow, then maybe it has some of NYC's entrepreneurial spirit too: it seems like a really fertile area for cool little startups. Plenty of space for creativity.
“Disclaimer: I moved away in 2022, not sure what youse have done with the place in the meantime.”

True Voice Creations

“I would have liked to see mentions of activities that do not require £ and spotlighting of community initiatives for wellbeing as well as a local charity mention. Inclusion in voices needs to represent different financial demographics too.”