Interesting piece in the NYT about the demise of the traditional English pub. I think there's more to it than gentrification though. The problem affects all British cities, whether they're prospering economically or not. Oversupply is probably the major issue to be honest.

One by one, the pubs are disappearing in Hampstead, a jewel-box village of cobbled lanes and Georgian homes that has become one of this city’s most fashionable neighborhoods. The Nags Head has become a realty office. The King of Bohemia is now a clothing shop. An apartment building has replaced The Hare and Hounds. — New York Times

Do you still frequent your Local or has it closed down? We go to our local occasionally, but in #London it's more common to go to a pub near your workplace with colleagues.