George Street, Aberdeen Explained

George Street is a street in the city of Aberdeen, Scotland.

At its northern end it meets the area of Kittybrewster and connects to the A96 road. Running south and slightly east, George Street heads towards the city centre. Dominated by mixed-use development there are a variety of commercial units serving the area.

Commerce

Commercial units range from convenience stores to furniture shops, with a veritable melting pot of multi-cultural offerings from the Asian and European continents in the form of restaurants, cafés, takeaways and barbers. Towards the southern half of George Street independent food establishments have increased their presence over the past few years with a choice of daytime and evening food offerings.

Several quality tattoo parlours offer their services and several pubs also operate in the area, with more pubs branching off into the side streets.

The southern end of the street has been pedestrianised alongside where there was once an extensive collection of buildings owned by the Northern Co-operative Society. These were demolished and replaced with Norco House, which was occupied by the department store John Lewis until August 2021.[1] The building then housed a COVID-19 vaccination clinic[2] [3] from then until June 2023 when the clinic relocated to the nearby Bon Accord Centre,[4] leaving the building vacant. Construction is taking place .[5]

Always a major shopping street, George Street once crossed, at its southern end, the city's Schoolhill, and thence led to the main thoroughfare of Union Street.[6] However, the late 20th Century development of the Bon Accord Centre covered over the end of the street where the roadway once continued (as St. Nicholas Street) to Union Street.

Future commercial development of the southern end of George Street is planned along with further development of the Bon Accord Centre. A glass roof and facade improvements have been conditionally approved by Aberdeen City Council planners for the south end of George Street, along with plans for shops, a 170-bed hotel and 50 residential flats.[7]

References

57.1559°N -2.1084°W

Notes and References

  1. News: 'We are friends for life': John Lewis staff say emotional goodbye to Aberdeen shop . Ben Hendry . The Press and Journal . 13 August 2021.
  2. Web site: Former John Lewis Aberdeen opens as vaccine centre . Lewis Michie . Northsound 1 . 13 September 2021.
  3. News: Covid: John Lewis site to take over as main Aberdeen vaccination centre . 16 August 2021 . 3 July 2024.
  4. News: Aberdeen vaccination centre to move to Bon Accord centre . Ross Hempseed . The Press and Journal . 12 May 2023 . 3 July 2024.
  5. News: John Lewis building planned to become new Aberdeen indoor go-karting venue . Alastair Gossip . The Press and Journal . 13 June 2024 . 3 July 2024 . subscription.
  6. Web site: George Street. 2021-10-15. The Doric Columns.
  7. News: Council planners back proposals to expand Bon Accord and St Nicholas centres . Adele Merson . Evening Express . 17 August 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190816232421/https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/fp/news/local/council-planners-back-proposals-to-redevelop-major-shopping-centre/ . 16 August 2019.