please empty your brain below

I hate it when new blocks of flats are marketed as "apartments". This isn't America.
I used to get upset by things like that too. But lately I've been thinking that language is bound to change, and if British English happens to move, gradually, in the direction of American English, well, is that really so dreadful? There are plenty of worse things, where people actually suffer, to agitate about.
As they are selling properties to a world market I think many people not raised in the UK would know what a flat is when used in connection with a building. Flat roof maybe.
Will be nice to see the area around the Dome developed.
We used to live in a maisonette rather than a flat. That's two storeys in an apartment block so I always thought it was only a flat if it was on one floor only. So an apartment could be either a flat or a maisonette.
Isn't 'raised' rather American too? I thought we Brits were brought up. But I have definitely noticed that creeping in lately, so I fear Malcolm could well be right.
Whilst the discussion concerning the change in the use of the English language is interesting, I feel the most important issue here is one of housing politics.

I'm 46 and since the age of about 11 have been interested in most things transport related. If asked I would have suggested that the most interesting job in government would have been that of Secretary of State for Transport.

It's great to see Crossrail (finally) under construction and perhaps HS2 (leaving aside the question of whether the budget might be more usefully spent on projects of a more local nature). A number of other useful projects have of course been completed and clearly there is no need to list them here.

Whilst much of this is of interest I can't help but feel that the issue of importance to most Londoners today must be housing policy, specifically the provision of affordable housing and the affordability of housing in general.

Am I wrong? I've done a (quick) search for surveys of which issues Londoners find most important, but haven't yet found anything definitive.
interesting to read about what must be one of the last parts of Docklands in its original state. in the early 80s I was involved in the redevelopment of the area, at that time most people had no knowledge of it. I had to cycle round when making notes, because there was no public transport apart from an occasional bus round the Isle of Dogs.
now when I go back I find it difficult to believe that this is the same deserted place I discovered 30 years ago.
At least both DG and the 'raised' OP called the Dome, the Dome. I thought I was the only one left who did. I will not do gratuitous advertising for place names. So it's the Arsenal stadium (yes I know that Arsenal is commercial too, but it's different because it's what they do there, be The Arsenal). I do hope we will call it the West Ham Stadium although Olympic is OK, of course.
When I am sipping champagne in my duplex apartment / condo or whatever its called on my balcony overlooking the Dome built for the 300 rainless days a year we have in these parts, I know I will be able to get a dangleway whenever I like (except when its windy) to the Excel (but not to Crossrail at Custom House).
@Malcolm: Yes, I agree, language is bound to change over the years; but it can be hard to adjust to new usage when it sounds plain wrong. I believe some Americanisms are ye olde English that has fallen into disuse in the UK, such as gotten, which sounds delightfully medieval to my ears.
@kissenme - or you could sit in your duplex enjoying the fact that if it wasn't for the dangleway the area would still be an undeveloped mass of mud

http://diamondgeezer.blogspot.com/2012/11/dangleway-business-case.html

@Lorenzo - affordable housing is, of course, a big issue but in transport terms the development of North Greenwich peninsula is something of a no-brainer; after all the more people who live close to Canary Wharf the fewer people who have to commute there from further away.

@Karen - and when did we start calling bedsits 'studio apartments'?
Now there is a small world... Only last Friday I cycled down the Thames to the ferry - over to Silvertown, eventually found the Chinese trade supermarket by Tate & Lyle as I had heard it has a good noodle bar - and it does. Very much Chinese food and good prices. Back via dangleway (used Oyster card) and cycled round the Dome to Greenwich..amazing really when you consider what was here only a few years ago.Really high tide as well which made for interesting waves coming over the wall. Well worth a trip if you are out that way, as is the noodle bar but good luck finding it due to Crossrail.
Well the term condominium has not yet raised it's head over hear, neither has the term duplex. Give it time though.

Regardless of the terms spending hundreds of thousands on a shoe box even for a central location is crazy.










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