The Merchant City, Glasgow

Back at work and off to Glasgow again for a meeting, however, it gave me an opportunity to blip the Merchant City sign in George Square.

The area now known as 'Merchant City' was developed during the 1750's.

Houses and warehousing of the wealthy merchant "tobacco lords" who prospered in shipping, amongst other things, tobacco, sugar and tea to the Clyde and fabricated goods to the Americas were built in the area.

The area west of the High Street formed the historic backbone of the city, the development of what is now known as with wide, straight streets, vistas, and squares, marked the beginning of a process of aspirational residential movement westwards that would continue throughout the 19th century and into the 20th with the development of Blythswood Hill, Hillhead and the West End of Glasgow.The name 'Merchant City' was coined during this regeneration and was not used historically. Historically the area was called 'Trongate', 'the tron' or Glasgow Cross, 'cross' or simply by most Glaswegians 'the toun' or 'the town'.

The Merchant City has been promoted and built up in recent years as a residential, shopping and leisure area, mirroring Covent Garden in the West End of London. To this end many new bars and restaurants have been established. This has been complemented with the building of prestigious new housing developments, often by restoring Victorian buildings. An example being the GPO Building development.