In the early 2000s the buildings in this area were almost universally residential, but then a shift took place and some shops and offices were installed at the ground-floor level; an actualization of entrepreneurial instincts meeting shortages of commercial space. Planning officials were outraged by the mixing of non-residential land uses into a residential-zoned area and tried to block such conversion, but everyone else could see the benefits.
The shift to non-residential uses at the ground floor has been gradual because businesses are still not allowed to freely move in, but in recent years the pace of change has accelerated despite the difficulties of licensing businesses and offices in residential buildings. A necessary corollary of having shops at the ground level is that people must be allowed to freely enter areas which when originally built were accessible only to the local residents. Many of the shops still don't tend to do so well because the area is hidden away, but this has in turn led to an eclectic mix of uses ranging from yoga studios to music instrument shops in addition to the ubiquitous salons. There's also an intriguing-seeming cartoon museum nearby though it never seems to be open.
In late 2019 the entire area was repaved and re-landscaped, potentially improving the pedestrian connectivity and throughput and further supporting the expansion of ground-floor activity and appeal.