This suburban Haringey neighbourhood sits on the border between two lush desirable areas, Wood Green and Bowes Park. Home to the quaint green spaces of Nightingale Gardens and Woodside Park, most residents move to the area in search of fresh air with an easy commute into central London. That’s not to say that residents are rushing to head to the city on their off days though. If visiting on a weekend, you’ll find locals jogging along the coveted New River Path, enjoying live music at The Step, and wandering by Myddleton Road’s many eclectic eateries. Whether it’s Greek food at Vrisaki, sweets at the Hellenic Bakery, or a flat white at Cup Tales, it’s easy to see why locals have chosen to leave the crowds of the inner city behind for this green pocket of north London!

Bowes Park dates back to 1397, when the site was largely just Bowes Manor. The manor covered 33 acres of land, boasting a farm and lake. When the manor changed hand in the mid-19th century, the new owner decided to build additional houses on the property. After the owner died at the end of the century, the estate was divided up for further development. This led to the growth of Bowes Park. At the time, the area was considered to be a fancier version of Wood Green. Having developed into a rather religious neighbourhood, public houses were restricted from being built locally. Today, this is thankfully no longer the case.

When Woodside Park was originally developed in 1914, it had a bandstand and bowling green! While the park no longer boasts a bandstand, there are still annual jazz shows that take place there.

Unfortunately, the northern part of this neighbourhood borders North Circular Road. This busy highway can make that area feel loud and hectic. Still, for residents who drive, they find the close proximity to be a convenience.

Haringey Council has recently announced that it will be investing quite a lot in the roads throughout the neighbourhood. This investment will help improve the cycling and pedestrian routes all over the borough. One of the proposed cycle routes will run through this neighbourhood into Farringdon, which the council hopes will get more people out of their cars. Crossrail 2 is also scheduled to pass through nearby Wood Green station, just south of here, which will help with congestion at the area’s many busy stations and encourage investment into the local neighbourhood. Yet despite £1.8 billion being invested in the scheme in 2020, it is unclear when the line will materialise as plans have been underconsideration in different forms since the 1970s.