Separated from the lively streets of Harringay by a tangle of rumbling train tracks, this quiet residential corner of Crouch End is a suburbanite’s dream. With rows upon rows of attractive Victorian and Edwardian terraces, the area’s wide, leafy streets give one the sense that they are far from the hustle and bustle of the inner city. However, with Hornsey and Harringay Overground stations nearby and Archway tube station just a short walk to the south, central London is less than 20 minutes away. The local high street of Crouch End has a village atmosphere and boasts a high number of quaint independent stores and eateries, as well as all the conveniences one would expect in a London neighbourhood. The area’s location has blessed it with plenty of green space, and local schools are in no short supply. Combined with the large houses and the overall sense of peace and quiet, these factors have made the are a very popular with well-to-do families.

Historically, Crouch End was a junction at the intersection of four important roads and was famous for a large wooden cross which was erected where the clock tower stands today. A small farming settlement formed around it, but the area remained almost entirely rural until the late-18th century when wealthy merchants chose it as an escape from the city. The 19th century introduction of the railways transformed the area completely, and by 1887 there were seven stations nearby, prompting it to become popular amongst the prosperous middle-class.

By the 30s the neighbourhood had become a centre of retail, but by the end of the Second World War much of the area was empty. The abandoned homes were rented out cheaply to students who cultivated the creative atmosphere that the neighbourhood still retains to a degree, though by the 1980s the environment had attracted much wealthier buyers.

The much-loved Hornsey Library has a number of permanent artworks around it, including an engraved window by Fred Mitchell and a sculpture by the prominent 60s sculptor Thomas Bayliss Huxley-Jones. The library also contains one of the largest collections of music sets in the country, known as the Youth Music Library. The collection was started more than 100 years ago!

The beautiful village-esque western half of the neighbourhood is somewhat contrasted by the industrial eastern edge, which is made up of a number of warehouses and the aforementioned train tracks. The latter have been cited by a number of residents as a cause of significant noise pollution, though this is not difficult to ignore for the sake of the rest of the area.

The Hornsey Town Hall project is the largest recently completed development in the area, located to the west of this postcode on the main road. This mixed use development was finished in 2021 and is widely praised for its tasteful reimagining of this Grade II* listed building. Comprising 135 flats, a hotel, landscaped gardens, and a public arts centre, this project seeks to move Hornsey forward while maintaining its civic centre. Just north of here will sit the Candela Yard development at 163 Tottenham Lane. This more modest project comprises 26 new one, two and three-bedroom apartments which will sit above ground floor retail space.