Sandwiched between trendy Canonbury and artsy De Beauvoir Town, this neighbourhood is almost entirely residential, boasting a mix of sweeping Regency terraces and an impressive number of council properties. Lining the neighbourhood’s wide leafy streets, you’ll find an abundance of friendly independent cafés and boutiques which cater to the area’s diverse population. Bordered by the famous Essex Road to the west, Balls Pond Road to the north, and the Regent’s Canal to the south, the area is perfectly positioned in the centre of many well-connected transport routes. With a number of primary schools and the large green Rosemary Gardens to the south, the area is a convenient, safe, family-friendly neighbourhood.

Much of the area would have remained open green space and hunting land had it not been developed into a suburb in the early nineteenth century. Stimulated by the completion of the Regent’s Canal in 1820, William Rhodes, the grandfather of Cecil Rhodes, wanted to build grand residences for the upper classes in De Beauvoir Town and the lower class residents of Canonbury. However, this work stopped in 1823 after Rhodes was found to have obtained the land lease illegally, leaving just a few planned squares and houses completed. This half-finished venture eventually paved the way for the development of more affordable homes. These homes were quickly filled by the vast working population who were drawn to the area by the railways and industrialised Regent’s Canal. Today, the neighbourhood remains the culturally diverse residential area that locals have known and loved for years.

George Leybourne (1842-1884), one of the most influential performers of the last few hundred years, once lived at 136 Englefield Road. Known by the title of one of his famous songs, “Champagne Charlie”, Leybourne was a comedic singer in many of the most prestigious Victorian music halls and is considered responsible for the success and popularity of music halls from the mid nineteenth-century. However, his failure to keep up with current trends in addition to his fast, alcohol-fuelled lifestyle, led him to bankruptcy, leaving him to die penniless in his house on Englefield Road.

The Fifth Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party took place at Southgate Road’s former Brotherhood Church in 1907. The Congress attracted important historical delegates such as Lenin, Stalin and Rosa Luxembourg.

On the 14th June 1970, at 77 Elmore Street, His Supreme Holiness Swami Shree Jnanjeevandasji consecrated the first ever Hindu Swaminarayan Mandir. Housed in a former church, the building had previously been used as the Mission Hall of St. John the Baptist’s. This building remains a symbol of the area’s pride in its cultural and religious diversity.

Like other areas nearby, the neighbourhood’s popularity has led to such an increase in house prices that it is almost impossible for most people to buy a property here. A 2016 report mentioned that the average price of a house in the area was £833,665. Yet with such brilliant transport links, the neighbourhood remains vibrant, drawing visitors from the surrounding areas looking to explore the unique streets. One barman told us that he travels every day and loves the variety of places to take his lunch break so much that he often comes to the area on his days off! He also mentioned that there are plans to build a great deal of new affordable housing that will bring a refreshingly diverse clientele to the town’s pubs.

The lack of affordable housing throughout Islington has prompted the council to commit to building 2000 new affordable homes, 500 of which will be new council flats. In this postcode specifically 50 new council homes were completed on Dover Court finished in 2019. The project brought a new lease of life to the Dover Court area, helping struggling independent boutiques and pubs with rising rents. South of here, just across the canal, there is an abundance of proposed future development with three residential-led developments under construction over the water from Southgate Road above Shoreditch Park.