Popular with city workers, Highbury Fields & Arsenal is pretty much the closest place to the square mile you can get while still being able to own a whole house, although this is quickly changing. This trendy Islington neighbourhood, to the east of Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium and the north of Highbury Fields, is made up of wide streets of Victorian terraces and modern luxury flats that would have emerged alongside the stadium. Transport links are fantastic, with Arsenal and Highbury & Islington tube stations at either end of the area, on the Piccadilly and Victoria lines respectively, and Drayton Park on the National Rail network. Holloway Road sits to the south and is crammed with all the conveniences one could need, and the green space of Highbury Fields and nearby Clissold Park means that there is plenty of room to escape the hustle and bustle. While the neighbourhood’s proximity to Arsenal’s stadium means it can get congested on game days, this is often a reason for celebration, with the match creating a carnival atmosphere and uniting the community in their support for the local club.

The dense forest land of Highbury came into the hands of the Knights Hospitaller in the late 13th century, only for them to have their manor burnt down and their Lord Prior beheaded by a 20,000-strong mob during the Peasants Revolt. Highbury Fields was later used as a refuge for Londoners who had been made homeless during the Great Fire of 1666, and by 1770 suburban development was slowly underway. The growth continued through to the 19th century, only spurred on by the opening of Highbury station in 1872. Arsenal F.C. moved to the area from Woolwich in 1913, taking over the sports ground of St John’s College of Divinity, on which the Archibald Leach-designed stadium was erected, where the club stayed until 2006 when they relocated to the Emirates Stadium. Highbury saw little wartime change as it was already fully built up and suffered little damage.

The neighbourhood has been popular with the wealthy for many years, with residents including Charles Cruft (1852-1938), who lived at 12 Ashurst Lodge, and as his name suggests, was the founder of Crufts Dog Show. The artist Walter Sickert (1860-1942) was also a local who lived at 1 Highbury Place, and who was also one of the key suspects in the Jack the Ripper murders. Finally, world famous actor Hugh Grant’s character in Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), Charles, lived at 22 Highbury Terrace!

The busy and congested Holloway Road, which bounds the south of the neighbourhood, is responsible for a great deal of the area’s pollution and noise, particularly as the Highbury Corner roundabout can lead to tailbacks at peak times. The Emirates Stadium is also a hindrance to the free flow of traffic as on match days many of the local roads are blocked off.

The recently completed overhaul of the Highbury Corner roundabout has been pleasing to many residents in the area. The transformation of the intimidating 60s roundabout is said to have “shifted emphasis away from motorists and towards pedestrians and cyclists” by implementing two-way roads, installing segregated cycle lanes, and building a pedestrianised public space in front of Highbury & Islington station. As far as private developments go, Highbury Vale police station is the most significant currency underway in the neighbourhood. The residential-led conversion of the building consists of eight flats sitting at 211 Blackstock Road.