Split almost equally between the fashionable boroughs of Hackney and Islington and approaching the tech capital of Old Street, this neighbourhood area is a combination of almost suburban residential houses and flats, citystyle tower blocks, and modern office buildings. With the busy City Road to the south, the area is close to all the amenities one could wish for, equipped with a great transport network of bus routes and Old Street tube station just a short walk away.

The Regent’s Canal, which runs through the middle of the area, provides an idyllic rural oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the city, as well as trendy waterside cafés and bars to stop at along the way. Luxury canalside apartments stand side by side with Victorian factory buildings, modern warehouses, post-war council blocks, and red brick terraces which surround vibrant green squares, leading not only to an incredibly varied architectural style but to a wonderfully diverse population and the conveniences to accommodate it. Despite this variety, there remains a quaint community feel maintained by the local pubs, cafés, and village-style greens dotted throughout the neighbourhood.

Remaining almost entirely rural until the early nineteenth century, the area was industrialised with the introduction of the Regent’s Canal in 1820, which was designed to carry goods from Limehouse into the city. The City Road and Wenlock basins, which both opened in the 1820s and were constructed so that boats could moor and unload cargo, brought great prosperity to the area’s wealthy, but led to the building of slum housing nearby to house the factory and canal workers, which erased much of the area’s green space. The Shepherd and Shepherdess Pleasure Garden remained and were developed in 1825 into a world famous Grecian saloon known as the Eagle, providing all kinds of entertainment, such as religious events, equestrian performances, operas, and even stick fights and wrestling. The theatre could hold six thousand guests and brought with it thousands more tourists who helped bring prosperity and hedonism to the neighbourhood up until 1882, when the building was bought by The Salvation Army and the partying came to an end. The canal’s industrial popularity came to an end after the war and the area became derelict, later developing into an affluent, more residential neighbourhood, but its history can still be seen in the rebuilt Eagle Tavern and the large industrial buildings that line the canal.

The British newspaper columnist and author, Keith Waterhouse lived at 70 St. Paul Street from 1979. He was responsible for the texts which led to the famous British TV series’ Worzel Gummidge and Andy Capp, as well as the original script for Alfred Hitchcock’s Torn Curtain amongst many other award-winning screenplays and novels.

The Eagle Tavern was so well-known that it was referenced in the famous nursery rhyme, “Pop! Goes the Weasel” and today the pub bears a plaque with the official words to the tune etched onto it. While the City Road and The Eagle are known locations, to this day nobody actually knows what the nursery rhyme means.

Shepherdess Walk contains within it a hidden gem. Down a dark, ivy-lined tunnel, one arrives at a peaceful oasis of contemplation surrounded on all sides by large, Romanesque mosaics by Tessa Hunkin, made in 2012, celebrating past and present Hackney. While drawing from Roman designs, if you look closely you can spot modern devices such as smartphones in the hands of the ancient figures.

The canal’s increasing residential popularity and constant spatial evolution means that there is always disruptive building work going on in the area, with noise and road blockages a common occurrence. However, this can also offer an element of interest; as one local barman attests “every time I come into work there’s always a chance that a new building will have popped up during my days off.”

The appeal of the Regent’s Canal as a tech-hub and a cheaper alternative to riverside living makes this area one of the most popular for new developments. Residents in the south of the area should be aware of The Makers development on Nile Street. When finished, the two residential blocks will include 175 new homes, as well as gallery spaces and educational facilities. The 40 Hyde Road comprises a similar mix of uses in the north of the area, with the complex housing a new leisure centre, secondary school, as well as 481 new homes on the northern side of Shoreditch Park. Sitting between Hyde Road and Regent’s canal will sit two further residential schemes, providing a combined total of over 225 additional homes by the time both are finished in 2026. This abundance of planned development is set to change the face of Hoxton, providing additional capacity for the growing demographic of young professionals in the area.