This suburban neighbourhood of eastern and southern Palmers Green is typical of much of north London. Enclosed within the main roads of the North Circular to the south and Great Cambridge Road to the east, the streets are wide, leafy and uniform, populated almost entirely by rows of early 20th century houses. The population is diverse and multicultural, demonstrated by the large numbers of Turkish and Greek restaurants and supermarkets that sit amongst the beautiful Palmers Green Mosque and a number of Catholic and secular schools. The distinct lack of convenient transport links (despite the nearby station) only adds to the area’s sleepy, suburban feel, but the slight isolation from the rest of the city has forced the community to become self-sufficient and tight-knit. While there is little by the way of shops directly in this neighbourhood apart from the small cluster on Green Lanes, local shops can be found in quaint parades on the western side of Palmers Green, and there are plenty of green spaces which offer the locale a place to meet and play.

Despite a record of Palmers Field existing since at least 1204, there is no evidence of a settlement in the area until the late 16th century, and that only consisted of four houses. This tiny hamlet slowly grew to be a village, which, by 1801, was made up of 54 buildings that luckily for the locals included 2 inns. The railway was introduced to the neighbourhood in 1871 but was half a mile from the nearest house, and the development that is normally triggered by transport networks was further delayed by landowners who refused to sell their large estates for building. It took 3 decades and the deaths of the owners for the land to finally be sold to developers and much of the land approaching the station was converted into residential streets by the 1920s. The 1930s saw the completion of the North Circular Road and the building of further houses towards the south of the neighbourhood, as well as a routine construction of school buildings to accommodate the children of the growing population. While there has been little change to the immediate architecture of the area since the Second World War, the diversification of the population has introduced a number of cross-cultural influences to the area’s streets such as the Palmers Green Mosque, built in 2000.

Not commonly regarded as a breeding ground for punk music, it may be surprising to know that Joe Strummer actually lived in Palmers Green at 18 Ash Grove while studying art at the Central School of Art and Design (now Central St. Martins). During his time here he formed multiple bands before moving to Newport and then back to London where he became the lead singer of The Clash.

The area’s large Greek population has such well-developed links with AEK Athens F.C., one of the most prominent teams in the Greek football league, that the club has helped set up a youth football club in the neighbourhood. The club, AEK Youth, is named directly after their Greek inspiration, and fields five teams across a range of year groups up to under 18.

To the western border of the area is Green Lanes, which was used in the filming of the “Knight Bus” scene in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Like many of north London’s suburbs, transport links can be a problem, and despite Palmers Green station sitting very close to the neighbourhood, it is not particularly well connected or frequent. This makes the area very quiet, which for some may be detrimental to the area, yet for others this is a plus. One local shopkeeper said that the peaceful locale is perfect for raising a family, as the house prices are low so he can afford more room, and the roads are quiet and safe.

The most significant regeneration project in this area has been the One Fox Lane scheme which is set to complete late in 2022. Much to the disappointment of Harry Potter fans, this has meant that the original Fox public house was rebuilt using modern materials, however it has maintained many of its Edwardian stylistic features, both inside and out. Nextdoor, a new shop and cafe are attached along with a larger 4-storey brick apartment building which contains 54 new homes as well as a private gym.