This neighbourhood runs along a large extent of St John Street, connecting Angel to Clerkenwell. Situated in the centre is the Islington Museum: an establishment dedicated to the history of the borough and of London more broadly. Nine themes are covered on local and social history within the gallery: wartime, healthcare, leisure, food and drink, childhood, fashion, radicals, caring and home. Across the road there is the City University of London campus, which draws in around 19,000 students per year, which, in conjunction with the Islington Museum forms the centre of activity in this area. To the north where St John Street meets Angel are a selection of unique restaurants, bakeries and old English pubs. The southern section of this neighbourhood, where St John Street meets Clerkenwell has a similarly enthralling selection of pubs and eateries, albeit with a high volume of independent and high-street shops as well.

This area was the site of the infamous Clerkenwell Explosion 150 years ago, wherein the Irish Republican Brotherhood, nicknamed the ‘Fenians’, detonated a bomb in an attempt to free one of their members who was held at Clerkenwell Prison. The explosion destroyed a number of nearby houses, killing 12 and injuring another 120. The Fenians had concealed a barrel of gunpowder inside a wheelbarrow in an attempt to demolish an 18-metre section of the prison wall, clearing a way for their ally to escape during an exercise drill. This failed, however, as the prison authorities had been forewarned that this attempt was likely to happen, so prisoners were exercised earlier the day, and were thus locked in their cells when the explosion occurred, resulting in no escapees. The event was compared to the ‘infernal machines’ used in Paris in 1800 and 1835 as well as Guy Fawkes’ plot to destroy the Houses of Parliament in 1605. The event caused a great deal of public outrage, and is often seen as a contributing factor to the Irish War of Independence and the subsequent partition of the island of Ireland

Edmund John Niemann, a prolific and highly successful British landscape artist was born in this neighbourhood in 1813. Most of his works were done in oils, and nine of his paintings are now held at the Wolverhampton Art Gallery. Ed O’Brien, guitarist for the infamous Radiohead also lived locally. Propelled to fame in 1992 with the release of their single ‘Creep’, their third album ‘OK Computer’ in 1997 pushed the band to international fame. It is often acclaimed as one of the best albums of all time.

The downside to this neighbourhood area is that St John Street can be congested during peak times, creating long traffic queues as well as a considerable amount of air and noise pollution. One must carefully consider this aspect of the neighbourhood if they plan on purchasing a property along this tract, as if you are used to quiet neighbourhoods this could be quite the surprise.

Islington Council aims to improve St John Street for pedestrians, cyclists, and residents by reducing the dominance of traffic. It is hoped that through this, the experience of travelling on public transport as well as their capacity should be improved. The regions of St John Street in the north and south of this neighbourhood that are brimming with shops will also be protected and enhanced to maintain their vibrant character and promote local businesses. A small new development is planned at 48-50 St John Street, where new communal offices will be installed.