West Finsbury Park
This part of Finsbury Park sits just north of the station, and is nestled beneath the village of Stroud Green. For decades, the area has been drawing in families in search of more affordable terraced houses. However, in recent years, more and more young professionals are discovering the beauty of Finsbury Park as well. The area’s wonderful cultural diversity means that there is no shortage of interesting eateries in the neighbourhood. Locals love the Italian food at Osteria Tufo, and the modern British food at Season Kitchen. Despite its close location to central London, few are looking to escape on the weekends. With the newly opened Park Theatre, residents love catching the new plays that are being tried out there and following them up with a pint at local favourite, The Faltering Fullback. After a night out, you’ll see families crowded into The Front Room Café for a delicious brunch the next day. With all that Finsbury Park and its vast green spaces have to offer, it’s easy to understand why so many Londoners are considering the move.
The Finsbury Park neighbourhood originally centred around Hornsey Wood back in the 1860s. At this point, the area was an overcrowded urban neighbourhood that was home to many working-class Londoners. Once Hornsey Wood was converted into the nearby pleasure gardens of Finsbury Park, the conditions of the neighbourhood began to finally increase. This led to the construction of terraced houses for the middle-class, and better transport links throughout the neighbourhood. With these additions, more commuters found the area appealing enough to move to. By the middle of the 20th century, much of the previously overcrowded housing had been cleared. While the area is no longer the slum that it once was, it’s continuing to attract attention from developers looking to further regenerate the area.
The neighbourhood’s beloved Park Theatre, opened in an old office building just a few years back in 2013. Its founding was made possible because of donations from famous actors, Alan Rickman and Ian McKellen.
Unfortunately, there’s no railway station in this part of the neighbourhood. However, residents find the area to be convenient enough - with the multiple bus lines that go through. When in need of the tube or Overground, it’s only a short walk to any of the neighbouring stations of Finsbury Park or Crouch Hill.
The area, being so close to central London, and reasonably well connected, has been receiving heightened interest from housing developers. Telford Homes has been working on a large new development - City North. When completed last year in 2021, the development will bring one-to four-bedroom apartments, duplexes and luxury penthouses to the neighbourhood. In addition to their homes, all residents of the complex will enjoy a 24-hour concierge, under-floor heating, and a landscaped roof garden. More immediately, the residential development between 392 and 394 Seven Sisters Road is expected to be completed soon. The proposed project is much smaller in scale, comprising just 25 apartments.