Islington is a borough of many faces. Its mish-mash of neighbourhoods each have their own distinct personality, from the urban bars and pubs of Angel to the chintzy antique stores of Camden Passage. Its properties have many guises, too – there are in-the-thick-of-it luxury apartments, and period townhouses sitting shoulder to shoulder on sleepy backstreets. Read on to discover more about the Islington area, as well as, quotes from residents living in some of the best places in Islington.
HomeViews Top Rated Development ranking takes into account the Star Rating and HomeViews Transparency Rating of every development in the area
Islington is less than 10 minutes from the capital’s centre, so it’s perfect for those who want to be close to the action, but still enjoy the peace and quiet associated with London’s outskirts. This is an area of wooded bicycle trails and sweeping parkland – Highbury Fields and Gillespie Park, in particular, come highly recommende.
The area’s serviced by multiple tube and train stations. From Angel, residents can get to Bank in just five minutes, and London Bridge in seven. Similarly, the Victoria line from Highbury & Islington can whisk commuters to Oxford Circus in seven minutes. While the Overground connects to Clapham Junction, Shoreditch and Stratford.
“Fantastic transport links in one of London’s most prestigious suburbs.” – A property professional on The Pad, N7
For top-notch dining, Islington occupants can stay put. These parts are packed with restaurants serving around-the-world cuisines. Try Upper Street for both cutesy independent eateries and well-known chain varieties, dishing up Italian, Japanese, Turkish and Mexican specialities. Clerkenwell’s Exmouth Market is brilliant for regional plates and fusion fare. And if you’re cooking at home? Trawl Islington Farmers’ Market for quality slabs of meat and fish, fresh herbs and veg and gorgeous cakes and pastries. Plus, stop by Grange Nursery for seasonal blooms for the table.
When a little retail therapy is on the cards, Islington comes up trumps. Its namesake high street is best for book shops, delis and clothes boutiques, while big brands can be found in the Angel and Nag’s Head shopping malls.
“Just a couple of blocks away from Canonbury Cross is Upper Street, a myriad of independent bars and pubs as well as high street stores and boutiques.” – A property professional on Canonbury Cross, N1
The borough’s big on culture, as well. Try the Almeida for world-class theatre, and the Pleasance for little-known comedy acts tipped for big things. There’s also the Islington Arts Factory – a community centre for inspiring classes like reggae aerobics, pottery and tai chi. The centre’s celebrated for its exhibitions, which showcase local artists’ sculptures, paintings and photography.
“Waterside strolls, lazy weekend brunches, cocktails and vintage shopping – it’s all on the doorstep.” – A property professional on Hoxton Press, N1
“A mish-mash of family-friendly cafés and glamorous restaurants.” – A property professional on Xchange Point, N7
Centrally located, it is hard to beat the amenities of Coal Drop’s Yard just round the corner. Good location for access to the Overground, Piccadilly Line and King’s Cross Station.
The development is stylishly designed, with a modern aesthetic that fits in well with the surrounding area. You walk up the ramp off Caledonian Road, and would have no idea that such a large and spacious area was just set back from the road. With lovely green spaces, and plenty of parking, the whole development is well laid out and a perfect place to live.
Reference checks may take a while to come through, so make sure that you leave enough time (and chase your referees) to get those checks done ASAP!
This is a very well laid out two bedroom flat, the large outdoor deck area really is the star of the show though.
Thank you so much for your positive review. We really appreciate you taking some time to share your experience with us.
We’re delighted to hear how happy you are in your home and neighborhood.
Much appreciated and thanks again!
Customer Service Team
Calm and quiet environment (despite the proximity with the railway). Several supermarkets and parks close by. Safe neighborhood.
Few restaurants but at a walking distance from Kings Cross where there is more choice.
Communal areas are clean and well maintained (including the outdoor space). Good design.
The elevator has frequently been out of order (about 5 times in two years). This was problematic because the bike storage is on the lower ground floor. It has usually been fixed within a couple of days.
The neighborhood is actually quite nice: there are a few cafes, a bunch of parks, one iconic pub (Hemingford Arms), and even a brewery. Granary Square is a 15-min walk and the canal is a 10-min walk.
We’re on the 3rd floor and the view on the skyline of London is outstanding.
Thank you so much for your positive review. We really appreciate you taking some time to share your experience with us.
We’re delighted to hear how happy you are in your home and neighborhood.
Much appreciated and thanks again!
Customer Service Team
shops bars and open spaces etc – excellent
transport – excellent
parking – poor, understand need to protect environment but have received fines for moving in and loading/unloading, even when vehicle clearly displayed that it’s a moving company vehicle, had hazard lights on and left as soon as loading/unloading was finished. Mentioning as this is not an isolated incident – several others experienced the same. Guests should also be allowed to part temporarily (eg 30-60 minutes) without having to pay instead of a zero parking policy asparking ini the area is hard to find. If you have a guest who is only here for a quick 20-30 minutes then by the time they’ve found a space and return to the flat their time is up, so it’s not worth it.
anti-social behaviour – very good
traffic noise – excellent, very peaceful place to live especially in central London
The design is close to excellent –
Flat: noise doesn’t travel, so remains quiet in each room without hearing what is going on in other rooms
very spacious
Building: building is clean and well looked after – any issues are dealt with efficiently, but issues inside the flat have not been dealt with so well – particularly heating, it has been a nightmare saga trying to get heating issues resolved over. several months.
Utilities – too expensive, it’s extremely unfair to restrict residents to L&Q Energy and not allow us to change supplier for the duration of our tenancy. This wouldn’t be as much of an issue if L&Q Energy pricing was competitive, but it is much, much more expensive than several quotes I have had for the same property/usage from other suppliers.
Extortionate price of utilities
Unfair continued rent increases every year while London rents including local areas have consistently decreased.
Customer service issues dealt with quickly and efficiently. Utilities issues dealt with slowly and poorly.
General enquiries and queries dealt with quickly and efficiently. Availability is good but hold times are ridiculous – on average every call I have I’m on hold for at least 30 mins, but more often that not an hour.
Thank you so much for your positive review. We really appreciate you taking some time to share your experience with us.
We’re delighted to hear how happy you are in your home and neighborhood.
Much appreciated and thanks again!
Customer Service Team
The development is conveniently located close to major stations e.g. Kings Cross as well as tube stop and over ground. There aren’t many bars & shops in the immediate vicinity but within 15 min walk there is plenty.
Parking availability for private tenants could be improved (it’s not clear where guest parking is, and the visible parking spots all appear to be disabled parking).
Bin collections are regular, although the lock has broken on the bin gate.
Noise is minimal except for the trains.
The design is great, the apartment I live in is spacious with ample storage and good appliances. Balcony is a good size with plenty of natural light flowing in to the building.
Furniture is comfortable, although the sofas could be improved.
Management is OK. The team are responsive but often have to chase on issues that need fixing. Sometimes end up going round in circles. Covid was used as a reason all year for non-emergency repairs to be ignored (which I struggle to see the relation with?).
Overall OK.
N-a
If non-urgent, repairs are left unfixed. Not sure how covid, which is used as the excuse, is relevant. Had to chase to get a window fixed which wouldn’t close before winter (apparently that wasn’t urgent).
Thank you for your honest review. We appreciate your feedback.
We’re pleased to hear that you are happy with your home but sorry to hear your experience hasn’t been wholly positive. We would like to know more and help to put things right.
Please contact us at lqdirect@lqgroup.org.uk and a dedicated agent will do their best to help resolve any concerns.
Thanks
Customer Service Team
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