A Guide to Living in North London

Welcome to North London, home to some of the most popular postcodes in the capital. This place fuses charming village centres with architectural gems and fashionable high streets, so it’s easy to see why half of London’s eight million-strong population have laid down roots here. Read on to hear about some of the best places to live in North London.

4.44

Average Location Score

Excellent

56%

Very Good

33%

Average

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Best places to live in North London

HomeViews Top Rated Development ranking takes into account the Star Rating and HomeViews Transparency Rating of every development in the area

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Cafes and culture

Places like Islington and Stoke Newington brag a pleasing mix of hustle and bustle and green space. On Islington’s cosmopolitan Upper Street, stylish bistros line up against old-world pubs and contemporary cocktail spots. Also, the district’s Farmers’ Market was actually the first to be set up in London, launched in 1999 by food writer, Nina Planck. Today it pulls in big crowds each Sunday, with 30-plus stalls piled high with fresh produce.

Stoke Newington gives East London’s edgy postcodes a run for their money, with its vintage stores and Art Deco cinema. And close-by Highbury is sleepier than its neighbours, with a great line in gastropubs and a much-loved namesake park.

This North London area offers lots for culture buffs, too. Settle in for a dazzling performance at the Sadler’s Wells dance studio or the Almeida theatre. And in the summer, don’t miss Stoke Newington’s literary festival, dubbed ‘one of the best book bashes in the UK’ by pop culture website, The Quietus. 18^th century Abney Park cemetery, one of London’s Magnificent Seven cemeteries, is another must-visit. The burial ground of famous figures such as Salvation Army Founder, William Booth, it doubles as a nature reserve and offers workshops in things like stone carving.

Nearby Finsbury Park is best-known for its 46-acre expanse of the same name. This is another creative big-hitter, thanks to the Park Theatre and a reputable performing arts centre for young people.

North London’s sports stars

Arsenal supporters can count Emirates Stadium as a neighbour in Holloway, just north of Islington’s Upper Street. This suburb has a plethora of quality pubs, which, naturally, overflow with red shirts on game days. Opt for a flat at the Drayton Park Apartments and you will be next door to the stadium, which has been rated as one of the best places to live in North London.

Move north to Tottenham, meanwhile, and brilliant days out can be had at Spurs’ home stadium on White Hart Lane. N17 is celebrated for its diversity – head to Seven Sisters Road for a conga-line of flavours – from Italian antipasti to Greek grilled meats. Or hit Seven Sisters Market for a taste of Latin America.

Family-friendly neighbourhoods

Places like Alexandra Palace, Wood Green and Highgate have real family appeal, with good schools, leafy parks and Victorian and Edwardian housing. Highgate, in particular, offers spectacular views over the surrounding countryside, with a hilltop setting on the fringes of Hampstead Heath.

Find out more – read reviews from the residents who live in North London by looking down below. Or, if you live in a residential development in North London, click here to leave your review.

Featured developments in North London

Reviews in North London

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Great location.

Verified Resident

Review Date Jun 2021

Great building and location. Excellent staff. Professional and friendly. Great location in Islington.

Please review your development:

Overall, we enjoy living here. The location is great in terms of restaurants, things to do and ability to get to other areas of London rather easily. The staff at the building are incredibly professional. The prices are high, but overall we are happy with our stay.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

Very limited storage space available within our flat.

If there is one thing you would change about your flat or property what would it be:

Better air circulation. It gets quite stuffy as windows are only one side of the flat.

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Overall lovely place to live

Verified Resident

Review Date Jun 2021

The great thing about living here is that you are close to a lot of shops and a lot of transport links. You’re able to get to pretty much anywhere in London as you’re in the heart of the city. You have a range of shops that are expensive and cheap so you have a lot to choose from, the gym that is in the square is very expensive but you do have other alternatives that are abit cheaper around the area. The only bad thing I would say is that we don’t have a designated parking area which makes is a slight inconvenience for guests and people with cars

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The development is lovely even though you’re in the heart of the city your still closed off and have some sort of privacy. There is a security team which make the area feel super safe and Islington square is very well kept and managed to a high standard.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

The council tax value and the limitations that we have living here

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Great location but need to put up with some imperfections

Verified Resident

Review Date Jun 2021

The location is brilliant, with many restaurants, cafes, shops, etc. It is within short biking distance from the City, Holborn, Westminster, etc. and within walking distance from St Pancras. We are facing the inner courtyard so we hear absolutely no traffic noise or rowdy passers-by. The negative is that the address is hard to find. There is no street plate for #3 or #5, nor are they noted visibly on the maps. We missed a few deliveries because of this and I often encounter confused residents’ guests not knowing where to go.

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Overall, the building is well designed and we particularly appreciate the outdoor terrace facing the inner courtyard and the good sound insulation between flats. However, the interior walls are not soundproof at all and the courtyard is somewhat echo-y. A big negative for us is the indoor bicycle and bin storage. The bin area is rather smelly and taking out or bringing in bicycles requires a lot of gymnastics – holding multiple doors open and lifting the bike upright in the lift; obviously, the bicycle storage was a space filler and an afterthought. The monthly service charge is really high but the property management has not been very efficient. For example, it took us 3 emails and 4 visits to the security gate to get access to the bicycle storage. On another occasion, they introduced a code to operate the lift but notified us a whole week after. On the plus side, we had a ceiling leak in our flat and they responded within 24 hours and fixed it within a week. So overall, not smooth but manageable.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

We were quite excited about the inner courtyard but did not realize that the absence of traffic noise comes at the price of sights and sounds from neighbors.

What is the best feature of your home:

The best features are the location, the amenities, and the lack of traffic and street noise. The building is new and modern and although it was not cheap, we still believe the flat was a good purchase value.

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Great location, secure apartment, challenging property management

Review Date Jun 2021

Amazing selection of restaurants and specialty shops. It’s amazing that there’s no noise from Upper Street.

Please review your development:

The internal design of our Shared Ownership apartment is clean and minimal, a perfect blank canvas.
Externally the building is an interesting shade of purple.
The property management hasn’t been great – it’s hard to get in touch with them and when you do the response is lacking. We had to chase more than I’d expect for simple issues.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

It would’ve been nice to know who has access to the communal garden. With 4 buildings having access it can get noisy with so many families and children running wild.