'I visited one of London's most underrated neighbourhoods and I can't believe I've never visited bef
London has a number of neighbourhoods that locals will boast proudly about. Notting Hill, Muswell Hill, Queens Road, and Hampstead to name a few are all areas that people will scream proudly about.
There are neighbourhoods that are overrated (enter Shoreditch) and then there are those who don't get the credit they deserve. What makes London great, however, is the fact you can hop on a bus or train and get a chance to visit these neighbourhoods pretty swiftly. East London is full of notable locations but one area in East doesn't seem to get the credit it deserves.
I've lived in Hackney my entire life. To be more specific, I live in Homerton. Surrounding Homerton, there are several different neighbourhoods that are all unique in their own way. You have Shoreditch, Dalston, Hackney Central, Hackney Wick and Clapton. Somehow, when you go to each place, they all have a different sort of vibe.
Stoke Newington on the surface is like any of the neighbourhoods I mentioned earlier. It is diverse and lively and there are several places to eat. I went down to explore the neighbourhood, as it has been named as one of London's best 'under-the-radar' and discovered quite the hidden gem within the area. Located on a side road in the neighbourhood, lies an underrated street that seems in stark contrast to those around it.
Church Street is a lovely stretch of road lined with shops, buzzing with life, Church St feels like a breath of fresh air. Like the rest of Hackney, Church St has seen an influx of the middle-class 'Yuppies' moving in, but Church St doesn't seem to have suffered the way Homerton has. Well St in Homerton for example, shares similarities to Church St but walking down both, the contrast couldn't be clearer. Well St is littered with boarded-up shops - but in Church St only four are derelict.
The young and the old exist in harmony. Bakeries, restaurants, homeware and specialist shops all call it home. Al-fresco dining is a big part of life on the street and you'll see people sitting outside enjoying a coffee and pastry at The Good Egg or The Spence Bakery. That's where I met Jim Campbell, 34, who was sitting down reading a book outside Spence Bakery.
I asked him about life in Stoke Newington and what brought him here. He said: "Originally I'm from North Yorkshire but always knew about Stoke Newington once I moved to London. I moved to Stoke Newington a year ago and I hope to one day buy a property here but it is really expensive.
"I've always thought the area was nice. Even the bakery is reasonably priced which you might not expect. When you come here, all you see now is yummy mummies and champagne socialists now!"
I met with local historian Amir Dotan who runs Stokenewingtonhistory.com and documents the history of Stoke Newington. He knows the changes to Church St have been contentious but he thinks a healthy and vibrant street is what makes Church St.
He said: "The street always changes. This road has been here since the 1200s and it used to be an old village and the street was a part of that. It’s always changing and as long as shops are open and it’s not a dead street, I think that has to be seen as a positive. There are 120 shops on Church Street and only four are empty - I don't think people understand how lucky that is for a street.
"I don't think you can always please everyone with change so I know some people don't like the way it is. You find people have an agenda and see every closure as a reason to blame the new restrictions imposed but there are several factors that could be involved that people don't think about."
Church St has had certain restrictions imposed since September 2021. This has meant that only blue badge holders and buses can pass through from 7am to 7pm which has reduced the number of vehicles during the day. Even though this has helped with reducing traffic, some think this has led to reduced business for those shops on the street.
I came across a gentleman watering plants called Hassan. He told me he was the owner of Abney Hall, a venue that can be used for events and is in the heart of Church St, but that his daughter runs the business now. Hassan feels that the restrictions imposed have certainly had an impact on business but he is hopeful for the future.
He said: "I've been here 50 years and a lot has changed since then. I think the high street restrictions have affected many businesses. Weekends are busy but on the weekdays it is dead. Maybe it’ll change in time but I guess we'll have to wait and see.
"I can see the council is doing some things that may help such as widening the pavements so that's something. On the weekdays there is no business so I don't know how they expect these businesses to pay rent but I hope it changes. I feel like Church St used to be a lot more vibrant and I hope it returns to that one day.
"Even though Church St has changed, it's nicer than it was say 30 years ago. I remember phoning a minicab to take me from Wandsworth to Stoke Newington and they refused it because it was a dodgy area," he laughs. "It's not like that now and every time you leave Stoke Newington, it seems something pulls you back."
That's how I remember Stoke Newington. I never came when I was younger due to the fact it seemed to be a no-go area but walking through it now, it seems a lot different. New shops are a regular sight on Church St. One shop that is opening up is a new Truffle Burger and the locals are buzzing with excitement. Taking over a Pronto Pizza that used to be there, Truffle Burger will be venturing into its first neighbourhood location.
Owner Tom Bickers, 29, said: "This is our first proper neighbourhood shop, all the rest are like Central but there's loads of hype around this one for the locals which feels amazing. In January we were looking for warehouse space, but this was wrongly classified on the site as one so we sort of stumbled upon it.
"Once we brokered the deal and got everything sorted, it's a great location. We didn't know much about Church St before we came so we're excited about what's to come."
As the somewhat fancier shops move into the area, you may think they wouldn't be welcomed or they wouldn't last. In Church St though, you'll see a Japanese Knife specialist, Kitchen Provisions, who you might not expect to thrive. A violin-repair shop, Bridgewood & Neitzert, has called Church St home for over 30 years - the street has it all.
There are many reasons to visit Church St and even more so when you only live around 20 minutes away as I do. As Amir adds, there's something special about the street that makes it worth a visit.
"It is unique to have a street that offers so much. If you look London wide, it’s quite rare to find a street that has so much to offer that isn't a busy high street. I think that's what people don't realise. It's not like Shoreditch High Street, you get the right balance here. I think it's a great street, it’s not perfect, not going to be for everyone but I think it's a great asset to have."
Do you have a story you think we should be covering? If so, please email ayokunle.oluwalana@reachplc.com
Want more from MyLondon? Sign up to our daily newsletters for all the latest and greatest from across London here.
READ NEXT:
Read More
Related Articles
Read More
Related Articles
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7rsXLqKWdp55ju6bD0milnq%2BjZLKiv9Nmo6imlKS7brrEsKpooV2rtrS1056bZqeemnqtu82dpqerXaK8tMCMa2tvamBtf3Y%3D