I live in Hackney Central, the centre of London’s largest borough. It’s in Zone 2. If you look at a transport map of London zone 1 is the centre and each zone forms a radius around that zone, up to zone 6. So Zone 2 is just outside the centre.
Hackney was once voted the least desirable place to live in the UK. That’s all changed. Gentrification has turned it around with increasing speed. Now it just might be the most desirable instead. In fact, there have been polls about the coolest neighbourhoods to live in the world and I’ve lived in numbers 1 and 2 – Queen Street West in Toronto, and Hackney. Crazy!
Although Hackney has a reputation of being a rundown, dirty and dangerous area, it’s actually quite diverse. Within its limits there’s industry, commerce, cultural centres, many markets, churches, artist communities, housing estates, beautiful old homes, trendy new flats, fancy restaurants, very old greasy spoon cafes, canals, tiny and huge parks, and even vast areas of wild land. And there are many cultures – in this specific area there are many Afro-Caribbean, African, Turkish, Vietnamese…and so on. Hackney has also long been somewhere independent thinkers felt safe to be themselves – the feminists, the political activists, the poets, the dreamers… it can be wacky!
Hip Hackney. Or is it?
One thing Hackney is to me is community. People pulling together to make things happen. There are always plays, concerts, workshops, courses, parades, groups…street parties and projects. Right now there’s a cool project right opposite the house.
There have been two shuttered business premises for years – more than a decade for sure. We have no idea why they are sitting unused for so long. Mystery! When we came back from Toronto – maybe the first day, in fact, we saw some activity outside so I went to check it out. A group of neighbours had set up a couple of tables – one with plants and one with baked goods. They were busy stacking and securing wooden crates to one of the shutters and were planting a sort of living wall.
I bought some cake and chatted with them. They said that it was for the community and, in part, a protest against buildings sitting unused when there is so much homeless and need for affordable housing.
Bakery table on the left, plants on the right and a blank canvas of crates for plantingEverything is planted! For good measure, there are Sharpies everywhere for people to add things to the wooden crates. This has created a sense of this belonging to all of us.
Now, this is Hackney and, despite my protests to contrary, the neighbours can be rough. Vandalism is pretty common. Krish and I talked about betting on how long this project would stay unharmed. The initial building and planting was at the end of June, beginning of July. It’s now 24th August and the planters and plants are flourishing.
The plants started to flourish. People came every day to water them and they did well even in the heatwaves of this Summer
And there’s more. Since then, two benches were added and, soon afterwards, planters on top of the benches got some plants too! There are even plans to add a couple of ‘tables’ in the centre. What a great neighbourhood addition and incentive.
Since the benches appeared, plants were added to some planters along the top. Almost complete now!
The captions tell the story of some of my everyday life right here in Hackney – central and not so.
Right at Hackney Central the rundown arches have been turned into some trendy shops. Every weekend there are markets here – rotating market themes including fashion and veganAlong what’s called the Narrow Way (at the top of the major Mare Street) it’s all pedestrianised and slowly a new local market is appearing in front of the old town hallThere are several entrances to the canal in the borough. At this point, in an area called Haggerston, there’s a large concentration of barges. More and more people are living this way, with housing becoming less affordableAt Dalston, just up the road, I’m a big fan of the Eastern Curve Garden. It’s great for congregating and you can volunteer to garden in here. I really should!This summer the Curve Garden has been buzzing. They have a pizza oven as well as a cafe counter. It’s nice to meet here with friends and have a bite to eat or just chill. Sadly, its days are probably numbered. The land is just too valuable.Hackney has one of the largest expanses of green spaces in inner London. We have 58 parks, gardens and open spaces totalling around 282 hectares. In Clapton, another part of Hackney, there is a lovely park, Springfield Park. I go here to meet my mentee, who lives close by. On the left is the cafe but beyond here are open meadows and wild areas leading down to the canalDalston has always been a rough area but around the Dalston Kingsland Overground station new buildings are springing up among the old, dirty streets and what can only be called sleazy shops. Behind the station the flats cost half a millionAt the bus stop in Dalston, where I get the last-leg bus home, someone has added some other Essentials to the coffee shop signRichmond Road in Hackney Central was very rundown until one new building sprung up and the rest followed. Along this street, restaurants have seized the opportunity to grab the hipsters’ attentionOne of the Richmond Road opportunists! The very popular Islington bakery, Pophams, has opened a Hackney branch. They make croissants and danishes at steep pricesThe flavours at Pophams are a mix of traditional and inventive…like the almond croissant, or the nectarine with ginger custard – close to £4 eachWhat used to be a dark back alley has become bright and modern. Looking down I know that Charlie Chaplin would have trod this path while performing at the Empire. The backstage door is down thereThe newest (and third) Hackney town hall is so white and always seems tropical, like Bermuda. What you can’t see here are the palm trees in front. On the steps a bride in a full wedding gown poses for photos after her civil ceremonyIn my opinion, the Hackney Empire is one of the most beautiful old theatres in London. It also boasts the best pantomime. It’s time to visit again!In Toronto it was raccoons but in London it’s foxes. Quite a few live or lurk in the back gardens behind our place. They like to sunbatheOur neighbourhood has two railway lines, the Overground at Hackney Central that links Stratford with Richmond, and a mainline track that goes from Liverpool Street to all points east – at this point Hackney Downs. These arches have yet to become hip!
There’s a lot more to Hackney but I have so much catching up to do and so many photos. More to come, I guess!
2 Replies to “Living an everyday life in Hackney”
very interesting!
and what are the odds you’d end up in two top neighbourhoods.
very interesting!
and what are the odds you’d end up in two top neighbourhoods.
So weird!