islington london?

[MrsBucketxx]

looking at a home there at the weekend but know nothing about the area.

what's the shopping, pubs like?

any parks near?

its near the angel tube station if that helps

[MummytoMog]

Really? It's Islington. Upper Street has scads of shops, trendy bars, antiques markets, nice pubs and restaurants. There are some parks. They're quite naice. There are also some bits near Essex Road which are rough as fuck. Oh and the Pentonville road end is also rough as. I lived in a tower block near Angel, just off the Pentonville Road, for a bit in the early noughties. Rough as. Lift was generally full of addicts shooting up. Got broken into a lot. Might be nicer now. City road is alright. Basically, without knowing exactly where you're looking at, I can't tell you. But if you know the street I can give you a better idea. 100 yards makes all the difference around there.

[tomatoplantproject]

Really lovely during the week - lots of posh shops, great restaurants, cinemas, central for work, nice parks, very rough edges. Come Friday and Saturday night it is unrecognisable - I become v judgemental about the hoards of girls in v high heels, gangs of lads - totally different to a few years ago when it was great for a night out.

[MrsBucketxx]

its a house boat on wenlock basin if that helps. mummytomog.

tomato sounds like any town though on a weekend as long as there is s few quiet pubs I'm ok.

[WafflyVersatile]

The Wenlock pub is nice and very convenient for there! Also the William IV and the commisary if you want posher. A couple of other nice pubs just on the canal too I forget the names. The Eagle on Shepherdess Walk. These are all in a few minutes walk.

Supermarket shopping. you have a Sainsbury M&S and Waitrose at the Angel end of Islington. Quite a few other shops too and a cinema. A sainsbury local at Old street roundabout.

Then towards Old Street you have hipster hoxton and shoreditch.

Quite a few council estates in the immediate surrounds (i think they are council) also mixed but it all seems pretty nice during the day. I don't spend much time there at night but it's always seemed very nice.

[WafflyVersatile]

Anyway, I'd say go for it.

[MummytoMog]

There are some lovely pubs near there as Waffly says, but it is edging towards the dodgier end to my mind. Have a good walk around the area and see how comfortable you feel. I moved away three years ago, and the gentrification has probably continued apace, so you may find it feels groovy. Or not. Best to have a look. I would LOVE to live on a houseboat.

[WafflyVersatile]

Well I just walked round there and got soaked! Mixture of new build, period, council, commercial units mostly art studios. I think you are next to the narrow boat pub. There is a small park next to the wenlock pub. I like it. I don't want to live in a boat though. I get mal de debarquement.

[MrsBucketxx]

its only for work, and a weekend get away place, ill still have my main home.

I'm getting excited now eeekkk.

[WafflyVersatile]

Renting or buying? There can be hidden/unexpected costs in owning a boat!

[MrsBucketxx]

you buy the boat and pay monthly for the moarings, but its loads less than hotels I have been paying for for work, plus its my own space, thinking of paying for a years moarings and seeing how it goes.

called council and there's no council tax due.

looked into the fees etc, seems like a good deal.

[WafflyVersatile]

I think it will be good.

As long as you don't get mal de debarquement.

[Wearytiger]

Sounds fab to me. I like Islington. It's the very definition of buzzy with all the pros (good bars, great restos, nice shops, easy transport to west end etc) and inevitable cons (some lairy types on the weekend, bit dirty in parts, some rough roads etc). But overall I think it would be good fun.

[WafflyVersatile]

There are very few place that don't have those downsides in zone 1 2 or 3 in london.

[Wearytiger]

I think there are quieter places which don't waffly eg St. John's wood, Pimlico, little Venice end of maida vale eye, but the 'buzzy' areas... Yep, agree

[WafflyVersatile]

The only time I went to St John's wood a very dapper elderly gentleman offered me £250 to go home with him!

[Wearytiger]

Waffly !

[MrsBucketxx]

note to self avoid st johns wood.

[WafflyVersatile]

He started at £50 and worked up when I kept saying no!

cheeky beggar grabbed a kiss on the cheek for free after he realised he couldn't afford me.

I was wearing doc martin shoes, leggings and a hoodie top at the time. I'm not sure how that was signalling a willingness to sell my wares.

[MrsBucketxx]

sounds awfull, but very funny too.

[MummytoMog]

Note to self: head over to St Johns Wood.

[WafflyVersatile]

I didn't feel at all threatened. It was daytime. Just a bit WTF. I'd literally moved to London a few days previously.

Everyone said I should have taken the money as he probably only wanted me to sit on his knee.

[WafflyVersatile]

at mummymog.

[allaflutter]

pimlico had a couple of gang stabbings around the council estates recently, very 'rough and smooth' like much of London.