Living in Stoke Newington
Good schools, green spaces and an incredible community spirit: ‘Stokey’ is a perennially popular neighbourhood in north London. Find out what living in Stoke Newington is like with our guide to the area.
History of the area
Stoke Newington has a spirit of independence that is undoubtedly rooted in its history of defiance and as a place of dissenters and free thinkers. Artists, writers, musicians and activists have all found refuge here, from the women’s rights advocate Mary Wollstonecraft to novelist Daniel Defoe. Today it is a popular place to live for people working in the media, the arts and politics.
Primarily rural until the 17th century, this ‘new town in the wood’ was a popular rest spot for travellers on the road north from London to Cambridge, the modern A10. During the 18th century a large Quaker community settled in Stoke Newington, and later large houses began to be built for wealthy businessmen. The railways and advent of the omnibus turned Stokey into a flourishing London suburb. The area was bombed during the Blitz, but did not suffer as badly as neighbouring Hackney. Most civilian casualties came one night in October 1940 when a bomb fell on a crowded air raid shelter on Coronation Avenue, killing 160 people.
In modern times Stoke Newington was one of the first parts of north London to feel the effects of gentrification; but it is also home to thriving Asian, Irish, Turkish, Jewish and Caribbean communities, and it has never lost its creative, liberal, bohemian feel.
The property market
People who bought their first flats in Dalston or Shoreditch often moved up the road – and the property ladder – and graduated to a house in Stoke Newington. That is harder to do these days, with the jump in prices, but families are still drawn to the area, much taken with the schools, the parks, the shops, cafés and sense of community. So the market always seem to be buoyant in Stoke Newington.
New build homes
Development is kept to a minimum in Stoke Newington. Conservation areas dominate, but there are still some pockets of new builds, especially in the Woodberry Down area. This is the focus of a major regeneration programme which will see 5,500 new homes built by 2035. Willowbrook House is one such development, and Quartet on Castlewood Road near Stamford Hill station comprises studios to 3-bed flats, overlooking Clapton Common.
First time buyers
There are four times as many flats for sale as houses in the area, as the Victorian terraces are increasingly divided into apartments. This may be why the average price of a terraced house is in seven figures and well above the London average. But flat prices are trending at about the capital average. Some shared ownership properties are available.
Renting in the area
Studios and 1-bedroomed flats in Stoke Newington are around £1,300-1,400 pcm; 2-bed flats are usually £1800-£2,000 pcm. The rent for a 3-bed house is around £3,000 pcm.
Schools and education
Stoke Newington is well known for the quality of its schools. Holmleigh Primary on Dunsmure Road, Grazebrook Primary on Lordship Road and William Patten Primary School on Church Street are rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted. Mossbourne Community Academy on Downs Park Road and Our Lady’s Catholic High School for girls in Amhurst Park are ‘outstanding’ secondary schools. Stoke Newington School & Sixth Form on Clissold Road is rated ‘good’.
Transport links
Stoke Newington, Rectory Road and Stamford Hill Overground stations are on the Lea Valley line. Trains to Liverpool Street take 13-19 minutes from Stoke Newington. Manor House on the Piccadilly Line is the closest tube station to the area. The number 67 bus goes to Aldgate via Shoreditch, the 73 to Oxford Circus. Other key routes connect with Waterloo, Whitechapel, London Bridge and Euston. Buses stop along the High Street and Church Street.
Lifestyle and leisure
Nothing says more about the local pride and collective action of ‘Stokey’s’ than the campaign to save the castle-like Victorian pumping station in West Reservoir from demolition. Today it is a leading climbing centre popular with families. Clissold Park on Church Street also ticks the boxes of young Mums and toddlers, with its menagerie, ornamental lake, deer park, aviary and goat pen. Abney Park is one of London’s ‘magnificent seven’ Victorian cemeteries, but also doubles as an arboretum and nature reserve. The farmers’ market in St Paul’s churchyard, held every Saturday, is the only organic one of its kind in the UK.
Places to eat
Such is the multi-cultural mix in Stoke Newington that all tastebuds are catered for. The Good Egg is a neighbourhood restaurant near Abney Park serving Middle Eastern and New York-influenced dishes from breakfast until dinner. The Spence Bakery on Church Street sells freshly baked bread, deep filled rolls, cakes and pastries, with some seating outside. The fish and chips at Sutton and Sons on the High Street is some of the best in North London – table service is available, with bottles of wine and beer on the menu too!
Enjoy the nightlife
From gastropubs to old-fashioned boozers, Stokey can be quite a pub crawl for those so inclined. The Auld Shillelagh on Church Street has been called the ‘most authentic Irish pub in the world outside Ireland’. There is music to be heard most nights, whether planned or spontaneous. It serves some of the best Guinness in the capital. Other pubs worth patronising are The Axe, Jolly Butchers and Lady Mildmay. The Waiting Room is a small music venue under the Three Crowns in the High Street.
Where to shop
Church Street has a plethora of artisan cafés, boutiques, coffee shops, bookshops and independent traders. The street goes from edgy to elegant and back again every few steps, and winds round to the magnificent Clissold Park. Stoke Newington High Street is slightly less exclusive but has everything you might need, from a Tesco Express to international food shops, Italian delis and launderettes.
Felicity J Lord can help you buy, sell or rent in Stoke Newington
If you like what you hear about living in Stoke Newington, we can help you buy, sell or rent in the Stoke Newington area. Get in touch with the friendly team at our Stoke Newington branch and they will be happy to help.
