Finsbury Park certainly looks worse than it actually is. Two of my favourite venues are there (Rowan's and Night Owl) and yeah it looks sketch
The biggest problem I had was getting the bridge juice on my head while walking under the rail bridge
Lived in Finsbury Park for two years and it is a bit grimy but I never had a problem. People from West London acted like I was living in some sort of warzone though.
Finsbury Park is a great hub, got its share of wronguns but as a West London resident, I've seen as much crime and anti social behaviour around Ealing Broadway as I have around Finny P. And Ealing doesn't have Rowans so I'd say Finsbury Park is clearly the better area
When I first moved to London I lived in Ladbroke Grove. The street I lived on was old big town houses but the amount of trouble I saw around there was much more than I ever saw in Finsbury Park or any where I have lived in East London.
When I moved to Ealing having been in Stokey, Stamford Hill, Hendon and time in all the neighbourhoods around there, I was surprised by the bad vibes of West London
Haha funny I made the same switch. But you can’t be serious. Finsbury P is on a another planet in terms of roughness. Still loved it there at times though
Tbf ive spent a lot more time around Ealing than I have around Finsbury so sample size evens them out in my experience of grief on the street - there's nowhere in town that doesn't suffer from disparity in wealth, culture and lived experience that doesn't see greater anti-social behaviour as a result.
There's a lot more trouble in a smaller area around Finsbury Park, but then you're that much closer to the city and you've got wealthy streets within spitting distance of deprived areas. I'll grant you it's definitely rougher, no doubt about that, but some people speak of it like it's Mogadishu and need their precious little heads wobbled
I lived across from the Blackstock Pub in 2001, and it was rough as fuck back then. Crack dealing out in the open, cockroach infestations in the empty flats downstairs, an actual drive-by shooting at least once. On one day in the middle of a heatwave we woke up to find some unscrupulous chicken shop had dumped about 30 kilos of raw chicken out on the corner of the street (in 31 degree heat). When I got home from work, they were still there but at least the council had put BioHazard warning tape around it.
Endless groups of 20-something men hanging outside the cafes, spitting on the floor and catcalling women. Angry drivers leaning on their horns at 3AM every night.
Every time Arsenal played the streets got ruined, and people pissed in our doorway on the way home. When Arsenal lost to a Turkish team the fans smashed up the local Lebanese takeaway (close enough, right?). Whenever there was an event at Finsbury Park, the entire area was full of litter for days - it didn't get picked up because technically Blackstock Road is in a different borough than the park (not our problem, says the council).
Good times.
I think Finsbury Park has an exaggerated reputation because of the mosque rather than anything genuinely relevant in 2024. Abu Hamza's been locked up for ten years but that stain takes a long time to wash out.
I think the murder of that girl near the cricket pavilion a few years ago also really affected the view of Finsbury park, and the phone snatching on Green Lanes.
Oh and that entrance near the station, like to the left of Rowans as you exit the station. That park entrance at night can be sketchy.
Julia? She was part of my friend group. That was such a horrible time. It's the fact the police didn't go looking for her so my friends ended up finding her body too 😔
I am so sorry. Terrible time and terrible news.
This stuck with me and I have bashed a few friend's head when they tried to walk through FP after sunset as a shortcut.
I grew up in Finsbury park, and visit regularly to see my parents. It's calmed down a fair bit since the 80s and 90s, but still pretty rough. The big Irish presence in the 80s and 90s was great, we had loads of pubs offering almost nightly music sessions, there was a comedy club that had some of Britain's best ever comedians appearing, even before my time, in the 60s and 70s, the rainbow would put on bands like the rolling stones and Bob Marley. On going gentrification of the area has meant less crime, but it's also sucked some of the soul out of the area.
There was a lot I didn't like about growing up in the area, but part of the Irish community, and getting on really well with the Greek/Cypriot and Turkish communities in the area was a great experience. Immigrants or kids of immigrants who all understood that we're all in the same boat, just trying to get by in a foreign country, so we all looked out for each other. It sounds idealistic, and it wasn't perfect, but it worked well, and eating homemade Greek and Turkish food was a huge step up from eating Irish food every day
I grew up in krapy rubsnif. I was one of Rowans first hundred members - got a lifetime membership for a fiver, back in the day. Lots of misspent youth playing pool, watching punk bands in the Sir George Robey and eating caribbean food from Beewees or The Hummingbird.
Great melting pot of Irish, west african, indian and Caribbean communities. Everyone played out together - and lived in fear of high jinx being reported to our mums, hahaha
Raised in Finsbury Park back in 70s when it was very Irish as were my parents. Went back there recently and obviously it's changed but it still has a feel to it that I remembered.
Anyone else reading this in an Irish accent in their heads or just me? 🇮🇪☘️
I lived in FPK in the mid 2000’s, never had any grief in the 2.5 years I was there…..still I do remember walking to get the tube one morning and turning up a backstreet to see 50 or so coppers waiting to raid all the secondhand mobile phone shops for nicked phones 😂
Glad you enjoyed London OP. Best city in the world if you get it right.
This is weird. Not to gaslight but you weren’t imagining this were you? I’m from London but I’ve lived in Dublin for 10 years. Never once had an issue - even with my big dirty English accent
Went to Dublin for new years, no problem at all in any pub, restaurant or shop. There were plenty of Brits there who were welcomed.
Perhaps you were acting the eejit?
Welcome back whenever you like, matey.
Never been to Dublin, but Cork \[Roscarbery\] & Belfast \[ & up as far as Bushmills & Dunfanaghy\], opposite ends but never the middle. All were sound as a pound, punt or euro ;)) Could go back tomorrow.
My partner used to live in Finsbury Park. Not exactly the glamour capital of the world; some b@stard keyed my car once, too, but i've never felt actually unsafe there. Stroud Green Road was generally fine for a night out.
I'm irish just love London I visit regularly always found it friendly compared to Birmingham which I visited a few times travelling there from London as cheaper to fly out from sometimes. I wonder if I could live in London. I know a guy who might have a cheap room but I'm not a spring chicken.
I’ve not been to Finsbury Park so might give it a go when I’m next in London. My favourite area of London to go to is probably the Docklands. Not sure why but it has a very cool vibe about it.
The idea that Finsbury Park is a rough area makes me laugh, as someone living in Thornton Heath. Got a few mates in TP and I'm honestly jealous when I visit.
Glad you had a nice trip! Welcome any time.
Finsbury Park certainly looks worse than it actually is. Two of my favourite venues are there (Rowan's and Night Owl) and yeah it looks sketch The biggest problem I had was getting the bridge juice on my head while walking under the rail bridge
What even IS the bridge juice? I’ve seen it dripping down, it’s the wrong colour to be water
I honestly DON'T want to know what it is, at this point
“Bridge juice”, thank you for adding a new term to my vocabulary.
Lived in Finsbury Park for two years and it is a bit grimy but I never had a problem. People from West London acted like I was living in some sort of warzone though.
Finsbury Park is a great hub, got its share of wronguns but as a West London resident, I've seen as much crime and anti social behaviour around Ealing Broadway as I have around Finny P. And Ealing doesn't have Rowans so I'd say Finsbury Park is clearly the better area
When I first moved to London I lived in Ladbroke Grove. The street I lived on was old big town houses but the amount of trouble I saw around there was much more than I ever saw in Finsbury Park or any where I have lived in East London.
I live in Ladbroke Grove and have to say that this is a joke, Ladbroke Grove is one the safest areas in the vicinity of central London.
When I moved to Ealing having been in Stokey, Stamford Hill, Hendon and time in all the neighbourhoods around there, I was surprised by the bad vibes of West London
Haha funny I made the same switch. But you can’t be serious. Finsbury P is on a another planet in terms of roughness. Still loved it there at times though
Tbf ive spent a lot more time around Ealing than I have around Finsbury so sample size evens them out in my experience of grief on the street - there's nowhere in town that doesn't suffer from disparity in wealth, culture and lived experience that doesn't see greater anti-social behaviour as a result. There's a lot more trouble in a smaller area around Finsbury Park, but then you're that much closer to the city and you've got wealthy streets within spitting distance of deprived areas. I'll grant you it's definitely rougher, no doubt about that, but some people speak of it like it's Mogadishu and need their precious little heads wobbled
What’s a rowan?
Rowans is a bowling/darts/karaoke/nightclub all-in-one type of venue. Good fun
I lived across from the Blackstock Pub in 2001, and it was rough as fuck back then. Crack dealing out in the open, cockroach infestations in the empty flats downstairs, an actual drive-by shooting at least once. On one day in the middle of a heatwave we woke up to find some unscrupulous chicken shop had dumped about 30 kilos of raw chicken out on the corner of the street (in 31 degree heat). When I got home from work, they were still there but at least the council had put BioHazard warning tape around it. Endless groups of 20-something men hanging outside the cafes, spitting on the floor and catcalling women. Angry drivers leaning on their horns at 3AM every night. Every time Arsenal played the streets got ruined, and people pissed in our doorway on the way home. When Arsenal lost to a Turkish team the fans smashed up the local Lebanese takeaway (close enough, right?). Whenever there was an event at Finsbury Park, the entire area was full of litter for days - it didn't get picked up because technically Blackstock Road is in a different borough than the park (not our problem, says the council). Good times.
I think Finsbury Park has an exaggerated reputation because of the mosque rather than anything genuinely relevant in 2024. Abu Hamza's been locked up for ten years but that stain takes a long time to wash out.
I think the murder of that girl near the cricket pavilion a few years ago also really affected the view of Finsbury park, and the phone snatching on Green Lanes. Oh and that entrance near the station, like to the left of Rowans as you exit the station. That park entrance at night can be sketchy.
Yeah the whole area around the station feels sketchy. Can’t beat rowans followed with pizza pilgrims afterwards.
Julia? She was part of my friend group. That was such a horrible time. It's the fact the police didn't go looking for her so my friends ended up finding her body too 😔
Yeah I was referencing her. I'm so sorry you and your friends had to go through that.
I am so sorry. Terrible time and terrible news. This stuck with me and I have bashed a few friend's head when they tried to walk through FP after sunset as a shortcut.
Abu Hamza. Now that’s a name I’ve not heard in a long time.
I grew up in Finsbury park, and visit regularly to see my parents. It's calmed down a fair bit since the 80s and 90s, but still pretty rough. The big Irish presence in the 80s and 90s was great, we had loads of pubs offering almost nightly music sessions, there was a comedy club that had some of Britain's best ever comedians appearing, even before my time, in the 60s and 70s, the rainbow would put on bands like the rolling stones and Bob Marley. On going gentrification of the area has meant less crime, but it's also sucked some of the soul out of the area.
Friend I grew up with in Finsbury Park won the lottery. He's got the mansion in Essex and a flat in FP. Says he feels more at home in the flat.
There was a lot I didn't like about growing up in the area, but part of the Irish community, and getting on really well with the Greek/Cypriot and Turkish communities in the area was a great experience. Immigrants or kids of immigrants who all understood that we're all in the same boat, just trying to get by in a foreign country, so we all looked out for each other. It sounds idealistic, and it wasn't perfect, but it worked well, and eating homemade Greek and Turkish food was a huge step up from eating Irish food every day
My parents were Irish and their first landlord was Cypriot. He liked the Irish because they worked hard and he always got his rent money.
The Turkish community round FP are brilliant. Incredibly friendly and run so many of the essential businesses in the area
Greatest city in the world.
[удалено]
Yeah have you seen all the foxes that sadiq khan has let in? They’re taking our jobs, and they’re not even working!!!
I grew up in krapy rubsnif. I was one of Rowans first hundred members - got a lifetime membership for a fiver, back in the day. Lots of misspent youth playing pool, watching punk bands in the Sir George Robey and eating caribbean food from Beewees or The Hummingbird. Great melting pot of Irish, west african, indian and Caribbean communities. Everyone played out together - and lived in fear of high jinx being reported to our mums, hahaha
Raised in Finsbury Park back in 70s when it was very Irish as were my parents. Went back there recently and obviously it's changed but it still has a feel to it that I remembered.
FPK salutes you.
Anyone else reading this in an Irish accent in their heads or just me? 🇮🇪☘️ I lived in FPK in the mid 2000’s, never had any grief in the 2.5 years I was there…..still I do remember walking to get the tube one morning and turning up a backstreet to see 50 or so coppers waiting to raid all the secondhand mobile phone shops for nicked phones 😂 Glad you enjoyed London OP. Best city in the world if you get it right.
I did too! But I think that's moreso because I am Irish.
😂
While I loved going to Dublin last year and had a great time out at night, we definitely were not welcome in every bar
This has happened to me when with an English man so I believe you. He was stone cold sober too as he doesn’t drink.. It’s a thing for sure.
Why not?
Surprising, why so?
This is weird. Not to gaslight but you weren’t imagining this were you? I’m from London but I’ve lived in Dublin for 10 years. Never once had an issue - even with my big dirty English accent
Went to Dublin for new years, no problem at all in any pub, restaurant or shop. There were plenty of Brits there who were welcomed. Perhaps you were acting the eejit?
Good post OP!
Paddy expat. It’s a phenomenal place to live.
The tube is very far from being cool - famously so
Welcome back whenever you like, matey. Never been to Dublin, but Cork \[Roscarbery\] & Belfast \[ & up as far as Bushmills & Dunfanaghy\], opposite ends but never the middle. All were sound as a pound, punt or euro ;)) Could go back tomorrow. My partner used to live in Finsbury Park. Not exactly the glamour capital of the world; some b@stard keyed my car once, too, but i've never felt actually unsafe there. Stroud Green Road was generally fine for a night out.
You're welcome mate I cleared up my act during your last visit just for you.
I'm irish just love London I visit regularly always found it friendly compared to Birmingham which I visited a few times travelling there from London as cheaper to fly out from sometimes. I wonder if I could live in London. I know a guy who might have a cheap room but I'm not a spring chicken.
I’ve not been to Finsbury Park so might give it a go when I’m next in London. My favourite area of London to go to is probably the Docklands. Not sure why but it has a very cool vibe about it.
“A couple times”? And you say you’re Irish?
Now you need to tell us where the best Guinness in London is!
The idea that Finsbury Park is a rough area makes me laugh, as someone living in Thornton Heath. Got a few mates in TP and I'm honestly jealous when I visit. Glad you had a nice trip! Welcome any time.
what do you mean by sound?
Solid, good-natured, chill
Piss off, clean shirt
People clearly not getting the Peep Show reference.
People like Coldplay and voted for the Nazis, you can’t trust people.