Tufnell Park, London?
 

Can any of you comment on what sort of neighborhood one would find in Tuffnell Park, in N7, especially around St. George's Avenue? This is west of Islington and between Holloway and North Holloway. Is it the sort of place you'd be willing to use as a base for a London vacation, despite its distance from the city center, if the rate were right? I'm interested in anything you can tell me that I can't learn from online maps! Thanks.

Tufnell Park is a residential area, with not a great deal to offer a visitor. It's not unpleasant, is fairly leafy and if you're near the tube offers good links to more exciting places. St Georges Avenue runs between the Holloway Road, which is fairly rough, and Tufnell Park itself, which is slightly less rough. I live in North London, and don't mind the area at all, but if I were a visitor to London I think I would be disappointed by the experience if I stayed in this area. Any accommodation rate would have to be really cheap - and if it's your vacation are you willing to spend so much extra time (and money) commuting when for maybe only a few pounds more you could stay centrally? <BR><BR>Having said all of that, if budget is optimum or you're staying with friends, then Tufnell Park isn't bad at all. Holloway can be a little bit 'challenging' in that it's busy, ethnically diverse and sited around a major road out of London, but it does at least have a couple of good supermarkets, some good pubs and bars, a multiscreen cinema and good transport routes to nicer places! Let me know if I can help more.

Lindsey, thanks so much for your encouraging words and thorough comments. This is indeed an economical alternative, as it's a home exchange, so not very different from staying with friends. Last year we stayed in Finchley, so Tufnell Park looks convenient by comparison! We are accustomed to urban living, ethnic diversity, busy roads, etc., just didn't want to end up on a street full of drug dens, LOL. The Tufnell Park tube station is in Zone 2, so not much extra expense. If you're familiar with Finchley, a comparison of the two areas would be helpful.

N7 is covered by Holloway police station, one of the six busiest police stations in London. Furthermore, you're a stones throw from N16, Stoke Newington. Cokey Stokey is the busiest police station in London - and the port of call for Jamaican drug mules and Yardie criminals upon arrival in London. Brixton is childs play compared to this part of London.

Thanks Joanne, glad I could be of help. Also, don't let Duncan's words scare you off. Tufnell Park is quite a way from Stoke Newington, and transport directly between the two is a hassle, so no rat-run for criminals as far as I'm aware! Plus Stokey really isn't that bad - it actually has a pleasant 'village-y' feel to it with great restaurants and a couple of good pubs. Crime in both areas is higher than other areas of London, admittedly, but I have no problem feeling safe in North London and neither should you, if you're sensible and don't flash your cash!<BR><BR>I don't know Finchley very well, but I think you'd find that Tufnell Park is more down-market, but with more character. Zone 2 is indeed no problem for travel, and a cab from the West End should cost about &pound;10 during the day, &pound;15 at night. If you're happy with the standard of house exchange, then go for it!

Lindsey, thanks SO much for the reassurance. Your comments make sense; Tufnell Park sounds a bit like some neighborhoods in my city, where the pleasantness/sleaziness factor can swing drastically in just a couple of blocks.<BR><BR>I've never taken a London cab at night -- hadn't realized that the rates were higher. Thanks again!

So is Holloway N7 a dangerous area? I am in a similar position to Joanne and from my other post am now nervous about my staying in this area. Would it be safe for a senior citizen?

Is anywhere safe? Some people can go for their entire lives without being a victim of crime, others can be repeat victims.

Tufnell Park, is a dump, most estate agents would agree.

If you or anyone wants to offer any advice about this area but does not want to do it on this board I have now displayed my email address.

My question is why you chose Holloway? If you are staying in a friend's flat or something like that, then you would be OK since that person would presumeably help you with where to go and where to avoid,.

But if you just decided on Holloway because you found a cheap B&amp;B - I would definitely stay elsewhere. There are cheap B&amp;Bs all over London - closer in, and in nicer neighborhoods.

So what is the story - why Holloway? Then we can give you some reasonable adviice.

This is how the home was described:
A charming 3 storey four bedroomed Victorian house with a 40 foot garden with decking 4 miles from the centre of London. Our street is tree lined and quiet in the ethnically diverse vibrant area of Holloway. Within easy reach of historic Hampstead and Highgate.

My daughter currently lives in this neighborhood while attending university and has absolutely no complaints. She has to take the tube to her classes and allows for the time involved, but has not felt unsafe at any time.

And believe me, she would have told me if she had any complaints!

Thanks Loisde! Can you tell me a little more about the neighborhood?

Yeadonite, I will e-mail my daughter and ask her to specifically describe the neighborhood and then I will post it here. She is quite good at describing the &quot;feel&quot; of an area beyond the obvious.

&quot;A charming 3 storey four bedroomed Victorian house with a 40 foot garden with decking 4 miles from the centre of London. Our street is tree lined and quiet in the ethnically diverse vibrant area of Holloway&quot;

Let me provide a glossary of estate/travel agent speak:-

Charming - small rooms, and unusual, usually udesirable quirks.

Victorian - so what, thousands of homes are of this era, rather ugly ones too.

40ft garden - rather small really, probably overlooked.

4 miles from the center of London - what centre, this is talking about The City i.e. financial/office centre, rather than your W1 central area.

Ethnically Diverse - large numbers of different cultures, often clashing.

Vibrant - a word masking illegal activity, fights, noise, etc.


If you want a cheap B&amp;B Pimlico is full of them, right by the Thames, near Sloane St. overall, a much more pleasant, and far more centrally located area.

From what I understand most home exchange organisations have LOTS AND LOTS of London properties on their books so worth shopping around.

That said, it depends which part of Finchley you're comparing with.

Personally I wouldn't make your decision based on M Kingdom's comments - unless you've read many of his posts and share his rather narrow and somewhat condescending preferences.
North Finchley is said to be a slightly classier residential area (and where I live), Central Finchley is similar but perhaps a touch more down to earth, and East Finchley is a very ordinary area, a little run down in places.

Part of Holloway/ Tuffnell park are more like East Finchley and others more like Central Finchley. I don't know the area hugely well but I'd imagine there are also parts that are more like North Finchley.

I don't know the roads by name so can't really comment on St George's Ave.

I detest Finchley too, the only worthwhile place there is a VERY basic Indian restaurant called Rani which serves excellent, and extremely cheap Indian food which you would pay much more for elsewhere.

As for living there, It has the atmosphere of a funeral parlour, one of the most depressing places I know. Whilst it is largely safe, I'd rather go to Brixton which has more character.

Aaw thanks M - just on cue another condescending comment... not to worry love, no one's feeling too disappointed that you won't be visiting N12 more often...

Kavey, my dear, I don't just detest N12, my hatred of the area extends to North, East, Central, etc. Finchley i.e. any place ending in Finchley I cannot stand.

When are you-all going to learn to ignore m_k's baiting? We were delighted with our Finchley home exchange (in N3). The garden as indeed probably about 40 feet, maybe a bit more, but the gardener came weekly to keep it lovely. According to the posters in the window of the nearby real-estate agent, the homesin the area were selling for a half-million pounds.