North London

North London is the area located north of Central London. Though mostly comprising of residential parts, visitors to the area will certainly find a number of attractions distinctive to this part of Greater London.

Sights & Activities

One of its famous tourist destinations is the Highgate Cemetery, along Swains Lane. The original part of the cemetery was established in 1839 and is part of the ‘Magnificent Seven.’ It is a pleasant area to stroll around, with lots of old-growth trees providing ample shade and numerous Gothic tombs providing items of interest. However, visitors can only enter the oldest part of the cemetery as part of tour groups. Highgate Cemetery is the burial place of many notable personalities, including Karl Marx. The Columbarium is also worth a visit.

Next to the cemetery is the Waterlow Park, where visitors can do some outdoor recreation like walking and cycling. On the edge of the park is the Lauderdale House, a venue for parties and other celebrations.

Also located in North London is the Regent Park, an extensive outdoor space that is composed of grassed areas, a lake with boating facilities, children’s playground, and sporting facilities. There are also several gardens, both formal and informal, scattered all over the park. The Queen Mary’s Gardens is located in the area designated as the Inner Circle and is well-tended and quite beautiful. Nearby is the Open Air Theatre, where performances are held every summer. Visitors should also look out for the London Central Mosque, a prominent landmark of the park. On the northern part of the park is the London Zoo, which opened to the public for the first time in 1847. Presently, its collection of animals numbers to more than 700 species. The zoo is also considered the oldest scientific zoo in the country.

Visitors can also visit other outdoor destinations in North London such the Highgate Wood and its neighboring Queen’s Wood. These woods support a number of flora and fauna and are considered among the ancient woods in the area. Highgate Wood is recognized as the area where prehistoric flints have been found and was designated as a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation.

Northeast of Highgate Wood is the Alexandra Park, which features a lake that is ideal for bird watching. It most prominent feature, however, is the Alexandra Palace, a recreation and entertainment centre that is open to the public the whole year through.

For shopping, visitors can head out to the Mall Wood Green, located along High Road and just a short distance away from the Alexandra Park. The mall is home to more than a hundred shops and market stalls.

Eating Out

Areas of North London that is located closer to Central London has a lot of dining establishments that visitors can head out to. However, there are also a number of notable restaurants scattered all over North London. For casual dining, there’s the World Café along Crouch Hill in Hornsey. Located nearby is the Thaitanic, situated on Crouch End Hill. Turkish menu is offered in several establishments, including the Yayla along Green Lanes in Harringay and the Antepliler on Grand Parade. Along Stoke Newington are two interesting dining destinations, the Bacio which serves Italian dishes, and the Rasa South Indian Vegetarian Restaurant.

Among the establishments that visitors and locals head out to for drinks and socialization are The Stag along Fleet Road in Islington, The Hideaway on Junction Road in Kentish Town, and The Fox Reformed in Stoke Newington.