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SBW

<P class="articleParagraph enarticleParagraph">A couple of snippets from the Times today on Finsbury Park (no mention of Stroud Green). It describes it as a north London suburb that has retained its "authentic edginess", populated by middle class families priced out of islington and a "Mecca for professional renters". Says the area south of "gnarly Seven Sisters" is more desireable (!) and under "landmarks" has the mosque. One resident also refers to it as "Finny P", which sounds wank. Anyway:  </P> <P class="articleParagraph enarticleParagraph">What is the high street like?</P> <P class="articleParagraph enarticleParagraph">Not a highlight. There are plenty of budget 24-hour supermarkets and charity shops but little in the way of retail therapy thrills. Go to near by Crouch End or Muswell Hill for cute independents</P> <P class="articleParagraph enarticleParagraph">Are there many restaurants?</P> <P class="articleParagraph enarticleParagraph">The Faltering Fullback gets a big thumbs up from locals who particularly like its courtyard garden, while The Old Dairy gastropub is also highly recommended. That Finsbury Park is a cosmopolitan area is reflected in its cuisine: try Cafe Mexicali (Mexican), Cats Café des Artistes (Thai), or Pizzeria Pappagone (Italian). It also has one of London's coolest new dining rooms, Season Kitchen, recently described by The Times restaurant critic Giles Coren as "cracking" and "packed with good-looking young people".</P> <P class="articleParagraph enarticleParagraph">Are there any downsides?</P> <P class="articleParagraph enarticleParagraph">Deprivation is, as with most of Central London, only ever around the corner. The Andover estate was branded a dump by the former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe after she visited in 2007. In an effort to improve matters, Islington Council is offering teenagers £25 a week to take on jobs such as repairing roads and clerical work in a bid to imbue them with a "work ethic". Noise is also an issue.</P> <P class="articleParagraph enarticleParagraph"> </P>

vetski

I saw that too. I can only think of 2 charity shops - Mind on Upper SGR, & Marie Curie on Seven Sisters Road, and surely one of the bonuses of this neck of the woods is being able to buy milk (ok, fags) at 3am. Sirens are not daily (I'll grant they're fairly frequent), and in almost 13 years, I've never heard it called Finny P - ugh! Profile was a bit pathetic on nightlife too. Did the reporter - I use the term loosely - actually bother coming up here to see the area for herself, I wonder?

ChangN4N6

Stroudy G?

Ian

I doubt they know anything about the area as otherwise Petek and Dotori would have made it above Mexicali. Looks like they did it from Google street view and some old newspaper articles. <br>

vetski

Very sloppy. If you fancy complaining, the editor of The Times 'Bricks & Mortar' supplement is Anne Ashworth - <A href="mailto:anne.ashworth@thetimes.co.uk">anne.ashworth@thetimes.co.uk</A>. I'm just about to!

Brodiej

Didn't like the comment about the Andover Estate. Rather pointless and unhelpful what with the progress made in the community after the incident last year.<div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div>

Ian

@Brodiej - I thought that too, it reads like they just picked it from an internet search but in one throw away comment does the community a great disservice.  <br>

ChangN4N6

What incident? Chang Ps where are these "good-looking young people"? Lorne Rd full of old goats and a few kids with spots, tho they are friendly and often give a rollo to the dog.

miss annie

<p>I heard someone call it Fin Fin which is even worse!</p><p>Yes, it is noisy around Finsbury Park, it is the busiest station outside of zone 1 I believe, and Seven Sisters Rd is a busy thoroughfare so one could expect quite a bit of racket. </p><p>I live at the Andover end of Moray Rd, and, as I've said before, it's incredibly quiet. I regularly cut through there to get to Holloway Rd and the glorious fabric shop of joy and I don't feel remotely unsafe. </p><p>The charity shops on Seven Sisters and Blackstock Rd are quite good and not over priced like Mind. The roads around Brownswod and Riversdale are really nice, there's a lovely vintage tea shop down there and the Sylvanian Family shop of course. Oh, and the gelateria too.</p><p>I'm surprised that our version of NY's Garment District didn't get a mention.It's absolutely the best spot for people watching on a Saturday morning.</p><p>All in all I love being this end of things. </p>

chrisn4

<P>sbw - you say on a previous thread that you are a journalist....local people wont like the comments you have made about the andover estate...</P> <P>perhaps you like stuffing your face with norman balons one pound all day sandwhiches at the coach and horses pub in soho with the rest of the media crowd (as you mentioned on the noble thread) ..jeff been in? but we dont need you smearing the andover estate... you dont live there...</P>

vetski

<P>@chrisN4, those weren't @SBW';s comments - he (she?) was quoting directly from the piece in The Times!</P> <P>@miss annie, I've only recently noticed the vintage cafe on Mountgrove - it looks nice, have you been in? Not sure I really rate Sylvanian Families as an area plus, though! I was also surprised not to see a mention of Fonthill Road - as I said in my e-mail of complaint to Anne Ashworth. Am considering changing my forum name to Indignant of N4... </P>

chrisn4

<P>if sbw is a journalist as he or she claims then  he or she will know that smears stick...so he won't be bothered if his cut n paste job from the times smears the andover estate...he or she will know exactly what they are doing... </P> <P>sorry but i dont like stuck up people smearing the andover estate...and he is criticising local pubs on his threads...</P> <P>tory mp anne widecombe turned up for a few days and smeared the andover estate in the documentary she made...and then went back to her luxury home on dartmoor.well done tories u bunch of useless england wrecking tories...and the labour party they are even worse...english people have had enough of politicians wrecking the uk</P> <P> </P>

ActionVerb

So incredibly tedious.

chrisn4

<P>talking about yourself again actionverb? no change there then...</P> <P>carry on</P>

miss annie

<p>I have been into the vintage cafe. The tea was nice, not a fantastic choice of cakes but I was in quite late in the day. Good selection of knick-knacks, lovely mixed collection of clothes and accessories at the back. They are quite happy to let you stay for ages and it is too small for prams so it is nice and peaceful.</p><p>I like the idea of the Sylvanian shop but I made 3ft high Royal Wedding Sylvanian bunnies for Hamleys last year, so I'm inclined to think well of them. I like the fact that it's next door to a (now defunct) shop advertising antique militaria, bayonets etc. too.</p>

SBW

Stuck up! Haven't heard that for a while. I have nothing against the Andover estate or the local pubs (flattered you should take the trouble to trawl previous comments) I take your point about repeating smears though so it was right to challenge it. Are you an occupy person?

chrisn4

<P>sbw - if you have got nothing against the andover estate or local pubs - then why are you smearing them?</P> <P>if people click on your name above - then we can read your threads...</P> <P>there are various journalists who comment on this forum...</P> <P>but i will not name them as generally i believe they aren't trying to stir up trouble...(not that that isn't a bad thing)</P> <P>however a journalists job is "to make mischief and to not be afraid and to challenge the status quo"</P> <P>so perhaps my comments are worthy of some criticism on the basis of fair comment...</P> <P>People who live on the Andover Estate were very unhappy with the picture that tory mp anne widdecombe painted of their community...see you tube video of this documentary...</P> <P>carry on  </P>

ChangN4N6

Is that the estate where Johnny Rotten lived? Anyone know which bit? I am doing a map of local celeb connections as present for my landlady who is into history- ho chi minh , bob hopkins, simon pegg, dr legg, kathy kirby, Thin Lizzy, the Flumps, heath robinson etc Chang

ADGS

I have been known to refer to 'Finny P', though never seriously. Still, I suppose the problem is that anyone overhearing or re-using might not know it's a piss-take.<br>

Ken

Funsbury Park. <br>

ChangN4N6

Pinsbury Fart

ActionVerb

Finbo. A lot quicker to type out in a text and gets the point across. 

vetski

If I abbreviate it at all, I use FP. Even quicker to text/type!

Mirandola

F-Park. I blame my other half. 

gardener-joe

If folks here happily use and understand SG and SGR, then why not FP and/or FPK ...or did I misinterpret the drift of the thread?