Best/worst things about Stroud Green

cristo

<font class="Apple-style-span" size="3">I</font> love <font class="Apple-style-span" size="3">all</font> things <font class="Apple-style-span" size="3">Stroud Green</font> and wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

twinspark

Lived here since since 1981 raised four children and sent them to local primary and comprehensive schools. Support local schools is the best commitment you can give to 'your' area. Most manage it until kids 7,8 or 9 then simper off back to a shire or country seat where their children can be 'pushed'.<br><br>Subsidence occurs not just because of London clay reconstituting itself but also most of the Victorian three-storey housing stock has shallow foundations - ie a couple of bricks deep at best. So the house moves a tiny bit but it usually moves back again. It's a question of measuring cracks over 3-6 months - I've never seen one grow wider. Nor have I seen  a house crack beyond repair and fall down - save with the help of a W3 bus on Ferme Park Rd. The local firm Purkelly's are masters at underpinning if it's really needed. A lot of wild exagerration about this and a field day for surveyors and insurers but stand your ground [ no pun intended]<br><br>The Noble on Crouch Hill is not overrun by  televised sport.<br><br>Best<br>Jack's<br>Tony's Butchers on Crouch Hill<br>La Porchetta<br>Exotic of India<br>Transport connections<br><br>Worst<br>The Dairy<br>The Fullback<br>Betting shops<br>Nail bars<br>Entrance to the tube<br><br><br><br>

twinspark

P.S. re best things<br><br>Heath Robinson was from SG!<br>

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gardener-joe

@misscara: "Entitled to your opinion Billy" ... as are you to yours, but I think we understood it the first time you expressed it (19 August) so no need to bang on. [Great use of a pun there! Ed.]

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ChangN4N6

In Lorne road it sounds like distant farts . Which sort of fits with the horrible smell we have to endure 80% of the time, due to Council obdurence ,, Chang

JennysBS

Lets face it...... not area is perfect to live unless you have a big bank account,  <br>Worst things ....we all moan about the area in the forum but how many people actually do anything to help to improve the area starting with myself of course a letter should be address to the counsul for instance if there are 3 restaurants in one street not more restaurants allow, if there is one betting shop in one corner not one should be allow in a 4 miles away )) and force them and motivate people to open a diffent store and have more variety, when a shop is advertise they SOMETIMES. tell you what you can do or you cant do. Hornsey road from Tollington Park up to Hanley street is terrible and it should improve, the council should force them at least to paint the front.<br>Good thing..... the community is wonderful and I would not live anywhere else.<br>How many members are in the Stround Green forum?<br><br>

Jackson

Who are the park drumming bastards? <br><br>Also, I still don't understand how one single road can smell and the rest of the area not.

Ali

It doesn't

bilbo

<P>GOOD</P> <P>Transport links</P> <P>Parkland Walk - good for constitutional walks/runs and the Park, of course</P> <P>Well-placed for shopping - WG Shopping City, Crouch End, Nag's Head etc. Green Lanes and Seven Sisters. Improvement with return of Sainsbury - plus another branch on Scala Cinema site nr the station up and coming (rather slowly). Patchy Tesco's.</P> <P>Ethnic diversity - maybe a bit over represented for Afro Hair and Wigs - but some good specialist businesses - eg John Jones and the Mezbaan Indian joint.</P> <P>Wide range pubs and restaurants eg WLM or Old Dairy</P> <P>BONUS - looking forward to the new Park Theatre thingy happening </P> <P> </P> <P>BAD</P> <P>Druggies outside Tesco  Being tapped up for money on SGR - the scrounger outside Sainsbury and others.<BR>Live and let live, I know but when they crap in your front garden, patience runs out.</P> <P>Being on cusp of two councils who presumably think it is all the other council's problem to sort this out</P> <P>High Council Tax for poor services (on the Haringey side). Fickle refuse collection service.</P> <P>Loss of quality shops eg Jones Brothers within walking distance (at Nags Head was our nearest John Lewis) - some time ago, I know but still missed, having to schlep all the way to Brent Cross or Oxford St ever since. More locally -  banks that are now medical centres or acupunture places, loss of Kings Bakery (soon to be a Thigh Massage parlour, if you please) - the all-night bread shop that used to be opposite and the Chinese Supermarket. (The Boulangerie place is little compensation.)</P> <P>Crime - although that appears to be improving. Quite liked having the mobile police HQ on SGR.</P> <P> </P> <P>Sorry if I am being too nostalgic (I am 111 you will recall). Happy daze living next door to Bob Hoskins ...</P> <P> </P> <P> </P>

miss annie

<p>Jones Bros?</p><p>Council tax on Islington side is cheap! It's been frozen for years and reduced this year.</p><p>The people outside Tesco are not tramps - they don't go anywhere. </p>

gardener-joe

@bilbo: Jones Bros? Oh dear God! Jones Bros (part of the John Lewis retail empire) was on Holloway Rd, although since it seamlessly became Waitrose it still is part of the John Lewis brand. Even so, it has been Waitrose for very many years, so is it perhaps time to stop mourning Jones Bros' demise? Futhermore - and respectfully - even in the most geographically challenged of SGer's wildest expansionist fantasy, no part of the Holloway Road could ever be considered part of Stroud Green. Now, if only there were still two high street banks on SGR.

miss annie

Waitrose only occupies part of the building, the part with the ornate Nouveau style fascia is occupied by some kind of serviced office/training facility I think.

Mirandola

Holloway Road Waitrose is also a key zombie defence spot: http://www.thecnj.com/islington/2008/090508/inews090508_05.html

NorthNineteen

Can someone explain to me what is so good about Jacks?

Peter Crumb

Jack has a fantastic range of beer. Serious beer drinkers (myself included) that I have taken there, have loved it.

ADGS

The cider range isn't bad either.

mapsa

Jack's looks like any other off license from outside, I can forgive anyone for having low expectations. But when you are in inside, wow. Belgian trappist ales. German wheat beers. American IPAs. English porters. The sort of thing you don't get in Tesco's or Sainsburys. Jack's is amazing, a real local asset. Support it.

gardener-joe

Jacks is great. Always a great selection of chilled beers and wines when, at the end of a long day, you need it ready to go!

Mirandola

It is indeed great. Best beer shop I've ever seen and I used to live in Brussels

NorthNineteen

On the recommendations of this thread I gave Jacks a try.  Bought some wine using Jack's (?) recommendation... was very tasty.  I will investigate beer options.  There must be a lot of people like me who just never considered going in there as from the outside (and even the layout of the inside) it looks like one of those cheap nasty off-licenses.<br><br>Also, inspired by this thread I finally visit the Stapleton Tavern (have only lived in N8/N19 for 2.5 years).  Lovely pub, great food.  Was a bit quiet though.<br>

Billy Bookcase

<div>"park drumming bastards" explained</div><div><br></div><div>

hooofck

<p>I just wanted to second Donna's comments from Aug 17th too. We had exactly the same experience having lived in the area since 1998 and loved the area then, sharing a flat with mates just after leaving college.</p><p>And now, 14 years later, life is very different but we're seeing another equally appealing side of Stroud Green and its community now that we have children. It really is a great place to start a family.</p><p>And also just to say that I think the schools round here are absolutely fine, much better than average for London - I don't know about people on this site but I find most people I've met in the area agree on that and the more we support them the better they become.</p>

hopgreen

I'm another person who would just walk past Jack's until I read this thread and finally had a look inside. Brooklyn Summer Ale! <span style="font-size: 10pt; ">I'm going to be spending a lot of money here...</span>

ChangN4N6

Just wish he would tart up the outside and spend a bit of money inside! See Bottle Appostle in Crouch End, very groovy. Chang

twinspark

Reasons I think Jacks are great :<br><br>We often return from holiday with a beer or wine discovery and tell Jack's about it - they order a case or two to try - that's if they don't already stock it.  Our first 'success' was  Peroni in1987- however Fowlers Wee Heavy fared less well.<br><br>We were invited to a 90th birthday party, our friend's Dad is Austrian and was over for New Year.  I went in Jack's and said 'Austrian....90th birthday blah blah ' They produced several Schnaps, inc. one with gold in it!, and finally an Austrian  beer - we went for the beer not realising it was rare and only produced in tiny quantities once a year. The birthday boy convinced I'd bought in Austria and was bowled over by it as it's even hard to find there apparently.<br><br>We buy all our party and Christmas booze from Jack's - he does deals by the case and you can even pick it up on 25th Dec.<br><br>The two brothers that run it are local heroes they actually have an arrangement with local graffito to re-decorate their front door regularly.  <br><br>@ Chang Bottle Apostle is a bit ya and of course priced accordingly - I preferred the furniture shop on that site before.<br><br><br>

Brodiej

@twinspark. Great feedback. Ive never bothered with it before, but i'll have a look in to see if i can revive any holiday memories.

Peter Crumb

Jacks blows bottle apostle away! <div><br></div><div>For the record Jacks is the name of the previous owner and it opens at 3pm because and to quote the owner: 'nobody buys beer in the morning.' He obviously doesn't pay much attention to the Spoons across the road.</div><div><br></div><div>I have a fantastic beer book called Around London in 80 beers and I'm quickly making my way through it. The only beer shop in the book is called Kris Wines on Yorkway. I stopped off there today to check it out, does not have a patch on Jacks,</div>

boxrunner

Jack's is ace!  not an explanation, I know, but there you go....<br><br>Try the Jeremiah Weed if you haven't already.<br>