In an annual list published by the Sunday Times, Clerkenwell – the southeasternmost of Islington’s 17 wards – beat rivals including Haringey’s Crouch End and Hackney’s London Fields. North Berwick in Scotland was named as the paper’s national winner.
The newspaper praised Clerkenwell’s historical charms, proximity to central London hotspots, transport links and culinary scene as the area’s best bits.
Despite the slick Farringdon business district in the south, grand Georgian squares and churches further north in Clerkenwell give the area a village-like quality. “I think the best thing about it is that it’s pretty quiet, actually. I think that’s the major consideration when you talk about living in London,” said Tim, 57, a Clerkenwell resident.
“If you’re round here at the weekend it’s quite empty as well, so it feels a little bit like a hidden area,” said Martin, 51, who works in Clerkenwell.
“I’m very happy here. It’s safe here – I’ve got three children and it’s safe for them.”
Clerkenwell resident Tesuang, 60
Clerkenwell is known for its quiet grandeur, but the area also has a storied socialist history. Rumour has it that, in 1905, Vladimir Lenin (who was publishing his newspaper Iskra on Clerkenwell Green) met Joseph Stalin for a drink in what is now The Crown Tavern.
There are a number of Victorian pubs in the area so the future Soviet leaders would have had a similar choice to today’s patrons, for whom these establishments’ charms are still among the highlights of the area. “[Clerkenwell] is an oasis, and the pubs are good,” says Clerkenwell worker Lily, 29. Exmouth Market, the centrepiece of the area, boasts buzzing bars, restaurants and coffee shops.
“I feel like it’s quite European,” Lily added. The area was once known as ‘Little Italy’ due to the large Italian community who lived there, and still hosts the Procession of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, an Italian catholic parade.
City, University of London is the area’s academic hub, and Sadler’s Wells Theatre commands cultural respect as a renowned dance theatre. The famous Barbican Centre is nearby too, just outside Clerkenwell’s southern edge.
