Dalston | E8

Regularly hailed as ‘the coolest place to live in Britain’, Dalston is undoubtedly one of the jewels of East London with a rich cultural diversity, a fantastic array of shops, bars and restaurants and a vibrant and celebrated nightlife.

Dalston also has several claims to fame, the most notable being that Ridley Road Market (one of London’s oldest street markets) and Fassett Square (a collection of late Victorian homes bordering a communal garden) were the inspiration for EastEnders’s Walford Market and Albert Square.

The area has come a long way in 30 years, when Hackney was the poorest borough in the UK and Dalston the poorest neighbourhood in Hackney. Although its recent gentrification has led to an increase in property prices, there’s still value to be had in Dalston, with many of the large Victorian and Georgian properties split into flats - perfect for the young professionals and media types who love the area - while in Queensbridge Quarter and Dalston Square, there are large amounts of new build flats and apartments, many of which have been constructed as affordable housing. Families are well catered for here too, with plenty of classic 18th and 19th century terraces.

Although lacking a tube, Dalston is well-serviced transport wise with Dalston Junction and Haggerston Overground stations having trains to Shoreditch High Street for the City and Canada Water, with a change to the Jubilee line for Canary Wharf. Dalston Kingsland, meanwhile, is on a different section of the Overground with trains to Stratford and Highbury & Islington for the Victoria line.

Primary schools in Dalston mostly have outstanding ofsted ratings, while the two nearest secondary schools, Mossbourne Community Academy and The Petchey Academy are rated outstanding and good respectively.

Things To Do In Dalston

There really is no shortage of things to do in Dalston, whether that’s picking up a delicious sour dough loaf from the Dusty Knuckle bakery on Abbott Street, enjoying an amazing Sunday roast at Jones & Sons at the Stamford Works on Gillett Street or sipping on a Japanese Highball at renown cocktail bar High Water on the Stoke Newington Road. Such is the number of places to eat, drink and party in Dalston, it’s impossible to list them all here. However, worth mentioning is the Rio Cinema, a stunning Art Deco picture house that’s occupied a prominent corner on the Kingsland Road for more than 100 years. One of London’s best independent cinemas, showing a mix of arthouse and mainstream films and even documentaries, the Rio recently underwent modernisation and now boasts state-of-the-art projectors and spacious, sofa-style seating.

Finally, no round up of the area’s attractions would be complete without a mention of the Dalston Eastern Curve Garden, a magical green oasis located beside the iconic Hackney Peace Carnival Mural on Dalston Lane. Planted in 2010 on the site of the former Eastern Curve railway line, the community-led garden is home to all manner of trees, shrubs, flowers, herbs and vegetables. There’s also an on-site café, serving freshly made soup and pizzas straight out of a wood-fired oven, plus a wide selection of beverages and alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.