Emma Lacey with one of her mugs
(Picture: Adrian Lourie)I have lived here all my life — I’ve got a lot of emotional connection to Crouch End. There’s green space in every direction from my house with Alexandra Palace, Queen’s Wood and Highgate Wood on the doorstep. There are amazing walks, lovely schools (my kids go to the same school I went to) and a community of like-minded people.
Eating and drinking
The best coffee in Crouch End is at Velasquez & Van Wezel. It’s got a bit of outdoor seating and it’s the sunniest spot in the area.
It is right next door to The Maynard Arms pub, which is really nice for a drink, a Scotch egg or a meal.
Beam does a generous, delicious brunch with a Middle Eastern influence and Banner’s Restaurant is famous locally; go there for a jerk chicken burger. The best chippy is The Priory Fish Bar.
Where I work out
Park Road Pool has an indoor swimming pool and the outdoor lido. It’s got even more amazing since lockdown as they now stagger entry so you can swim quite freely.
I’ve also got a regular route that I run; starting at the bottom of Alexandra Palace, up through Queen’s Wood, through Highgate Wood, and then you can run along an old railway line that goes under Muswell Hill with an amazing view of London. You end up running towards the reservoirs in Ally Pally.
To commune with nature
I love to walk past the cricket fields into Queen’s Wood. They’re ancient woods and there’s a cafe in there. It’s just below Highgate Wood and is a bit less known so it’s often quiet.
Or you can walk through Highgate Wood to Hampstead Heath in about half an hour. Otherwise I’ll just go straight up to Alexandra Palace to look at the views.
For a culture fix
We’ve got two cinemas — the Picturehouse, which shows all the current releases, and ArtHouse, which shows slightly more obscure films and sometimes livestreams theatre or opera.
Downstairs at the King’s Head is good for comedy and music. Crouch End has open studios and an art trail every year.
Grocery shopping
Middle Lane Market does artisanal pastries, sourdough, really good coffee and they get products from Spain and Italy, the kind of things that are a treat on holiday. You go in and you want to buy everything. Really great olives, meat and cheeses, deli counter and fresh local flowers.
Dunn’s Bakery is an institution here. The Haelan Centre is great for health foods — it also has yoga classes and treatment rooms for holistic therapies.
I’ve got the best hairdresser in the world, Jay at Crown London. The salon is amazing, really involved in the community and it uses my mugs for coffee.
Schools
The primary schools that everyone wants to go to are Coleridge, Rokesly and Campsbourne.
Campsbourne is great because it’s at the bottom of Alexandra Palace so it’s surrounded by greenery. But all the primary schools are really good.
Highgate Wood School is a decent secondary and Alexandra Park School is the one people are moving house to get into. You’ve also got Hornsey School for Girls and there’s Heartlands, which is a new school in Wood Green.
Getting around
It’s really easy to get the W7 up to Finsbury Park station, it takes 10 minutes and then you’ve got the whole of London at your fingertips.
I’m a lecturer at Central Saint Martins and I choose to get the 91 bus, which takes a bit longer than the Tube but I get on at the first stop and sit on the top deck of a Heatherwick-designed bus all the way to King’s Cross.
Dream street
Cranley Gardens, just on the edge of Crouch End, goes up from Priory Park towards Highgate Wood. It’s lined with about 10 different kinds of cherry trees and at this time of year they’re in bloom. The houses are big and beautiful.
Something you only see in Crouch End
At least three Doctor Whos drink in The King’s Head pub.
What’s the catch?
There are a lot of new dogs from lockdowns and not everyone’s tidying up after them.
In three words
Green, community, coffee.
