hackney is quite delightful

[suicideally]

We went on a field trip to London Fields last night. I didn't think after living in Stokey that parks could get more hipsterish, but I can see now why they call it 'Hoxton beach'. Broadway Market is a lovely area (although the hardware shop advertises a scary number of ways to despatch mice and rats) but London Fields itself has suffered sadly

Comments

[barrysarll]

While I disapprove of the motivation behind the Clissold Park disruptions, there are still large swathes of it green and accessible. And, I doubt I'd have seen that wild tortoise were the New River not partly drained. Also, can't one sit quite pleasantly in Abney Park Cemetery just down the road?

[suicideally]

No. THEY HAVE QUITE LITERALLY RUINED MY SUMMER!

[barrysarll]

In other news, I am amused by your confidence that there must be some good reason behind the Academy's choices; it can only mean that you are lucky enough never to have attempted Monster's Ball or Crash. Not that I've seen this example, but the cack-handed attempts at cleverness sound to me like exactly the sort of stuff that wins Oscars.

[suicideally]

It's just a bit of an odd choice as it's neither a well-supported blockbuster (it was quite a small film, pre-award) or a critical choice.

[mark13]

I dislike London Fields intensely. It's a drab, unattractive space sorely in need of doing up, and usually full of hipsters and gangs of 13 year olds facing off with each other. Only good things about it are the lido (which I am still yet to visit) and the Pub on the Park.

There are plenty of other lovely spaces in Hackney - Springfield Park, Northfields Rec, Hackney Marshes, the old filter beds, even Hackney Downs.

Broadway Market is ace though - the food and drink at the Dove is second to none in the area.

The Rio is also splendid - it looks like (and indeed is) a cinema from the golden age of the silver screen.

[suicideally]

The lido is fantastic - it's heated, so if you go swimming on a chilly but sunny winter day you can pretend it's summer.

Springfield Park is lovely - we should definitely go there more. There are nice nature reservy bits near the Lee Valley marina side, too.

[mark13]

Sounds lovely, plus I suspect on chilly days, there will be less people around to impede one's leisurely swim. :)

We should definitely organise more trips to Springfield Park while the weather is good, especially as Clissold is more like Passchendaele at the moment (and Springfield is always more civilised).

I also plan to try to get people to come down to the Princess of Wales more often, as it's in a lovely location, and they're not very kid friendly.

[suicideally]

Yeah, we went there recently when we were wandering in Springfield Park at the Lea Valley marina - it's a PROPER pub!

[blonde_venus]

I am showing my age massively here but about 20 years ago I had a bunch of friends who lived in the big tower block behind Broadway Market, can't remember the name. The area was an absolute shithole with not a hipster in sight - I did a mental double-take when I first read this entry! 'Lovely area' - surely not the same place? Well, hurrah for gentrification, sort of.

[suicideally]

London Fields has become really trendy recently, though it still does have some of the worst housing in Hackney - it's a bit of an odd juxtaposition.

[charleston]

Yeah, it's funny, it's totally changed in the last few years. I used to love it about 10 years ago, when it was no longer a shithole but not wanky either. These days I can't bear it. Actually, not quite true - I like it early evenings, but when it gets a bit late and lairy it's just WRONG.

[perfectlyvague]

I like it in late autumn when the light is gold and it's too cold for the hipsters to do anything but shuffle through quickly.

[perfectlyvague]

I remember thr first time I tried to order a pizza after midnight. 'What is the point of London if it can't even begin to compete with Manhattan for simple things like home delivery?'

[_abby_]

I think the Clissold doings sound quite good! (Not that it wasn't excellent to start with...)
http://www.n16mag.com/news/latest-news/351-clissold-park-and-playground-update.html

[suicideally]

I'm sure it will be fine, but I can't forgive them for RUINING MY SUMMER.