Highbury

The tube at Highbury & Islington, on Highbury Corner, is on the Victoria line, giving great access to and from the rest of the capital – King's Cross in 7 minutes, Oxford Street in 15, Victoria in 20 or so – and you rarely have to wait for a tube to come.

Highbury Fields is the main green area in Islington, bordered by beautiful, sought after, substantial family terraces and it marks the beginning of Highbury. There is a swimming pool, tennis courts as well as a playground for kids. It is a good spot to grab a coffee and is popular in the summer for picnics and games of football, cricket and general London loafing.

North of the Fields, Highbury Village is a slightly cheaper alternative to Upper Street and has a different feel, with nice, less intimidating trendy cafes, bars and pubs. The architecture is different too, being more Victorian red brick, than the pale Georgian brick and stucco found in Islington. Highbury is of course, the traditional home of Premier football club Arsenal, the Gunners, and on match days the area can be busy.

The Arsenal football museum is a must see for any football lover, it tells the story of how a small north London football team became one of the richest football clubs in the whole world.