Angel
Angel’s central location and lively atmosphere make it an exciting place to live. There is excellent shopping for every taste and budget, from street markets and high street staples to fashionable boutiques and characterful art and antique shops.
Add to that a plethora of independent cafés, pubs, bars, restaurants and clubs, as well as galleries, cinemas and renowned theatres, and you soon realise that Angel has everything you could desire from a central location close to both the City and West End.
Types of property in Angel
There are a number of fine Georgian and Victorian period homes in the Angel area, several of which remain as family homes. Others have been converted into charming flats and maisonettes.
More recently Angel has seen several stylish new developments including warehouse conversions (some overlooking Regent’s Canal) and architecturally pioneering new-build apartments.
Location and transport links
Angel’s proximity to the City, King’s Cross, the West End, Clerkenwell and Shoreditch makes its location hard to beat anywhere in London.
Angel tube at the southern end of Upper Street is on the Northern Line (Bank branch) and is only one stop away from King’s Cross, two from Moorgate and three from Bank. At the other end of Upper Street is Highbury & Islington station on the Victoria Line and Overground. Several buses serve the area, including night buses.
Eating out, shopping and entertainment
The biggest problem you’ll have in Angel, whether you are going out for a drink, meal or even a coffee, is making a choice. Few areas in London offer as much variety, and you can almost eat and drink your way around the world at the restaurants on Upper Street and surrounding side roads. Many of the cafés, bars, restaurants and pubs/gastropubs are independent and make a pleasant change from the ubiquitous chains found elsewhere in the capital.
Upper Street runs through the centre of Angel and is the heart of the area’s shopping and entertainment. Angel Central opposite the tube station has most of the usual high street retailers including Gap, H&M, Hotel Chocolat, Accessorise and many others. There’s also a Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Wagamama and Pret.
There’s so much more to shopping in the area though, and we recommend a stroll around the streets and lanes off Upper Street to explore the various independent boutiques and quirky antique shops and galleries especially in and around Camden Passage.
Popular local markets include Camden Passage Market on Sundays and Chapel Market in the old Angel Town centre just opposite the station.
The world-renowned Sadler’s Well dance theatre is probably Angel’s best-known venue although not far behind are its famous fringe theatres, the Almedia Theatre and King’s Head. The Grade II listed Business Design Centre on Upper Street hosts hundreds of exhibitions and conferences every year.
Cinema lovers can choose from the perennial favourite The Screen on the Green or the Vue Cinema on the top two floors of Angel Central.
Green space and activities
The largest space in the area is the 30-acre Highbury Fields, which has tennis courts and an award-winning children’s playground. Islington Green in the middle of Upper Street is a popular place to sit and relax during the day as are nearby garden squares Thornhill Square and Gibson Square.
Regent’s Canal is only a few minutes’ walk from Angel and is a lovely place for a stroll or a bike ride, and there are pubs and cafés along the way if you want to stop for a refresher.
Schools
Islington has a number of quality primary schools, secondary schools and academies. All told, there are 47 primary schools and 10 secondary schools and academies in the area with many rated as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted and several rated as ‘good’.