Can anyone sell Green Lanes for me?

Green Lanes. I would not sell it to you. I could barely give it to you. It begins in unexplored depths of urban obscurity south of Manor House and begins its insiduous march north. Between Manor House and Turnpike Lane tube stations it’s a monstrous mix of 24hr shops and Eastern European Gentleman’s clubs. And in case you were wondering how places such as these could stay open for24hrs with hardly any customers – well the answer is simple when you consider the area that it is in. They are drug dens where you can go and buy some cocaine or heroin. I know this to be true as on my way home one night in need of a can of cola to stop me falling asleep at the wheel I stopped at one of these shops. Iwalked into the maze of shelves which was the shop and asked do you sell coke. He looked at me funny at which point he bent under the counter and pulled out a rather large bag of white powder. I looked at the bag as he looked at me obviously mistaking my Marks & Spencer suit for the high class attire of an upmarket dealer. I smiled and hastily, made my retreat past the fruit and veg stall and never returned. North of the North circular is better but that entire stretch is a haven for low lifes.

Sly

Posted about 1 year ago by whenthiswasfields

Green Lanes, generally, is a horrible, rough area to be avoided if at all possible. I used to live in Wood Green and on my way home the cabbie refused to stop at the cash machine on Green Lanes as he said it was too dodgy and I’d probably get mugged. Don’t move there!

Disturbed

Posted about 1 year ago by whenthiswasfields

It really depends on what you like about an area. If you like places that are clean, quiet, and traffic-free then Green Lanes isn’t for you. If however you like to feel part of a multi-ethnic community, and enjoy being able to buy food and alcohol at any time of the day or night, and you like Turkish food, then it would definitely be right up your street. I lived there for 2 years and loved it – cheap, vibrant, fantastic food, and once you’ve negotiated the hideous traffic, great transport into London. Oh yeah and Finsbury Park right next to you.

munki

Posted about 1 year ago by whenthiswasfields

Sly and Disturbed – have you ever actually lived in Green Lanes? Because your descriptions of the area sound like a Daily Mail reader’s fantasy. I’d be interested what you find so terrible about 24 hour shops. ‘Drug dens’??? Seriously, having lived there for 2 years and used 24 hour shops in the middle of the night I actually don’t understand this comment. And the ‘Eastern European Gentleman’s clubs’ are actually lokali, where Turkish men hang out together – it’s a cultural thing, not necessarily seedy. And really, muggings aren’t that common in the area, no more so than in any other slightly insalubrious area of London (so – that’s just about everywhere then). I don’t promote Green Lanes for a job or anything, in fact I don’t even live there any more, but I think you’re both scaremongering to an extent. Oh, and the stretch south of Manor House, described as ‘urban obscurity’ actually leads to Stoke Newington and Clissold Park – a very pleasant area. Surely though I’m not the only person who has something good to say for Green Lanes?

munki

Posted about 1 year ago by whenthiswasfields

I’d just like to stick up for Green Lanes, and the Manor House – Turnpike Lane bit in which I live in particular, with the following reasons why it’s better than its reputation suggests:

1) You can live close to Green Lanes on the Ladder and it still feels residential while providing access to shops round the clock. The noise doesn’t travel either – I’m only about 6 doors down on the Ladder and apart from the occasional noise from neighbours that you get in any terraced house, it’s as quiet as anywhere in zone 2/3 at night.

2) In Yasser-Halim it’s got one of the best – and cheapest – grocers and bakers in town.

3) The transport links are excellent – night buses, zone 2 tube and two overland stations.

4) The mighty Salisbury pub with its excellent quiz night, cracking sunday lunch, open fires, liberal approach to drinking-up time and late weekend licence. a proper old boozer that attracts Turkish and Cypriot locals, students and old boozehounds with no trouble.

5) Proximity to Finsbury Park which has only got cleaner and nicer over the years, and which is in mid-restoration.

6) Big Sainsbury’s plus new shopping park with Homebase, Next etc if that’s what you want.

7) Not bad house prices considering its zone 2 – and big old Victorian houses at that.

8) Because shops, cafes etc are open round the clock, you do get the feeling that were you to be a victim of crime, there’d be people around to help/phone police/witness it etc. Luckily it’s not happened to me.

9) La Vina Tapas by Haringey station – a brilliant little local’s restaurant.

10) Proximity to Crouch End, Hampstead etc for when you want to visit classier places.

RP

Posted about 1 year ago by whenthiswasfields

I agree with lbl, green lanes is great, if a bit scummy. Turkish food is excellent and cheap, Yasser Halim is the best bakery, the Salisbury is an excellent pub and the transport links are good. They also have 24 hour veg. I reckon the bit up towards Turnpike lane is better. I have heard that 90% of the coke that comes into the country goes through green lanes though, and the groups of Turkish men that hang around have a very sly way of saying hello to you just as you pass them as if they think they’re doing something wrong, which is more odd than anything else. I have had my purse snatched by a scag head in Finsbury park station and had it lifted by a drunk old man there once too. Both times I got it back. Never had any trouble on green lanes though – i think thats all reserved for turf wars – it’s not random.

Posted about 1 year ago by unknown

Earlier this year the grand daddy of Turkish “dons” got nicked – his manor covered green lanes, finsbury park and some other bits of Hackney. Up until he was nabbed the whole area seemed OK [ish] – I have to say though that over the last 6 months things have changed a bit – there seem to be many more blue lights and sirens – there does seem to be a bit of a turf war going on – not helped by the rioting of Turks and Albanian men near Finsbury park [they really are a nasty bunch on Blackstock Road]

Of course, Green Lanes is bloody long – the Newington Green end is OK and it practically runs through Stokey [well Clissold Park] before it gets to some very nice houses to the South West of Manor Park Tube. Further up near the ladders is OK too – though I have to say it ain’t cheap for what you get.

I reckon that as long as you don’t look like a muppet and don’t walk around with white ipod headphones advertising that you’re in another world you should be fine and as CW says, there’s a good side to the diverse nature and 24hr culture

Posted about 1 year ago by logomomo

I have had some of the greatest kebabs in my life from Green Lanes, its not the nicest place in London, but it has character

Posted about 1 year ago by Peachtree

The alleyway that runs up the middle of the Haringay Ladder can come in handy, if you want a wet mattress, broken telly or some old syringes.

Posted about 1 year ago by iSleepDiagonal

Christ, you’d think it’s Falluja from some of the posts here. There’s plenty of areas in London shabbier and more threatening than there, and the revamped Salisbury is one of London’s finest pubs. The Lblers 10 reasons above sum it up. I’m glad it’s not everyone’s cup of tea though, the last thing the area needs is to be dubbed St.Ann’s Village and have its rents doubled.

Posted about 1 year ago by Mockernee

The Salisbury pub is one of my favourites in the whole of London.

In Green Lanes you can find some of the best kebabs in Britain, and you can buy lemons, and gin, at any time of the day or night, to take home in a blue plastic carrier bag.

Posted about 1 year ago by OneFishTwoFish

It used to be as grim a pub as the area could provide, but this was so long ago that the Beaconsfield was thriving and the Queen’s Head wasn’t the neon hell it is today.

Posted about 1 year ago by Mockernee

Used to live on the Ladders, think the overall impression you’d get from these posts is accurate – some good points, some bad. One problem I found was that on Sundays there would be a few of the day-release nutters hanging around, though not as many as you’ll find on Holloway Road.

Posted about 1 year ago by CravenMaven

Green Lanes is one of the longest roads in London stretching from Newington Green to Enfield, crossing four London boroughs. There are some lovely properties in the area and like so many other areas in the capital much cultural diversity exits. I agree with the comments above, the Salisbury pub between Manor House and Turnpike Lane is one of the best pubs in the area. There’s a great choice of Mediterranean food on the ladder stretch and lots of grocers and take away foods. Yes, there was a high profile shooting incident there a few years ago outside one the social clubs and an innocent person was fatally caught in the crossfire, but that could happen almost anywhere in London. After the shooting, there was a period of armed police patrolling the streets because of the turf war that was said to be going on. To be honest I feel pretty safe walking along the stretch at night. It’s often busy and the shops are always open. There are some really nice houses along the ladder believe it or not. An old friend had a 3 bedroom house and their garden backed onto the New River which has swans and is generally quite pretty in a place you’d least expect it. It’s easy to get to central London, good bus services in the area that take you to the West End, Angel, the city, Crouch End, Muswell Hill and Enfield. Also an overground service from Harringey Green Lanes that takes you to Gospel Oak or Barking and the Piccadilly Line too. There’s also a new shoping complex next to Harringey Green Lanes station, there’s a Homebase, Next, Superdrug and some other stuff I can’t remember. There’s a 24 hour McD’s if you like that sort of thing, a big Sainsbury’s and a petrol station. Finsbury Park is nice too and there’s concerts and fairs in the summer. However, I would also note that that particular stretch between Manor House and Turnpike Lane did often feature on that programme ‘Life of Grime’ most weeks. In fact the whole series was set in Harringey. Cockroaches and rats have been a problem in the area in the past. But again, anywhere with food outlets in London has rats and cockroaches, so I’ve heard. The Newington Green end of Green Lanes is more ‘middle class’ but then I’m sure that is reflected in the property prices. The Palmers Green End of Green Lanes has plenty of nice restaurants if you enjoy eating Mediterranean food and some nice houses too.

Posted about 1 year ago by Joelle

There is nothing more satisfying than being able to buy fresh mint at two o’clock in the morning whilst drunkenly trying to perfect the art of mojito making. I can’t imagine that would have been possible before I moved to Green Lanes!

Posted about 1 year ago by hippotoes

The bit of Green Lanes between Manor House and Turnpike Lane is great. 24 hour shops mean you can always get a good meal at a Turkish restuarant or some beer. There are several excellent little cafes with cheap breakfasts (Cafe Lemon spings to mind) and excellent cakes and biscuits to go with your coffee. The Haringay Snooker club is large and cheap, with a chilled atmosphere and large screen sport. The Salisbury and Garden Ladder offer a nice place to go drink, the Garden Ladder also does some pretty impressive food for a very reasonable price. Yassar Hallim vegetables and baked goods are simply superb and much cheaper than the supermarkets. The big superstore centre is useful (Argos, Homebase, Next, Superdrug, Sainsburys) and the Sainsburys is also 24 hours. Add to that you can get a bus to central london in about 30 mins (or less at night). Finsbury Park is also a lot nicer and safer than it used to be 4 years ago, it has a dog training club and boating lake!

I’ll admit that it does look a little dark when first you encounter it. There are a fair few police cars buzzing around, but Green Lanes is a main through route to the north of London and to Wood Green, a major shopping area. I’ve never seen any crime committed in Green Lanes, only in Wood Green and the overland rail link from there. The comment that the shops are all empty and they make their money by drug dealing is probably bollocks, most of the shops are pretty busy during the day and the few that stay open cater for a lot of people who work night shifts etc. I’ve had to work early a few days and the local kebab shop was full at 4 am both times, serving breakfast. The only illegal activity I’ve seen is the widespread selling of russian/estonian/french cigarettes by shopkeepers from under the counter for half the price of those you get in the UK.

Posted 10 months ago by sickboyedd

I love Green Lanes. I’ve lived just off it near the Salisbury pub for five years. It was a bit rough round the edges when I first moved in, and it’s only a wee bit less rough now, but it’s a great place to live.

Firstly, it’s not dangerous. It sometimes might look it but unless you’re involved in some dodgy underground crime you’re fine. This is exactly the same state of affairs in loads of places in London. As sickboyedd says I’ve never seen any crime happen there and never felt anything less that safe. I have felt very unsafe in Finsbury Park however which is supposed to be more boho.

My squeeze has seen some crime, when our next door neighbours on the ground floor got burgled, but as they left their PC in the back room for all to see, had single glazing and despite their house backing onto a dark alley they made no attempt to stop anyone leaping over the fence, so in my book were sort of asking for it. You need to use you head a bit you know – make it easy and you’re going to get done anywhere.

The best thing about Green Lanes as it feels like people live and work there. It has community, which gives it life. There are many places in London that don’t feel like this, which I find depressing.

People judge Green Lanes by how it looks. If they spent more than 5 minutes there they’d realise that it’s one of London’s last affordable gems in terms of buying a place. Though saying that, less affordable these days – our neighbour downstairs ( not the one who was burgled) just sold his one bed flat for £240k. He bought it for about £120k around six years ago so not a bad profit made. There are loads more estate agents around now ( not sure if that’s good), we have a great pub in the Salisbury, great resturants – and not ALL of them Greek or Turkish – and Tesco Metro.

The only downside to it mght be if you were thinking of having kids, as the schools aren’t great. But that’s again the same state of affairs for loads of places in London.

Posted 5 months ago by nina_lovelace