Islington

For other uses, see Islington (disambiguation)}}}.

Islington is an inner-city district in north London. The area usually referred to as Islington is now part of the London Borough of Islington to which it gave its name.

The street that forms the linear centre of Islington is Upper Street and contains numerous restaurants, clothes boutiques, present shops and pubs. It is also home to Arsenal F.C., who are situated in Highbury.

Contents

1 History

1.1 Meaning of place-name
1.2 Gentrification
1.3 In literature
1.4 Residents
1.5 Fame

2 Universities
3 See also
4 External links

History

Because of its proximity to the City of London, Islington developed as a fashionable area in the nineteenth century, with large well-built houses. However changes in residential patterns led to a decline in its popularity, and by the mid-twentieth century it was largely run down and a by-word for urban poverty.

Meaning of place-name

Islington is not a true '-ington' name, like Paddington. The name means 'Gīsla's hill' from the Old English personal name Gīsla and dun 'hill', 'down'. Records of the name in early sources prove this: Giseldone (1005), Gislandune (1062)

Gentrification

From about the 1980s the district was rediscovered, and experienced a rapid process of gentrification, becoming very popular among fashionable people, particularly of a younger generation. A number of the central figures in the New Labour movement lived there, including Tony Blair before his victory in the 1997 General Election, and the district has become synonymous with a new class of left-leaning fashionable professionals, usually described as "Guardian readers" and/or "champagne socialists". Despite this, parts of Islington are less affluent, and council estates sit cheek by jowl with elegant Georgian houses. It is one of the most socially diverse boroughs in the UK and contains the parliamentary constituencies of Islington North and Islington South and Finsbury.

In literature

An 1805 map of Islington.

Islington features extensively in modern English literature and culture. Notably, Douglas Adams lived in Islington and used it as a setting in his novels. In Neil Gaiman's best selling novel Neverwhere Islington is an angel that lives under London, named after the Angel tube station. Knife and Packer's cartoon It's grim up North London, published in Private Eye, satirises the stereotypical Islingtonian. Holloway Road was the home to the fictional Charles Pooter in the classic 19th Century Novel Diary of a Nobody. Martha Grimes' fictional detective, Richard Jury, lives in a flat in Islington.

Residents

British singer Dido was born in Islington and now owns a property there.
Sir Francis Bacon, philosopher, essayist and King James I's Lord Chancellor lived in Canonbury Tower between 1616 and his death ten years later.
Kate Greenaway, children's writer and book illustrator, lived in Upper Street for 20 years before moving to Holloway.
Edmund Halley, Astronomer Royal and discoverer of Halley's Comet lived in Islington (exact location unknown) from 1665.
William Hogarth, artist, was born in Bartholomew Close in 1697 and spent his early years in Islington.
Nick Hornby lives in Highbury and set books such as High Fidelity and About a Boy in Islington. Hornby moved to Highbury partially due to his intense fandom for Arsenal; his first literary success, Fever Pitch, is about Islington's most famous institution.
Charles Lamb, writer, lived in Chapel Street from 1796 and later in Colebrook Row.
V.I. Lenin lived at 30 Holford Square from 1902 and later at 16, Percy Circus.
George Orwell lived in Canonbury Square between the wars, and based the depressing setting of 1984 on his run-down surroundings.
Sir Walter Raleigh, writer, poet, courtier and explorer lived in Upper Street between 1575 and 1581.
Evelyn Waugh, writer, also lived in Canonbury Square from 1928.
Lily Allen, singer and daughter of Keith "Fat Les" Allen.
Charlie G. Hawkins, actor of Darren Miller in EastEnders.
Joe Cole, Chelsea F.C. and England footballer was born here.
Sheree Murphy. actress was born here.

Fame

Islington Town Hall.

Islington is well known for its antique shops. The area is also well-known through the British version of Monopoly which features The Angel, Islington. However, in the game the Angel is the third cheapest property on the board, and is said to have been included as the licensees considered the names of places they were to use on the board over tea in the Lyon's Corner House built on the site of the original Angel Inn.

Universities

Islington is home to two universities;

City University in Northampton Square, formerly the Northampton Institute, founded in 1894.
London Metropolitan University in Holloway Road, formerly the University of North London and founded in 1896 as the Northern Polytechnic Institute.

External links

Main districts of the London boroughs | List of places in London

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