h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This is the forum for Hackney...

That's it?
One post for Hackney?
Come on people, I know you guys are hiding your PC's from the prying eyes of your friendly neighbourhood villains but that's no reason not to post!

So what do you think of Hackney then? Lots of people assume it's a dump, so I'll be interested to hear what people who live there think.

I live there! I think it is great, but clearly I'm biased. I live in Victoria Park, which is a great place. Time Out described it as "sedate left leaning hipness", whatever that means.

The park is such an asset to the East End (although technically it is half in Tower Hamlets, and not just Hackney, so maybe this should go into the Tower Hamlets section as well!). It's got several big ponds, a deer enclosure, tennis courts, plus lots of paths to go running or cycling on.

There are also a couple of great restaurants (my favourite is called Frocks, which specialises in organic food and has a great shop next door). There's two lovely little shops both called Sublime, which have cheap gifts and horrendously expensive yet lovely clothes (clearly if I could afford them I would buy the lot).

It's basically a fairly chilled out place, and has a pretty good 'sense of community' - has fetes, street parties and events for kids.

I think Hackney is a great borough to live in. I've lived in Stoke Newington for six months now, and find it a friendly, fun, and interesting place to live in. There seems to be a good sense of community in both the borough as a whole and in the individual districts, and whilst it would be nice to see some investment in the run-down parts that need it, the area is not too gentrified (that's if you don't count Fresh and Wild).

I like the fact that the area is culturally diverse but doesn't feel particularly segregated, and that small, local businesses are more prevalent than ubiquitous chain shops, pubs and restaurants. I seem to find something or somewhere new to explore each time I leave the house, and that can't be a bad thing.

hi there

i live in hackney as well, not very far from lower clapton road. i moved here just over a year ago from west london (ladbroke grove). i have to say that i don't feel as safe here as in west london, which has better transport links, cleaner streets and not so much local attitude.

however, having said that, i now live in a lovely big house with a garden, on a relatively quiet road, close to the canal and wildlife reserve, and a new bus (254) has just been added to my 'to work' route, which makes things a little easier.

one of the biggest problems i have with hackney is the state of the streets, this is obviously partly down to a council that is not 'functioning' quite as you would expect, but i also feel that education plays a big part of the problem. it would be nice to address the cause.

i find it amazing that people seem happy, not only to litter and dump, but to literally do it on their own doorstep? where is the logic?

this problem is obviously not just apparent in hackney, but in many areas of london. what can be done? i've started telling people off in the street when i see them drop rubbish, but this doesn't tend to go down very well, and makes me feel like my mum.

as a teenage boy replied to one of my telling offs: "Why not? it's a f**king mess around here anyway."