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London borough in United Kingdom
Photo: Tarquin Binary, CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons
Hackney is a borough of London. Located to the northeast of the City of London, Hackney has a diverse population and the area has undergone massive regeneration in recent decades. Hackney is now very fashionable with a thriving arts scene in the south of the district for example.
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Built in the 1930s including the surrounding square and gardens.
Tudor House in Homerton, owned by the National Trust.
This tower of St John-at-Hackney Church is the oldest building in Hackney and a famous landmark of the borough.
On the last Sunday of every month, except December, the tower is open to the public between 2PM and 4:30PM
Commonly called the People's Park, it's huge and hosts summer festivals. On an island in the park is a Chinese pagoda, a reconstruction of a pagoda built in 1842. On Sundays the park hosts a popular street food market.
Park with a rich history. It is a former country house and estate and was first opened to the public in 1889.
Near Clapton Ponds, has free tennis courts and is nice for cycle, though a bit plain and squarish.
There are records of a public park at this site going back to the 16th century. Every Saturday, there is a farmers' market selling here, complemented by many others selling hand-made jewellery, gifts, childrenswear and vintage clothing.
Stoke Newington Reservoirs
Two former Thames Water reservoirs which are now managed as a nature reserve in urban Hackney by the London Wildlife Trust. Has a small visitor centre.
One of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ garden cemeteries of London, which has become a woodland memorial park, popular with local dog owners. There are free guided walks that you can book tickets for online
Museum of clowning, unique collection of faces on eggs. Open only first Friday of every month from noon-5PM.
Geffrye Museum
Furniture museum which charts the evolution of London urban interior design and furnishing since 1600.
Providing a history of Hackney and periodic exhibitions.
A macabre museum modelled on a 17th-century cabinet of curiosities. The museum has no particular theme connecting its exhibits, which are seemingly the most unusual and unnerving objects the owner could find: taxidermy, skulls (human or otherwise), bizarre photographs, strange sex manuals, idols from faraway lands, and similarly eccentric oddities. Upstairs is a bar (free entry) with an emphasis on cocktails and absinthe, and the museum itself is down a gilded spiral staircase beside the counter. The owner has an excellent collection of Leonora Carrington paintings. The space is small, so try to come when it's not too busy (avoid Saturdays). Children are only allowed before 7PM.
Avant garde gallery with up-and-coming and newly established artists.
The first permanent artworks to honour the Windrush generation in the UK.
Nine-foot-high bronze sculptures celebrating the Windrush Generation.
Historic theatre and music hall, offering an eclectic mix of entertainment.
Comment Art Walks
A friendly, qualified art guide will take you around a selection of the most interesting exhibitions on at the moment and also talk about the history of contemporary art in East London. call for times and meeting points.
Lovely old-fashioned outdoor swimming Lido with a 50-metre pool run by Better.
A splendid old cinema dating back to the 1900s. Specialises in foreign language films, offbeat arthouse productions and children's programming.
Lovely walk along the River Lea and canal which stretches across much of East London and further. A surprisingly rural experience in an otherwise densely built district of London.
Independent cinema with two screens, and an art deco bar.
Intimate venue hosting free jazz, experimental and free improvisation performances.
Intimate venue hosting live music, club nights and comedy.
Cinema with six screens, and a bar serving food. Has accessible screenings, accommodating those with autism or dementia, and sometimes puts on dog friendly screenings.
London's biggest half-marathon, with a course that takes in many of the sights of Hackney. It has become very popular and sells out quickly.
Offering great Vietnamese food for vegetarians and meat eaters alike.
Great quality caf breakfasts.
Rated by Zagat as the best Vietnamese on Kingsland Rd.
You must try the salted prawns!
Lots of street food from around the world at a weekly outdoor market.
Fish and chips to eat in or take away. Offers an excellent vegan menu including "fish" made from banana blossom. In addition to the flagship restaurant in Stoke Newington, has two branches at 218 Graham Rd in Hackney Central and 356 Essex Rd in Islington.
Independent vegan café.
Ethiopian vegan café, cash only.
Temple of Hackney
London’s first vegan fried chicken shop.
Argentine Grill restaurant.
formerly The Empress of India
Modern British gastropub in 19th-century surroundings.
A small Sardinian pizza place that has been open since 2000, which serves a variety of pizza and pasta dishes, and has beautiful art on its walls.
Nigerian restaurant with generous servings.
Warm café serving a mix of English and Turkish dishes. Several vegetarian and vegan options, including a vegan interpretation of a full English breakfast. Try the fruit smoothies.
WAVE
Vegan café tucked away off Mare St, with plenty of outdoor seating.
BBQ restaurant where at least 50% of the menu is plant-based
Plant-based café serving breakfast and sandwiches
Lively pub with a good local following. Often have a live band or DJ in the evenings,.
Friendly Stoke Newington pub that often has live bands playing.
Beer and pizza focused bar on the canal, close to the Olympic Park.
Historic pub that is Hackney's first Asset of Community Value. It has a large beer garden, and won CAMRA East London Pub of The Year in 2016.
Bar and brewery, serving vegan versions of smoke house dishes, including ribs and brisket
Budget hotel in north London with self-catering facilities.
Every Saturday, London Fields Brewery run brewery tours. Come down and have a guided tour of the brewery and learn how they are making their superbly tasty beers. Also included in the price are tastings of the beers in the BrewHouse, the brewery's very own pop-up bar.
DVD, VHS, Videodiscs, 8mm film reels and more are all sold here. Projectors and equipment for some of the less standard formats are available for hire and the shop also offers a video-to-digital transfer service.
Boutique jam shop, selling all natural jams free of commercial pectins.
Visit on a Saturday. Has a variety of gastropubs and trendy clothes!
Mix of traditional East-end fruit and veg alongside Afro-Caribbean delicacies, imported films, clothes and household items. Little of interest for the tourist to buy, but a great experience. Watch your pockets in the crowded pavements behind the stalls. There are also market stalls on the side streets surrounding Dalston Kingsland station.
The main shopping mall in the borough.
The centre of the Hassidic Jewish community and has many kosher bakeries, delis and supermarkets.
Many small bookshops and antique stores.
By train
The London Overground network has many stations throughout Hackney across different lines:
By tube
There are no stations in the district but northern parts can be easily reached from these stations on the Piccadilly line:
The best way to get around the borough is to walk, cycle or get buses.
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