Living in Hoxton

Hoxton sits immediately north of Shoreditch, and it shares much of that area's energy while feeling more residential. Hoxton Square, surrounded by bars, galleries and restaurants, is the social centre, and Hoxton Street, running north, has a traditional street market on Saturdays and a mix of cafés, shops and long-established local businesses.

Kingsland Road, forming the area's eastern edge, is known for its long run of Vietnamese restaurants, and also for the Museum of the Home, housed in a row of eighteenth-century almshouses with period gardens behind them. The Regent's Canal runs along the northern boundary, with its towpath providing a traffic-free route east to Victoria Park or west to Islington.

Much of Hoxton's housing is social housing, in large post-war estates, alongside Victorian terraces, converted warehouses and new private developments. That mix means it has kept more of its long-standing working-class community than Shoreditch, and some parts feel much quieter than others. Shoreditch Park provides the main green space in the neighbourhood.

Hoxton station is on the Overground line through Shoreditch and Whitechapel, heading north to Dalston and Highbury and south to Canada Water and beyond. Old Street, on the Northern line and national rail, is a walk of ten to fifteen minutes from the southern parts of Hoxton, and Liverpool Street is not much further. The nightlife around Hoxton Square and along Old Street can be noisy at weekends, especially close to the square itself. Hoxton suits young professionals and creatives who want to be close to Shoreditch's bars and the City, but prefer a slightly more residential base and are happy to walk to the nearest tube.