Property

Alexandra Park will have you on feeling top of the world © Scott Wishart

No one’s pretending that Wood Green is suddenly a haven of genteel pleasures and sophisticated delights. Far from it. The place is grubby, hectic and, around the high street, the atmosphere can feel a little intimidating. But with the period housing stock of the Harringay Ladder (not Haringey the borough; Harringay is a small enclave which takes in Ladder and Green Lanes) where prices are £40,000 less than on the other side of the railway tracks in Crouch End; two Piccadilly Line tubes whizzing into Zone One in less than 20 minutes; and some useful shops, all it’s missing are those upmarket knick-knack shops and a gastropub (which you can find just over the way in Crouch End and Muswell Hill anyway). Sandwiched between Tottenham and some of the poshest parts of north London, Wood Green has always been aligned more with Tottenham’s camp. Now both areas are on the rise, as aspirants push north from Stoke Newington and Islington and east from Crouch End. It won’t be long now.

It’s the new…
Crouch End. This is the capital’s property pecking-order most clearly demonstrated. Those priced out of Muswell Hill went to Crouch End and those priced out of Crouch End are now looking east to Wood Green.

Best for…
Young families after more space and a period property with a garden but who still want good transport links. Lots of liberal media/arts types who will only live north of the river but haven’t quite made it yet.
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What else?
Mosaica in the Chocolate Factory for posh brasserie food (Clarendon Road/020 8889 2400). And the Salisbury, a recently refurbed pub which was once a hotel and now does good pub grub (1 Grand Parade, Green Lanes/020 8800 9617). The Greek Vrisaki (73 Myddleton Rd/ 020 8889 8760) and Thai Penang Satay House (9 Turnpike Lane/020 8340 8707) are also highly recommended. The slightly rough but popular Queen’s Head (667 Green Lanes/020 8340 2921) is one of the few pubs on earth where an Albania vs England match draws a 50:50 crowd of supporters.

Local stereotype
Go-getter media sort who buys the Guardian, and aspires to buy a property in Islington or Muswell Hill. Possibly with a couple of kids in tow.

Your neighbours
Residents and ex-residents may or may not include (depending on accuracy of rumours ) Mike Leigh, Sam Fox, assorted members of the KLF, Mandy Smith and, before he died, the actor Jack Hawkins (Ben Hur, Zulu).

What to tell your friends who don’t live there
Famous Ally Pally and its fantastic views. A big TK Maxx and Matalan that will save you loads of cash at Shopping City. Fantastic local colour (for this read interesting food on Green Lanes such as the brilliant local kebabs). Wood Green, Turnpike Lane and Manor House Piccadilly Line tubes mean that the West End is under half an hour away.

What to keep quiet about if you’re selling
A pretty scruffy high street still populated with tacky bargain shops.

What the estate agents say
'Wood Green is not the best area in the world but it’s getting better. Up-and-coming is how I’d describe it. It’s very multicultural here, with every single race you could imagine: Polish, Greek, Albanians, you name it. There are some lovely houses: closer to the tube you get the professional sharers. For the thirtysomethings with children the nicest area is the Alexandra Palace end close to Muswell Hill. It is a bit more expensive but a four-bedroom house on roads like Crescent Road or Victoria Road are about £500,000, whereas a few roads along in Muswell Hill you’re looking at another 200 grand,' says Anthony Christou of Sylvan Estates on the High Road.

Did you know?
As you might have guessed from the name, all that is now Wood Green and its proliferation of shops was once woodland. Tottenham Woods, in fact. As for Harringay, the gap between Piccadilly Line stations Manor House and Turnpike Lane is one of the biggest on the whole underground network. Ladder locals petitioned for their own station in between but the rail company declined, claiming the line’s average speeds would be affected.

Historical claim to fame
It’s not just the reasonable prices that cause young media types to gravitate towards Wood Green. Alexandra Palace witnessed the birth of the BBC on November 2 1936. Not only this, the Wood Green Empire (once on Lymington Avenue and then lost to Shopping City) played host to ITV’s early variety performances such as the Arthur Haynes show.

Schools
St Pauls RC, Alexandra Palace Primary, St Michaels C of E for little ones; secondaries are St Thomas More RC, White Hart and Hornsey School for Girls.

You know you’re a local when…
You start referring to your local manor as ‘Wooders’