Dalston Eastern Curve Garden is named so not because it curves – although it does, round to a leafy, tranquil setting hidden behind Dalston's hectic junction. It's named after the old Eastern Curve railway line that it's situated on. The old tracks, which are no longer there, once joined Dalston Junction station to the old North London Railway. A green space project turned the derelict land into a garden in 2010, and since 2012 it's been a social enterprise.
Here, Dalston residents (and those willing to travel) can settle down for a sip of juice or coffee from the café on one of the benches and tables that are nestled amongst the shrubbery – although these are snapped up quickly – or in the wooden pavilion building at the top of the garden's gentle slope. There's a pizza oven, and blankets for use in winter. Fresh produce comes straight from the garden, all the vegetable beds of which are maintained by local volunteers. The garden also plays host to gardening, craft and children's workshops, and popular seasonal events like the annual display of spooky Halloween pumpkins.