Ranked first in the 2006 list and fourth the previous year, Hackney is a borough of east London. In Hoxton and Shoreditch, it can lay claim to some of the most bohemian areas of the capital, with a number of clubs, bars, shops and restaurants, many of which are centred around Hoxton Square.
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So they've just managed to keep themselves out of the top ten worst places to live. Hackney is still a small Local Authority with big problems! Living conditions and health levels are all below the national average, but we reckon this place could be hot in the very long term. With its tube line due and a billion pounds invested, it might not be an inner city embarrassment for ever!
On the east side of the borough is Hackney Marshes, a major centre for grassroots football in England with the largest collection of pitches in Europe. This is coupled with Olympic Park, which accounts for some of the £4 million investment the area expects to receive - it also includes funds for environmental improvement in and around the Marshes and Hackney Wick Neighbourhood, and a commitment to replace any trees that are uprooted due to Olympic-related initiatives.
The legacy of the borough is fairly substantial, with around 1,300 listed buildings and 25 conservation areas within its boundaries, including celebrated Georgian and Victorian architecture as well as pockets of industrial heritage. Its oldest building is St Augustine's Tower, which dates back to the 13th Century and is all that remains of the original medieval parish church - standing as the ruins of a building which was destroyed in the late 18th Century.
Average house prices in Hackney are above £345,000, a healthy increase of 24 per cent on 2006 prices. Elsewhere, unemployment is more than twice the national average, while unemployment among women is nearly three times the mean national rate (13.1 per cent as opposed to 4.8 per cent). Residents earn more than the national average per hour; women who actually work in Hackney earn an average of £4.30 per hour more than the national average, at £14.57 per hour.
That's all good news. Less positive is the frequency of criminal activity. The rate of robbery offences is eight times greater than the national average, with household burglaries more than double that across the country, which - if nothing else - may have an impact on the sales of stripy jumpers and large sacks.
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Have your say and see what other people are saying about Hackney and the other 433 UK boroughs >>
Find out which borough just missed out on the top 10 in 2007 >>
Local area info on Hackney from upmystreet.com >>
Hackney London Borough Council >>
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