The North London borough of Islington is a haven of green and open spaces, featuring more than 127 parks and playgrounds, with Highbury Fields comfortably the largest.
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The supposedly swanky spot that our Tone was proud to call his old stomping ground, the image of Islington is a whole lot of media types and city hotshots swilling champagne, and in some places that's certainly the case.
But there's a lot more to Islington than a few swanky streets. Drugs are a real problem and crime is off the scale, but 1-bed pads are still in huge demand and property experts predict a 38 per cent increase over the next five years.
Islington even has its own Ecology Centre and nature reserve at Gillespie Park, proving that in this area 'green' is the governing watchword. The multitude of space makes it an ideal location for sport, with plenty of facilities for tennis and football, which is fitting given that its leafy sprawl also takes in the Emirates Stadium, the new home of Arsenal FC since 2006.
A host of famous faces have resided in Islington, including what might be a disproportionate number of authors - Nick Hornby, Douglas Adams, George Orwell, Nina Bawden and Evelyn Waugh are just some of the writers who have lived here, along with politician Boris Johnson and myriad musicians including John Lydon, Lily Allen, David Gray and Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts.
Furthermore, the numerous boutiques and shops on offer attract some of the biggest names in the acting world, providing plenty of celeb-spotting opportunities for residents. Music is well served by two of London's premier venues, the Scala and the Barbican, while the British Library is also situated here, meaning that cultural attractions are high on the list.
A resolutely young borough, 32 per cent of its population is aged between 20 and 34 years of age. It's a relatively thriving place to live economically too. Since 2006, house prices in Islington have soared a whopping 24 per cent to an average of £435,000, around twice the national average.
Working life seems to sit at the more prosperous end of the spectrum here as well, with men and women who live in Islington - voted the fifth least desirable place to live in 2006 - both earning more than £4 per hour greater than the average hourly rate across the country.
So what's the catch? Well let's start with theft from motor vehicles - two and a half times the national average. Burglary - three times the national average. Robbery offences nearly seven times the national average and violence against the person running at double the English standard. The borough also has a serious drug problem and all of this combines to make grim reading for Islington residents.
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Islington London Borough Council >>
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