The reasons for me liking this rather unassuming 17 hectare stretch of grass in East London are threefold: firstly, location. While the nearby Nightingale and Pembury Estates provide less than salubrious surroundings, the park itself is built on an elevated piece of land overlooking the City, with great views of the Gherkin. It also appears to be the marker for where Heathrow-bound planes dip their wings and hang a right on their approach - a hypnotic manouvre performed on an unending 30-second loop and best watched while lying on your back in the grass on a cloudless July day.
The second reason is that Hackney Downs is not London Fields, my other local park, populated by a population of live-in frisbee-tossing fixy-pushing twats. Denizens of the Downs, a much larger space by comparison, have lots more space to play with even on the busiest of days.
Lastly, I live round the corner, a literal stone's throw from all the Down's well-lit facilities: jogging track, footie pitches, monkey bars and tennis & basketball courts. At the drop of a hat I can throw on some trainers, burst out of my front door, and lose myself in my own slice of London's extensive green space. read more