Lovely little park. There are what seem to be found objects and furniture decorating the park,…read moreplenty of social seating, including old vintage-y couches beneath some shade. Rather romantic. There's also a bar serving coffee, hot chocolate, tea, chai, beer, and wine. (See photos for menu.) I had the chai and it tasted a bit odd to me; I didn't finish it. That's the only reason this review isn't five stars. There are a lot of low-tech arts and crafts decorative elements here that are very well done. The effect is absolutely charming. I think if they added puppies, I would have fainted from the adorableness of it all.

A London favorite! I'm surprised there are only a few reviews but then again I don't want it to get…read moretoo popular either. It's the cafe I've always dreamed of. Perfect place to relax, get work done, and enjoy nature. Might not be so fun during a rainy day but perfect for sun. The menu is simple too (no food) but the ambiance makes up for it. Hella chill!

So much in one Park!…read more The park is big enough to have get facilities and community without being too tourist. They have a little zoo, a pond with swans, a paddle pool, a little restaurant (that's now been done up), a wood chop running track, picnic areas and wide open grassy areas. They allow dogs, which is great for me. There are also nice little cafes across the road. If you looking for a park to escape the crowds and just to relax, come here

Pretty nice park, large enough to exercise by running or walking but plenty of quiet areas…read moreadditional children's activities plus tennis courts and some nice views

Dalston Roof Park feels like a tiny, well-kept secret. It sort of is. To get here, one has to…read morenavigate a confusing warren of hallways and elevators through what feels like a building full of NGO and charity offices, cross some fire escapes, and then emerge onto the roof. I'd give you directions but I've already forgotten the way. Still, it was a fun adventure, and it yielded a neat London space. There are nice views out across Dalston, south over Haggerston, east to Hackney and London Fields, and north toward Stokey. The roof itself is covered with astroturf and has little planter boxes of herbs and veggies, and a ramshackle bar with an enticing cocktail menu. There are quite a few places to sit and enjoy the fresh air and views. I went in the middle of December with a friend who was ill, so staying to hang out for a while wasn't an option, but I will definitely be back in summer!

Drinks: 5/5 Service: 5/5…read moreCleanliness: 5/5 Decor & Style: 5/5 Great view at night and very casual, relaxed environment to chill with a group of friends. I still recommend going early so you can grab a table. Large selection of drinks and the service is quick! Great open area where you can sit on the ground as well for the ones that want to truly relax and even laydown! Very different rooftop bar from what I am used to. See the great view of the pic I took at night time.

Yes, I'm reviewing yet another square well there are a lot of them around, and I've recently been…read moreexploring them, often with dogs. I had to include this one, as in many ways it's an archetypal garden square, and also beautifully kept. It's down a back street between Upper Street and Liverpool Street, so free from through traffic. Surrounded by grand (Georgian?) houses. The gardens at the centre have iron railings and hedging. Inside they include a strange, but quite pretty building I did theorise was probably a gardener's shed (there's usually one) but apparently it's a ventilation shaft for the Victoria Line. There are also some superb gardens with a variety of paths, borders and little lawns. When giving 5 stars one of the criterion I usually use is that a reasonable number of average people would want to travel to see it. I'm not sure that any square would fulfil that (though promoters of Trafalgar Square might argue, really, would anyone book a coach trip JUST to see Trafalgar Square?). However in this case I decided that this one, because it's both an archetype and very well kept, deserved that mark of distinction compared to other squares. I wouldn't recommend anyone to travel to see it, but, should you be interested in Islington's squares, this one is a good one to include on your list. If you'd like to live there you'd need to be just slightly rich Read the Islington Gazzette story on the Millionaire Square (http://tinyurl.co.uk/1xq5) . Apparently the houses are worth 7 times the produce of an entire country.

Nice little park well situated close to upper street and the n1 centre. Perfect to sit in and relax…read moreon a sunny day after shopping. Well looked after flower beds and treees make this a perfect picnic spot. Beware it does close quite early so don't leave it too late.

Not a bad park to walk through, as the rest of the neighborhood is a bit drab, without many shops…read morearound until you get to Hackney Road. Lots of grass and trees. Lots of dogs. Not a lot of bums, but a few.

Literally stumbling upon Haggerston Park today, I am still completely baffled on how this serene…read moresecret-gardenish mecca in the middle of grey east London has been skipped over by yelpers! (Queue the manic photo uploads...) Nestled right up against Hackney City Farm, what immediately caught my attention was the perfectly green, perfectly groomed, perfectly flat grass field. For a former soccer player, (yes, I played the sport in America, so it's soccer - thank you) there's not anything quite as beautiful as a pristine empty pitch. Ask anyone... it's like heaven. Rounding a corner I found rose gardens, a ping pong table, some sort of monkey bar/crazy wooden workout contraption, a basketball court, tennis courts, turf fields, a kiddie play thing, even a BMX track. The whole time I had to keep reminding myself that I'm smack dab in the middle of Hackey... a council known more for their estates rather than their pristine green spaces. Well I'm all for it - 5-stars galore for Haggerston Park. Trust that you will find me here often from this point forward.

A pretty little local park. It's on the top of a hill, and, though there aren't really viewpoints,…read moreit does feel airy. It also benefits from some nice landscaping and trees. The general grassed area is not huge, as there's quite a lot else going on. There's a huge supervised adventure playground open each afternoon. It was closed due to an electrical problem when I was there, but look quite simply awesome. Acres of wooden climbing and walkways, areas to ride bikes, a model dragon Another large area is turned over to tarmac courts. That seemed less successful. They weren't being used, and dust devils were blowing across them. (I'm not kidding it was a hot dry day and they were dusty!) There's also a second play area with an attendant present when I was there, and toilets. I only noticed the sign saying they were for kids and parents using the play area after I'd used them. Whoops Anyway, worth knowing if you are desperate and need to be sneaky! For a small local park it's definitely way above average. Very nearly earned 5 stars, and I might give it that if they had loos for adults and improved the courts.

A pretty local park in between Angel and Barnsbury. On warmer days you will see people jogging and…read moredog walking and its a pretty well maintained park. In addition there is an adventure playground too for kids to scramble about on.

I've gone into the history of De Beauvoir Town elsewhere. This unusual square is the surviving…read morerelic of original plans for the area. It also came close to being lost, when areas to the south and the east side of the square were redeveloped as council estates after the war. Luckily it was made a conservation area before that madness could go any further! Though there is an out-of-keeping council estate down one side. The houses, built in the early 1800's, have a gothic feel to them, with sharply pitched roofs and diamond-leaded glass. The square itself is larger than most, giving it an airy open feel. Though square overall, only a circular area is railed. Outside this is a circular path and 4 triangles of grass. The inner section is dog free, but you'll often see dogs being exercised on the corners. Inside the railings is a pleasant garden with fairly formal beds, roses, etc. Also a small kids play area. St Peter's Church is a lovely old church, on the South West corner of the square.

I go walking most days here it's a lovely park with a nice play ground for the kids, My son loves…read moreit. There are eight tennis courts too and also one astro turf football pitch and one concrete pitch for football and basketball ball. They have a really nice ice cream lady who sells awesome ice creams in the summer and a pair of brothers who sell coffee also really nice guys.

You know the weather's been nice when my last few reviews involve parks, offys and fruit stalls!…read more Highbury Fields is no different, a massive open green surrounded by leafy trees for a bit of much needed shade. The BBQs were grilling, frisbees and footballs out in force, blankets, sunglasses, books, summer festival cider, pure happiness. Even the kiddos were in parktopia as the playground equipment is actually pretty cool! And of course, the mandatory Mr. Whippy was parked with his permanent queue. (Ok fine, maybe I had a go at the swings and ice cream myself. But kids are a great diversion!) This, as are most of London's tucked away green spaces, is a pure gem in the neighbourhood.

Gillespie Park is signatured as "the hidden oasis" within Finsbury Park, but can one say that it is…read morea best kept secret or an oasis? Well, that's why I'm reviewing it, right? Facilities: Gillespie Park isn't necessarily well equipped with much, if anything but the fascinating thing that they have dotted around the park are eccentricly metalic sculputes intertwined into 2 different styles and had around 3 if not 4 within sight. Unfortunately apart from that and an ecology centre located at the Arsenal side of the park, there isn't much else. Great For: Just because Gillespie Park doesn't have much to offer in regards to facilities, it does have some key elements that give it that much needed browny points which are: -The quickest route from Finsbury Park Station to Arsenal Station and when you have tried many routes, you know this to be true -A great place for anyone that wants to do some train spotting -A peaceful hidden away park (so it does tick the hidden oasis box) that in the summer I could forsee there being one or two sunbathers but nothing more -An ecology centre located near the Gillespie Road exit that I have seen some great reviews for **All in all this park although isn't packed with much, it still withstands some great features suited for the peaceful parker. Although it is a spey walk through this park, the peaceful nature radiating off of it will certainly make your day as how it's made mine on multiple occasions**

1* for the path by the train tracks and 3* for the beautiful hidden section near the ecology cafe…read morewith two ponds and a little forest. I walk past an entrance to this park every day to get to Arsenal tube. Seeing as I've lived in this area now for over a year, a sunny Sunday walking back from Finsbury Park seemed the perfect opportunity to visit. We went via the Finsbury Park entrance, the northern tip of it. The first few minutes were... Underwhelming. Some graffiti, a bleak view of the train tracks and a few weeds were all I could see. Then, we came to a clearing and it started to become less 'abandoned alleyway' and more 'awesome green space'! Walking past the wind turbine, we were greeted with a blue ecology house with a cafe and two ponds nearby. The children in the park were having a delightful time spotting wildlife and running about through the small forest area. Other than about 20 people this oasis in the city is practically empty, so is well worth going if you want a few minutes of solitude amid London life.