The Places To Be 2017: Londoners share what's good in their 'hood

With views from Parliament Hill, outdoor swimming in Hampstead Heath ponds and the Lido and the best roast dinners at the Holly Bush or the Spaniards Inn, Hampstead has it all. Throw in the occasional celeb spot (anyone from Matthew Perry to Benedict Cumberbatch to Boy George) and the peaceful surroundings and quaint little streets, it’s an oasis of calm only 15 minutes from the centre. Sarah Bailey

Highbury is all about football. There was the historic Highbury Stadium and now we’ve got the impressive new Emirates, which means great football food and drink venues too! From Piebury Corner (selling – you guessed it – pies) to the original The Gunners pub and the revamped Bank of Friendship where many Arsenal legends used to drink, you can’t escape the touches of football history in the area. Lizzy Pollott

Highgate is a countryside in the middle of north London. With arguably the best pubs in London and a village community, Highgate is the perfect place to live for a quiet life. But you can pop down the road to Kentish Town or over to Crouch End for more of a wild time. Did I mention Highgate’s views? Shara Tochia

The best thing about Hoxton by far is the food. The ‘Pho Mile’ along Kingsland Road is a particular highlight, where the Vietnamese food is faultless and almost all the restaurants let you bring your own booze. Elizabeth Moffatt

Islington is full of excellent places. It offers the perfect combination of food, music and culture and is always buzzing. From freakshakes that will send you into a heavenly food coma, Pho that’s as authentically spicy to smashed avocado on toast, your tastebuds will never be disappointed. It goes without saying that Islington isn’t short of places to get your weekly (or daily) gin fix either, but if you’re in the mood for a special cocktail stop by the ‘Bar With No Name’ on Colebrooke Row: it’s a tiny venue and you might end up snuggling up to your date on the staircase – but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing, right? Teresa Ellhotka

I love the fact that Islington now has its own ‘Ochaya’ (Japanese tea house). Katsute 100 in Camden Passage serves a huge selection of Japanese teas along with the most delectable sweet treats such as matcha tarts, hojicha flavour tiramisu and mochi (rice jelly cakes). It’s a refreshing change from the plethora of coffee shops and a must for any tea fiend!

Sima Sthanakiya, The Curious Pixie www.thecuriouspixie.co.uk

There is so much to love about my neighbourhood but what makes it my favourite place to be is the complete mix of urban east London culture and relaxed vibes. Pop for a coffee at Long White Cloud, take a walk in Victoria Park, explore the V&A Museum of Childhood or go for a fine dining meal at the Typing Room. You’ll never be bored. Eppie Shepherd, eppie.me.uk

In my opinion, Clapton is by far one of the best areas in Hackney. We support local businesses and the place has amazing independent food spots. The local chippy, Mermaids, is here if you want good old-fashioned chips and lots of vinegar, and the Caribbean locals on Clarence Road cook up real, authentic tasting BBQ’d jerk chicken and wings. It’s also worth enjoying a pint in the beer garden at one of the best pubs, The Crooked Billet. Ten minutes away from the hustle of Hackney Central and Mare Street, Clapton also has green parks, great transport links, awesome residential areas, and actual East Londoners still residing in estate blocks to remind you to keep it real and remember where you came from! My-Ha Lang

You can’t even begin to talk about Dalston without talking about gentrification. The change since I first moved here back in 2007 is massive. New coffee shops, bars, restaurants and nightspots pop up all the time, giving the place a whole heap of life. But while there is a lot of new, the heart of the original community remains intact. Ridley Road Market continues to be the shopping destination of choice for the locals, Arthur’s Cafe on Kingsland Road is still going strong after 82 years and the Rio Cinema never stops marching forward waving its independent flag with pride – which is only a positive thing. E8 has always been good to me – but I do have a beard, which helps I guess. Nick Carter

Hackney Central is a draw for me because of its discretion... it has the balance of good independent food joints (Lardo, E5 Bakery, Laphet, to name a few) without the crazy hustle and bustle of its neighbouring Dalston area. It’s also got pretty got much everything you need from an area (the Picturehouse cinema, Hackney Empire, high end outlets and vintage shopping), so it’s easy to get complacent and never venture away! Camila Fernandez

Haggerston is the best because of the ‘Three Cs’:

Canal: Regent’s Canal is just a hop, skip and a jump away.

Culture: We’ve got a museum here called The Geffrye: Museum of the Home.

City Farm: If you’re a bit tired of city life, and of people, you can always pop down to Hackney City Farm in Haggerston Park. It’s a beautiful place which really brings you back to nature and is probably one of the only places you can make animal noises at the residents without them raising an eyebrow. Jen Ward

What makes Spitalfields E1 great is how unique it is – the street food covers the entire world yet is individual to each cook. The fashion is always unique at the various stalls. The art is sold by the painters themselves so you can really talk to them about it. And the events wouldn’t be the same anywhere else! Connor Peters

Walthamstow has a unique sense of community. When we moved into our flat our neighbour was proud to tell us everything that was great about the area and gave us a bottle of Wild Card beer. Their brewery is now one of our favourite spots to enjoy a beer on a sunny weekend afternoon. Melissa Tatko

Home to the longest outdoor market in Europe, there’s nothing quite like a stroll down vibrant Walthamstow High Street. Operating since 1885, there are nearly 100 market stalls to browse for fruit and veg, clothing, homewares and other multicultural treasures. A stop off for a pie or jellied eel at Manzes never goes astray either! Alexandra Dye

Our neighbourhood has an extremely lively mix of bars, clubs, markets and art spaces, with pretty much a restaurant for every cuisine within walking distance. And you hear at least half a dozen different languages spoken just going to Sainsbury’s. Messy, colourful and noisy – it is a wonderful microcosm of cosmopolitan London. HR

Nestled in between Kensington Olympia, Shepherd’s Bush and Hammersmith, this little patch of leafy loveliness offers free tennis, nice cafés (avo on every corner), plentiful pubs with gardens, a weekend farmers market, a posh fish and chip shop, and an underground cocktail bar. Brook Green. It has something for everyone. Katherine Eyres

Chelsea’s the best because Partridges on King’s Road has the best American candy aisle. Saturdays at Duke of York Square in the sun with a fancy latte from High Mood Food people and dog-watching is so uplifting. And I love the Ivy Chelsea Garden with its ever-changing front decoration of beautiful flowers. Duygu Cook

So Ealing might not be as beautiful as St Paul’s or as trendy as Shoreditch, but you know what it does have? Ooodles of parks, restaurants and squirrels! Yes, squirrels. They are awesome. Ealing is also home to Turtle Bay, which serves the most amazing Caribbean cocktails (with a very flexible happy hour too!). Two Caribbean Pimms for £7 anyone?! Ealing is like a mini-town away from the craziness of central London with all the perks of being not too far from anything. I absolutely love it (and I’ve only lived here a month!). Amelia Mayes

Literally anything goes in Notting Hill, that’s why I love it. Everything focuses on and around Portobello Road too which is really unique – it’s filled with such soul, history and variety. Pop-up vintage stores and antique stalls sit happily next to fancy brunch spots and boutique florists, with vinyl shops next to independent bookshops or coffee bars. The fact you can experience so many things just walking on and around one road makes the neighbourhood so interesting; it’s like a microcosm of London in one long street. Annie McMonagle-Wilmot

Its sheer potential makes Croydon better than any other area in London. With Westfields due to make an entrance in a couple of years, Croydon is the place to be for young London. Boxpark has already made a huge impact on the area and it’s only going to get better and better. Charlotte Gale

Whether you cycle down the Thames path, or get here by train or bus, it’s best to bring your anorak and binoculars as the best bits are outside. With a tasty bag of chips, walk down London’s longest pier to watch the river trade and the locals fish. Or you can stroll through the breathtaking Crayford Marshes, where you can watch for rare birds, seals and ancient woodlands. Sarah Batten

My neighbourhood has all that I need despite not being in the centre of London. Good restaurants? We got ‘em. Supermarkets? We’ve got a fair few. Country pubs? Loads. Green, open spaces? More than you can shake a stick at. Trains and buses? Yes, those too! I just love being on the outskirts of London yet everything you need is within walking distance. Haydn Squibb, squibbvicious.com

It’s going to sound like a cliche, but what’s best about Kew is the friendly community feeling. Lost on your way to Kew Gardens? Just ask anyone and they will set you on your way. In summer, the garden seats at Tap on the Line just outside the station offer prime people-watching as the world makes its way past, and there’s usually someone ready to share a table and chat. They’ll be from everywhere across the globe, too. And if you bring a dog, prepare to be popular, we love them! In early December, local shops get together and invite everyone to kick off Christmas at Kew Sparkle, with lights in the village trees, late openings, charity stalls, music and mulled wine to take the chill off. It’s the unofficial start of the holiday season! Caitlin Mackesy Davies