Living in Hackney
London Fields, Broadway Market & Hackney Central
Broadway Market on a Saturday, the lido in London Fields, and Victorian terraces off every side street. We've been on this road since 2003.
What it's like to live here
Saturdays start on Broadway Market. Stalls from 9am to 5pm: food, clothes, odds and ends. The shops stay open the rest of the week. Sunday is a smaller market. The street has traded since the 1890s, on what used to be a drovers' route into the City.
London Fields is over the road. Thirty-one acres, Green Flag, plane trees, and a cricket square that's been there since 1802. The lido at the north end is 50 metres, heated to around 24°C, and open every day of the year. Book a lane on the first warm weekend.
Sundays are quieter at Netil Market and the arches on Westgate Street. e5 Bakehouse is under the railway on Mentmore Terrace. Walk the canal from the bottom of Broadway Market and you're in Victoria Park in about fifteen minutes.
Most of the housing here is early Victorian terrace: flat-fronted, London stock brick, a lot of it already split into two or three flats. Warehouse conversions and newer flats sit closer to the canal and the railway. Houses that were never converted are scarce, and priced that way. A lot of these streets are in the Graham Road & Mapledene or Broadway Market conservation areas, so dormers, windows and anything you can see from the pavement usually need permission. Check the council's planning register for the specific address before you plan any work.
Hackney Central is a different pace. Mare Street, the shops, the Empire (Frank Matcham, 1901). St Augustine's Tower sits in the churchyard behind it: Hackney's oldest building, from around 1275. You can climb the 135 steps on the last Sunday of the month, except December, 2pm to 4.30pm. Free.
London Fields station is eight or nine minutes to Liverpool Street on the Weaver line. Hackney Central is seven or eight minutes to Highbury & Islington on the Mildmay line, then the Victoria line from there, or Stratford the other way.
Our office is 11–13a Broadway Market, halfway down. We've been there since 2003.
Last reviewed . Local businesses and services change — tell us if something here is out of date.
Places of Interest
Market
Broadway Market
More than a hundred stalls every Saturday on a street that's been trading since the 1890s. The shops, cafés and pubs carry the street the rest of the week.
Park
London Fields & the Lido
Thirty-one Green Flag acres of plane trees, tennis courts and a cricket square played on since 1802, with a 50-metre heated outdoor pool at the north end, open every day and floodlit after dark. Book a lane on the first warm weekend. No barbecues in the park.
Food
Netil Market & Westgate Street
Tucked behind Broadway Market: street food, vintage and makers' stalls, with the Netil House rooftop looking out over east London.
Culture
St Augustine's Tower
Hackney's oldest building, from around 1275, in the churchyard gardens off Mare Street. Free to climb the 135 steps on the last Sunday of the month, except December, 2pm to 4.30pm.
Local Schools
We sponsor events at schools across the area — summer fairs, sports days, and community fundraisers. It's one of the ways we stay connected to the neighbourhoods we work in.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is it like living in Hackney?
- Broadway Market on a Saturday, the lido in London Fields, and Victorian terraces off every side street. We've been on this road since 2003.
- Which Blakestanley office covers Hackney?
- Our Broadway Market office covers Hackney (E8). Book a free valuation or call 020 7254 7554.
- How do I get a free house valuation in Hackney?
- Book a free, honest valuation with Blakestanley online at blakestanley.co.uk/valuation, or call 020 7254 7554. We are Hackney specialists since 2003.
- How fast is the commute from London Fields and Hackney Central?
- London Fields station reaches Liverpool Street in 8–9 minutes on the Overground Weaver line. Hackney Central is 7–8 minutes to Highbury & Islington on the Mildmay line for the Victoria line, and runs east to Stratford.
- Do conservation area rules affect homes around Broadway Market and London Fields?
- Yes. Much of the area sits inside the Graham Road & Mapledene or Broadway Market conservation areas, so roof extensions, dormers, and street-facing window replacements usually require planning permission rather than permitted development.
Areas we cover
The East London neighbourhoods we sell and let in — tap a patch for its guide.
Key Features
- Broadway Market every Saturday, 9am to 5pm, shops open all week
- London Fields Lido: 50 metres, heated, open every day of the year
- London Fields to Liverpool Street in 8–9 minutes; Hackney Central to Highbury & Islington in 7–8
- Early Victorian terraces and warehouse conversions. Unsplit houses are scarce
- Wide conservation-area coverage. Dormers and street-facing changes usually need permission
Thinking of selling in Hackney?
Our office has been on Broadway Market since 2003. Book a free valuation and we'll talk you through recent sales nearby.
Book a valuationProperties in Hackney
Explore nearby areas
Clapton
Chatsworth Road, Lower Clapton, Homerton & the Marshes
Chatsworth Road closed to traffic on a Sunday, Millfields and the Lea ten minutes east, Homerton at the other end of the walk. Our office is at number 57, on the street itself.
Explore Clapton
Dalston & De Beauvoir
Kingsland Road, De Beauvoir & Ridley Road
Ridley Road and Kingsland High Street one way, gabled villas and streets closed to traffic the other. Ten minutes apart, two different places to live.
Explore Dalston & De Beauvoir
Victoria Park
Lauriston Road, Gore Road & Well Street Common
A Victorian park on the doorstep, a high street on Lauriston Road, and a borough boundary running through the middle.
Explore Victoria Park
