East Village focus on…Leytonstone
The latest London Living feature on the East Village’s neighbouring towns and boroughs has our eye firmly focused on Leytonstone.
David Beckham, Sir Alfred Hitchcock and Damon Albarn are just a few of the illustrious figures born and bred in the East London town.
Thanks to Leigh from Leytonstone Today for this image.
In the heart of one of London’s Olympic boroughs, Waltham Forest, Leytonstone showcases a strong mix of chain stores and small, family-run shops with a flurry of historic pubs and modern bars. Aptly bridging the Essex borders of Epping and Woodford with the City’s Liverpool Street and Tower Bridge, this small-knit, traditionally working class area is still revelling from ‘Olympic effect’, and has finally earned its place as an ‘up-and-coming’ hotspot. Here’s our pick of the Leytonstone landmarks all visitors simply must see.
When your thirst is in need of quenching, the Red Lion pub in the centre of town provides a warm welcome and plenty of knees-up spirit. Zulu’s, Luther’s and The Robin Hood are among the flurry of previous names in this legendary pub’s two hundred year past, but the current set-up has been a hit with locals and looks here to stay. Combining a range of decent pub grub with high ceilings, large windows and comfy sofas, this is a place to settle down in for the day. That’s not to say they don’t know how to throw a party – head down on Friday nights, when a DJ spins crowd pleasers, or come and nurse your hangover with live music on Sundays.
Horizon Patisserie & Viennoiserie
A place for relaxing, gossiping and blowing the diet, Horizon is the most popular café in the area. On Leytonstone High Road, the cosy little spot serves delicious cakes and creamy lattes in an airy and light setting, delivering a slice of Vienna in the East end. Perfect satisfaction for the sweet-toothed.
The best Turkish cuisine in London is normally found in the Northern reaches of the capital but The Olive restaurant, after only two years of service, has proved to be a worthy challenger for fine Mediterranean and mezze gastronomy. Barely a stone’ s throw from Leytonstone Underground station, its friendly, family-run atmosphere is the perfect setting for family celebrations or just a chilled evening out. With something for everyone, the grub is suitable for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike, delivering everything from authentic bistro bites to the full Mediterranean feast.
Living in Leytonstone isn’t all about drinking and eating; there are also plenty of green spaces to do some exercise or perhaps take the dog for a walk. Throughout the year, this playing field is home to many of East London’s amateur footballers, model flying clubs, horse riders, cyclists and picnicking families.
Stretched between Leytonstone and neighbouring Wanstead and Forest Gate, the playing fields regularly have a 5km weekly park run for runners; with a fantastic socialising opportunity to meet and talk to other locals, enjoy the beautiful park and burn off the calories from all that beer and cake…
You’ve mentioned four things I love about Leytonstone, which has a wonderful villagey feel for those who engage in the many residents’ associations. We even have an organic veg stall on Saturdays and a community garden is being built.
But what you failed to reflect is the thriving arts community in Leytonstone. We have a community run gallery called The Stone Space (www.thestonespace.com open afternoons Thur-Sat) and next to that a window display space called Slate; these are permanent. Then in summer there’s an art trail with pop up galleries in shops and cafes. And the Red Lion itself runs a craft market every other Saturday.
Leytonstone is a lovely place, a short commute from town but with a friendly feel and much to recommend it. I realise you can’t cover everything in a short article but you could at least have had an item 5: The Stone Space.
If anyone is thinking of visiting the area, come on a Saturday lunchtime for the veg stall, craft market, and art gallery. Yes, eat at The Olive (try the feta and courgette fritters), watch the world go by at Horizon (I recommend their hot chocolate), have a real ale at the Lion where your dog or children are also welcome, and walk on the Flats to see where barrage balloons were tied up in the war, and spot woodpeckers. But don’t miss the arts scene, and the enthusiastic volunteers.
Thank you for your response.
Your points on The Stone Space and the arts and culture happening in Leytonstone are very interesting, and we will be looking to create a post touching on those areas, specifically. Keep your eyes peeled!
As you say, Leytonstone is a lovely place to both live and visit, and we agree undoubtedly that the arts scene, and the great volunteers, deserve a lot of credit for their continued work.
Hi
It’s good to see anybody putting a positive slant on Leytonstone, there area lot more positive things to say than negative! I see you’ve used a photo from my website http://www.leytonstonetoday.net, would you mind including a link to the site in the article please? If you’re thinking of featuring anything else on Leytonstone I’ve got a huge selection of photos that never made it to the site, so please get in touch in case I can help you out. Many thanks.
Thanks Leigh, we have added that to the article. It would be great to speak to you next time we are covering Leytonstone so we’ll get in touch. Many thanks for reading!