Families

The Estate attracts many families because the lack of through traffic means that children can play in the street and on the grass verges. It is simply a great place for children and teenagers.

There is a strong community and occasional events such as street parties mean that families get to know each other well. Children spend much of their time at each others' houses.

Activities for children abound: music, sport, theatre, dance, shows … pretty much anything you could want within a couple of miles.

The Estate Community Centre has a variety of social events, trips and courses. It also houses UK Online centre with excellent IT facilities that are available for either no charge (or just for the cost of printing) and it is for residents' use.

Local sports facilities include tennis, bowls, open air swimming (pool or pond) jogging on the Heath or running track and, recently in the winter, an ice rink.

If all that seems too exhausting, the most popular local pastime is sitting outside one of the many local cafés chatting.

Transport

Congestion, draconian traffic regulations, expensive parking and competition from improving public transport make cars increasingly useless in London, but at least you can usually park outside your house or flat.

Several companies now offer instant rental: you just book your car over the Internet, walk to the car and drive it away for under £5 per hour.

Buses are frequent, with the 214 and C2 running 24/7 (see Map:

• The 214 goes north to Highgate Village and south to Kentish Town, Camden Town, St Pancras, Islington, Moorgate and Liverpool Street
• The C2 also goes to Kentish and Camden Town and then on to Oxford Circus; the route now extends to Hyde Park and Victoria
• The C11 goes east to Archway and west to Royal Free Hospital, Swiss Cottage, Finchely Road (O2 Centre) and, eventually, Brent Cross

London Overground (see Map) has taken over the train from Gospel Oak and is improving the service, with most journeys costing £1.10. It gives access to places that are otherwise hard to reach, including Richmond, Kew, Shepherds Bush, Clapham, Highbury, Stratford and Barking.

Thameslink Trains from Kentish Town go north to Luton and south to St Pancras, Blackfriars, Wimbledon and Sutton.

Paris and Brussels are now two stops away … jump on the 214 to St Pancras International and you are just one minute from Eurostar. If you traveling further afield, St Pancras Thameslink is now the easiest route to Gatwick Airport.

The Underground: Kentish Town, Tufnell Park and Archway stations are served by the Northern Line, which is often crowded and unpleasant but provides a frequent service to both the West End and City of London.

Shops & Restaurants

One reason Holly Lodge retains its community atmosphere is an excellent range of local shops.

Swains Lane still has pretty much everything you need for day to day shopping (butcher, greengrocer, chemist, grocer, delicatessen, wine merchant, hardware store, newsagent and florist) as well as a Tesco Local. Baba has an ecclectic range of curios.

Services include a choice of hairdressers and estate agents as well as a hand car wash.

Our small community has an amazing variety of cafés and restaurants: Mozart, Kalendar, Mes Amis, Al Parco and Bistro Laz as well as the sandwich bar. The latest additions are Carob Tree, a modern Greek restaurant, Corks & Forks, where you can sample their delicatessen and wine produce in the evening, and Indian Spice. Somehow they all seem to be full, especially sitting outside on a summer afternoon.

It is great to be able to walk to such a variety of shops where you inevitably bump into friends and neighbours. And it's great that they are nearly all family-run businesses.

Education

Parents can choose between a variety of outstanding schools within walking distance of the Estate.

There is a playgroup on the Estate and the excellent York Rise Nursery nearby.

Two local state primary schools, Brookfield and St Michael’s, both have good reputations. Ofsted starts it report with the rare acolade: “St Michael’s school provides its pupils with an outstanding quality of education”.

Four nearby state secondary schools William Ellis (boys), Parliament Hill (girls), La Santa Union (catholic girls) and Acland Burghley (mixed) are all rated by Ofsted as “good” or “very good”; they join to form La SWAP sixth form college.

Two independent schools, Highgate (mixed) and Channing (girls), are great if you can pass the entry exams (and afford the fees).

It is easy to see why many residents of nearby Islington send their children to Camden schools.