Category: Local recommendations

North Finchley is a delightful area of Barnet brimming with character, charm, and a wide array of activities for visitors of all ages. With the Northern Line ready to whisk you off to Central London and access to an array of green spaces, this area has it all. Whether you’re a local looking to explore more of your neighbourhood or a tourist seeking off-the-beaten-path destinations, North Finchley has something for everyone. Here’s a guide to some of the best things to do in this vibrant community.

1. Get creative at Artsdepot

Artsdepot is North Finchley’s cultural hub, offering a wide range of performances, workshops, and classes in art, drama, and dance. The venue also features a gallery and café, making it a perfect spot to spend a creative day. Be sure to check their schedule for upcoming shows and events.

Visit Artsdepot: Artsdepot

2. Explore Darlands Nature Reserve

Located in the picturesque Totteridge Valley, Darlands Nature Reserve offers 80 acres of woodlands, wetlands, grasslands, and a serene lake. It’s a haven for wildlife and provides beautiful walking trails with stunning views. It’s an ideal spot for a peaceful retreat or a family outing.

If you want to make a day of it, stop for lunch at The Orange Tree Country Pub.

Visit Darlands Nature Reserve: Darlands Nature Reserve.

3. Shop Local at Barnet Market

Just two stops away on the Northern Line, Barnet Market is held every Wednesday and Saturday. It’s a bustling food market where you can find fresh produce, baked goods, and more.

Visit Barnet Market: Barnet Market

4. Step Back in Time at Stephens House and Gardens

Explore the historic Stephens House and Gardens, a beautiful estate with ten acres of landscaped gardens. The mansion, once home to ink magnate Henry ‘Inky’ Stephens, now hosts a variety of events, workshops, and theatre performances. The on-site café is perfect for a relaxing break amid the picturesque surroundings.

Visit Stephens House: Stephens House & Gardens

5. Embrace Wellness at Local Gyms, Yoga and Pilates Studios

Stay active and embrace wellness at one of North Finchley’s fitness centres or yoga studios. From state-of-the-art gyms to calming yoga sessions, there are plenty of options to help you keep up with your fitness goals while visiting the area.

• Yoga Studios: MoreYoga
• Pilates: N12 Pilates, Exhale Pilates
• Gyms: Onyx Gym, Pure Gym

6. Get Your Hands Dirty at GROW Farm

GROW Farm in Totteridge is an agroecological farm dedicated to sustainable agriculture and community engagement. It’s the perfect place to connect with nature and learn about farming practices, with regular events and workshops throughout the year such as Pick Your Own Flowers, eco tie-dye making and kimchi making (events can be found on their Eventbrite page).

Volunteering opportunities are available on Wednesdays, with options for both drop-in and long-term volunteering.

You can also buy fresh vegetables, pickles, and dried flowers directly from the farm.

Visit GROW Farm: GROW – HOME

7. Catch a Film at Everyman Cinema in Barnet

The Everyman Theatre in Barnet provides a luxurious cinema experience with comfortable seating and a great selection of films, all within a Grade II listed building and boasting some of the most unique screens within the Everyman chain.

Visit Everyman Cinema Barnet: Everyman Cinema

8. Join the Fun at East Finchley’s Community Festival

This free, one-day festival features live music, food stalls, bars, local artisans, community activities, sports, children’s games, and more. It’s a fantastic event for the whole family.

9. Catch up with friends at the Local Pubs

North Finchley is home to several welcoming pubs, perfect for a casual night out:

• The Elephant Inn: Regular pub quiz nights, pool tournaments, comedy, board games, and a sports bar.
• The Bohemia: Known for its pub quizzes and on site craft brewery, The London Brewing Company.
• King of Prussia: Craft beers, homemade pizza, and weekly events on offer. And better yet, there’s free shuffle board and jukebox!
• The Catcher In The Rye: A relaxed and welcoming pub with classic pub food on offer.

10. Learn the art of pottery throwing from a local artist

Local artist Noriko Nagaoka teaches private pottery throwing lessons and specialises in ceramics inspired by nature. You can also buy her handmade ceramics online. 

Book pottery throwing classes: Noriko Nagaoka Ceramics

11. Enjoy Sports at Old Finchleians

Old Finchleians is a thriving sports club in Woodside Park, offering football, cricket, and golf. With teams for all ages and skill levels, it’s a great place to get active and meet new people.

Visit Old Finchleians: Old Finchleians Club

12. Shop and Pick Your Own at Finchley Nurseries

Just a 15-minute cycle from North Finchley, Finchley Nurseries is a family-run garden centre where you can pick your own fruit, vegetables, and dahlias. The farm shop offers a variety of fresh produce and plants, making it a great place to stock up on local goodies.

Visit Finchley Nurseries: Finchley Nurseries – Home

North Finchley is a treasure trove of activities and experiences waiting to be discovered. Whether you’re looking to immerse yourself in the arts, enjoy the great outdoors, indulge in delicious food, or simply relax and unwind, this charming part of North London has it all. So next time you’re planning a day out, make sure North Finchley is at the top of your list!

Looking to call North Finchley home?

Pocket offers affordable discounted homes exclusively for local city-makers, providing an opportunity for those on moderate incomes to get their foot on the property ladder and own a piece of the city they love. Our homes are unique and we sell our homes to first time buyers at a discount of at least 20% to other one-bedroom flats in the area. Pocket is an alternative to shared ownership, there is no rent payable on these homes, and you will own 100% from day one.

Our Woodside Park N12 development in Barnet is located right next to the underground station, with prices starting from £299,300. These homes are complete and ready to move into now! If you’d like to speak to one of our friendly Sales team, call us on 020 7291 3683 or email at sales@pocketliving.com

London is a city where there’s a neighbourhood to suit every taste—from bustling and vibrant to quiet and laid-back. Each area has its own unique personality and charm. In this blog, we’re taking a stroll through London’s best neighbourhoods around our developments, showing you the best spots for food, fun, and everything in between, as well as the quickest ways to get around.

Woodside Park, Barnet

Country peace. City pace. The Woodside Park urban retreat is perfectly placed to enjoy both. You’ll find wildlife and nightlife, rural pubs and urban coffee shops, casual eateries and smart restaurants, along with bustling venues for sport, exercise, dance and theatre.

As a homeowner at Woodside Park N12, you’ll have many off-duty options. Learn hip-hop or the Argentine tango at the AV dance studio. Or wander through Woodridge Nature Reserve, a haven for wildlife. Take your seat for a show or comedy spot at the Arts Depot. Or spread out a picnic with friends at the nearby wildflower meadow. Culture or country? At Woodside Park N12, both are close by.

Things to do

• Firstly, The Arts Depot is an award-winning cultural hub with two theatres, a ‘creative research lab’, drama, dance and art studios and an art gallery.
• Catch critically acclaimed fringe premieres and Soho Theatre productions.
• Cafe culture is never far away. So, dip into the Holybella artisan coffee house and savour an expertly crafted drink… a Merry Berry smoothie with a Veggie Sourdough Club at lunchtime and a slice of cake to take home.
• Finchley Lawn Tennis Club welcomes all players with no  joining fees.
• The Tally Ho and The Griffin are traditional local pubs serving real ales, craft beers and generous portions of pub grub. Or try a pint of Hasty at The Bohemia brewpub.
• For special dining occasions, visit Sofalino for typical Italian dishes such as  Vitello Milanese and Fettucine al Funghi, or head up to The Orange Tree for a tempting menu featuring British classics  and Mediterranean-inspired dishes.

Transport links

Woodside Park tube station, on the Northern Line, is literally on your doorstep. Take a southbound train to reach Kentish Town, with its live music venues, in just 13 minutes and Camden Town, with its clubs and bars, in 15 minutes. The journey to central London’s King’s Cross St Pancras takes a mere 20 minutes and the tube will take you direct to Tottenham Court Road, at the end of Oxford Street, in 23 minutes. Bus route 383, with a stop outside Woodside Park station, is just one stop to North Finchley High Road in one direction and Tally Ho Corner in the other.  This bus will also take you to Barnet High Street.

Our development

At Woodside Park N12, we’re building 37 energy-efficient homes to be sold at a 20% discount to the market price. Each one-bedroom apartment is designed to make the best use of space, and the communal rooftop encourages a sense of community. These low-maintenance Pocket homes are a blank canvas to decorate and live in as you like. Sustainable travel is sorted, with on-site secure cycle storage, or the tube across the road, which whisks you to King’s Cross St Pancras in 24 minutes. For such a leafy part of London, you are never far from the city’s bright lights. Woodside Park N12 is complete and ready to move in to now!

Addiscombe Grove, East Croydon

Just over 9 miles south of Charing Cross, Croydon has a well-deserved reputation as a great place to live, work and play. As somewhere to set up home, the town ticks many boxes, more specifically, connectivity to central London, access to pubs, cinemas and galleries, and affordability.

Things to do

• Settle into your sofa at the Everyman cinema with your beer until your chorizo or sharing plates are brought to your seat.
• Boxpark, a collection of 80 refashioned shipping containers housing cafés, restaurants, bars and  music venues. It has energised the town’s nightlife — as well the ever-changing display of dynamic street art has enlivened Croydon’s creative edge.
• Surrey Street Market provides goodies ranging from German turnips and Thai orchids to  Indian mangoes and Romanian cake.
• The London Borough of Croydon has over 120 parks and open spaces. The 130-yearold Park Hill Park is just round the corner, and the multi-amenity Lloyd Park is a gentle 15-minute walk away.

Transport links

Location, location, location. Central London, Gatwick airport and the seaside city of Brighton are all readily accessible from East Croydon station. With a regular service, the rail journey to London Victoria or London Bridge takes just 16 minutes. Croydon Tramlink, with a loop around the town centre, stops right outside East Croydon station and Addiscombe Grove is well served by the bus network.

Our development

Buying a one bedroom Pocket home at Addiscombe Grove could be an extremely smart move. Not only will you obtain a discount of 20%, you’ll also own 100% of your home from day one. Designed by award-winning architect Metropolitan Workshop,  each high-quality apartment makes the best use of every square foot. There are 112 Pocket homes in the development, each designed to maximise space and create a homely, efficient environment. Across the building, there are also various breakout spaces  with ultra-fast hyperoptic WiFi. Light and airy, these have the ambiance of a trendy Scandinavian hotel. The 9th floor wellness room can be used for yoga and meditation sessions  or residents’ get-togethers. You’ll have access to three communal landscaped gardens on different floors, a residents’ lounge, workspace and a secure bike store.

Forest Road, Waltham Forest

Named ‘Britain’s coolest neighbourhood’ by The Daily Telegraph, Walthamstow is ‘on trend’ right now. Time Out magazine says: ‘There’s loads to do, tons of nice people call it home and it’s an actual creative hub, a place where stuff gets made’. It’s easy to see why the area is attracting rave reviews. Where else can you visit a mile-long brewery trail, a celebration of neon lighting, the longest open-air market in Europe, a café with a climbing wall and a pub offering life-drawing classes?

Things to do

• The Walthamstow Wetlands are down the road for a dose of nature. Afterwards, grab a tasty lunch from the highly-rated Engine House Café.
• Walthamstow Village, centred around Orford Road, is a cluster of quirky independent shops and restaurants such as the famed Eat17.
• Along Blackhorse Lane, lovers of craft beer can stop off at a strip of micro-breweries or an urban winery. More traditional pubs, such as The Village and The Nags Head, offer superior pub grub.
• Lloyd Park is a few minutes’ walk from Forest Road and has an outdoor gym, skate park and petanque court.
• The William Morris Gallery is a Georgian house, once occupied by design pioneer and social activist William Morris. It celebrates his revolutionary life as a leader of the British Arts & Crafts movement.
• Hoe street is located between the east and west of Walthamstow, and is pretty much the best of both worlds. You’ll find 5 star restaurants hidden between a greasy spoon and a yoga studio.
• With a cult following in London and Los Angeles, God’s Own Junkyard is a must-visit. You’ll be immersed in new & used neon fantasies, salvaged signs, reclaimed neon signs, old movie props and retro displays.

Transport links

One of the glories of Walthamstow living is rapid access to central London via the Victoria Line. Walthamstow Central is just a 12-minute stroll, or an even quicker bus ride, from the Pocket Living development. The tube will take you to the shops and restaurants of Islington’s Upper Street in just 11 minutes and to the heart of the West End in only 18. Forest Road E17 is also well served by local bus routes, with three bus stops less than five minutes away. No tube or bus journey is required to visit an expanse of greenery, of course, as Lloyd Park is just across the road.

Our development

We’ve built 90 energy-efficient homes for first time buyers to be sold at a 20% discount to the market price.  Each one-bedroom apartment is designed to make the best use of space, and communal gardens encourage a sense of community. You can meet for a coffee or drinks on the landscaped rooftop gardens, where shared allotment beds are on hand.  The courtyard garden at ground level offers another opportunity to get together.

Whether you’re drawn to the quiet charm of Woodside Park, or the urban energy of East Croydon, Pocket has a place for you. Our developments are located in some of London’s best neighbourhoods. They offer energy-efficient homes with a 20% discount to the market price, designed for first-time buyers.

Spring has sprung, Londoners! It’s that time of the year to bid adieu to winter and embrace the blue skies that have appeared. In this blog, we’ve curated a selection of the best spring events in London that you won’t want to miss. There’s a little something for everyone, so gear up to mark those calendars!

Foodies Festival (25-27 May)

The Foodies Festival began in Edinburgh in 2006 and has since hosted 14 festivals nationwide. Each event celebrates local food and drink, featuring artisan producers, street food traders, and regional food and drink producers. You can expect 200+ food stalls, tastings, workshops, live music, and a DJ setting the vibe. As far as spring events in London go, this one has to be the tastiest!

Sunday Jazz and Soul Lunch at Boisdale (every Sunday)

Indulge in a Sunday Roast experience at Boisdale, where a scrumptious 3-course lunch is accompanied by a live jazz show. Gather your friends and family and enjoy the perfect combo of good food and live entertainment.

Gold Bunny Hunt at Hampton Court Palace (23 Mar-14 Apr)

Another must-attend spring event in London this year is the Lindt Gold Bunny Hunt at Hampton Court Palace this Easter. You’ll have to find bunny statues among the flowers and match names to red ribbons to win a chocolate treat. The perfect Easter adventure for your family.

London Home Show (13 Apr)

The London Home Show, where the housing market meets urban living. This spring event in London gathers property experts, developers, and housing organisations, offering insights into affordable homes and first time buyer opportunities. This year, Pocket Living are attending, speaking to first time buyers about how they can land a 20% discounted home, don’t miss out!

London Coffee Festival (11-14 Apr)

The ultimate coffee celebration at The London Coffee Festival is back. It showcases London’s leading specialty coffee culture and hospitality scene. Boasting 250+ artisan coffee and gourmet food brands, interactive workshops, barista demonstrations, and unique features like Latte Art Live, this is every coffee fanatics dream.

RHS Chelsea Flower Show (21-25 May)

One of the most famous spring events in London, RHS Chelsea Flower Show, is back! Globally acclaimed garden designers, plant specialists, and florists will gather in one of London’s charming neighbourhoods to showcase the latest and greatest in garden designs and floral displays.

London Marathon (21 Apr)

Join the iconic London Marathon, a celebrated event since 1981, weaving through the city’s landmarks like Buckingham Palace and Tower Bridge. Whether you’re running or cheering from the sidelines, the atmosphere is unbeatable.

We hope this roundup has sparked your excitement and filled your calendar with spring events in London. From sipping coffee at the London Coffee Festival to experiencing the vibrant colours at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, to finding yourself a 20% discounted home, this season is going to be a good one.