The Angel, Islington(diamondgeezer.blogspot.com)
diamondgeezer.blogspot.com
The Angel, Islington
https://diamondgeezer.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-angel-islington.html
42 comments
> rising to a weirdly phallic nipple
You know, skyscrapers are always accused of being phallic in a Freudian way, and I think that's unfair. What other shape would you design for high-population density structures, in an urban environment, above ground? And here's an example of a building which is definitely not phallic looking, and it's still being called phallic while being compared to a body part that is not phallic at all, nor does the nipple-esque adornment itself look in any way phallic. And yet. So what does a building have to do to not be called phallic?
Mostly joking, I liked the article.
You know, skyscrapers are always accused of being phallic in a Freudian way, and I think that's unfair. What other shape would you design for high-population density structures, in an urban environment, above ground? And here's an example of a building which is definitely not phallic looking, and it's still being called phallic while being compared to a body part that is not phallic at all, nor does the nipple-esque adornment itself look in any way phallic. And yet. So what does a building have to do to not be called phallic?
Mostly joking, I liked the article.
25-storey Russian apartment blocks (or Chinese for that matter?) do not look phallic at all, since they are often longer than they are high[1], and have thin profile. Think a square with a courtyard.
It's only when skyscraper meets dense city grid do phallos proliferate. Or in vanity projects like Burj Khalifa or Gazprom Corn Cob.
1. https://m.vk.com/wall-37349342_98635
It's only when skyscraper meets dense city grid do phallos proliferate. Or in vanity projects like Burj Khalifa or Gazprom Corn Cob.
1. https://m.vk.com/wall-37349342_98635
In Neil Gaiman's "Neverwhere" the place is a being: The Angel Islington (without a comma)
As an American reading the book for the first time, it took me a rather embarrassing amount of time to realize how many important Neverwhere people and places were London tube stations. The Knight's Bridge. The Earl's Court. The Black Friars. The Hammersmith. And of course the angel, Islington.
Fantasy novelist Glen Cook likes to hide St. Louis references in his novels.
It's what I always think about now.
Yea, that novel messed up Nightsbridge for me too
and it is _not_ to be trusted.
Well, it's not every day you end up seeing your old work neighbourhood on HN.
There's this place that you'll notice if you're walking around in the area called the Business Design Centre. You'll see a couple of expensive cars parked outside, and a throng of people going in and out.
It's got an interesting little history as part of London's financial scene that most people won't have heard of, despite being the office of one of the most famous traders in the City.
Back in the day, I think the 80s, the area was pretty derelict. This old agricultural hall was sitting there long past its time. A guy by the name of Morris bought it up to develop it into a convention centre. There's a bust of him if you go up to the top floor. The fancy cars are owned by his sons who took over. All sorts of famous events have gone on there, such as Britain's got talent, along with less famous things like industrial fairs. As part of the business plan, they decided to have office units to rent along the side of the main hall. Pretty much like we wework.
Also in the 80s, a successful floor trader called Dave Kyte set up a clearing and brokerage firm there. Now the thing about DK is he is very keen to invest in other financial firms, so over the years, the BDC ended up having dozens of tenants associated with Kyte, since this allowed him to keep an eye on everyone and they could share his IT and office staff. They've since sold to RJO, so you won't find the name there now, but there are still remnants of the businesses he seeded.
This gave the BDC an interesting vibe. You had all these mini trading floors set in the mezzanine around the exhibition hall, with varying exhibits in the middle, or just a massive empty space on days between exhibits. People visiting would often peek over the blur on the glass and be fascinated by the banks of screens. Some of them would wander in and comment on how many screens there were.
This would be interspersed with a variety of office types, each with their own oddity. One office seems to just have a stone obelisk in the middle, with no staff ever to be seen. Then there was the unit that was a permanent exhibit for a window manufacturer. There was a telesales boiler room. The office of an MMO game for kids. Just every imaginable thing.
Great area for it though, good food market for lunch and restaurants as well.
There's this place that you'll notice if you're walking around in the area called the Business Design Centre. You'll see a couple of expensive cars parked outside, and a throng of people going in and out.
It's got an interesting little history as part of London's financial scene that most people won't have heard of, despite being the office of one of the most famous traders in the City.
Back in the day, I think the 80s, the area was pretty derelict. This old agricultural hall was sitting there long past its time. A guy by the name of Morris bought it up to develop it into a convention centre. There's a bust of him if you go up to the top floor. The fancy cars are owned by his sons who took over. All sorts of famous events have gone on there, such as Britain's got talent, along with less famous things like industrial fairs. As part of the business plan, they decided to have office units to rent along the side of the main hall. Pretty much like we wework.
Also in the 80s, a successful floor trader called Dave Kyte set up a clearing and brokerage firm there. Now the thing about DK is he is very keen to invest in other financial firms, so over the years, the BDC ended up having dozens of tenants associated with Kyte, since this allowed him to keep an eye on everyone and they could share his IT and office staff. They've since sold to RJO, so you won't find the name there now, but there are still remnants of the businesses he seeded.
This gave the BDC an interesting vibe. You had all these mini trading floors set in the mezzanine around the exhibition hall, with varying exhibits in the middle, or just a massive empty space on days between exhibits. People visiting would often peek over the blur on the glass and be fascinated by the banks of screens. Some of them would wander in and comment on how many screens there were.
This would be interspersed with a variety of office types, each with their own oddity. One office seems to just have a stone obelisk in the middle, with no staff ever to be seen. Then there was the unit that was a permanent exhibit for a window manufacturer. There was a telesales boiler room. The office of an MMO game for kids. Just every imaginable thing.
Great area for it though, good food market for lunch and restaurants as well.
I was born less than a half-mile from The Angel, in my grandmother's house on Liverpool Road (252 for those who care). She moved to Bath when I was about 13, though I continued to live in London until I was 17.
On almost every visit back to London, I find myself drawn to the area bounded by The Angel at one end, Canonbury at the other, with Liverpool Rd and Essex Rd as the other two boundaries. It wasn't until a few years that I came up with an understanding of why this might be, for it seemed to go above and beyond simple childhood nostalgia.
After I was born, my parents moved to a small village in the Midlands, but we would make the 120 mile journey back to my grandmother's very frequently. Eventually, when I was 10, we moved back to London, and the person who was to become my step-father also close by lived on Essex Rd. Because of all this, I think that this little corner of the world was the place where I first learned something about how cities work. Even, perhaps, about how the world works. There were a lot of early lessons acquired simply by being in this area, the sort of lessons that you often don't even know that you've learned.
I think I go back because I need to double check. I need to dig into the things I learned about the world from Islington, intentional or not, and compare them with what another 50+ years on this spinning globe have revealed. What did I get wrong? What did I get right? How and what did I misunderstand? Or not see?
I live a small village in New Mexico now, but I'll be back in London in a couple of weeks. I can pretty much guarantee that I'll be wandering around the Angel and Upper St. at some point during that visit, looking for how I was enlightened and misled by a childhood in orbit around this place.
On almost every visit back to London, I find myself drawn to the area bounded by The Angel at one end, Canonbury at the other, with Liverpool Rd and Essex Rd as the other two boundaries. It wasn't until a few years that I came up with an understanding of why this might be, for it seemed to go above and beyond simple childhood nostalgia.
After I was born, my parents moved to a small village in the Midlands, but we would make the 120 mile journey back to my grandmother's very frequently. Eventually, when I was 10, we moved back to London, and the person who was to become my step-father also close by lived on Essex Rd. Because of all this, I think that this little corner of the world was the place where I first learned something about how cities work. Even, perhaps, about how the world works. There were a lot of early lessons acquired simply by being in this area, the sort of lessons that you often don't even know that you've learned.
I think I go back because I need to double check. I need to dig into the things I learned about the world from Islington, intentional or not, and compare them with what another 50+ years on this spinning globe have revealed. What did I get wrong? What did I get right? How and what did I misunderstand? Or not see?
I live a small village in New Mexico now, but I'll be back in London in a couple of weeks. I can pretty much guarantee that I'll be wandering around the Angel and Upper St. at some point during that visit, looking for how I was enlightened and misled by a childhood in orbit around this place.
Islington and the area southwest of the Angel are extremely interesting. After all, it was not always the gentrified chichi place it is now:
- old London Jewry still had a presence on Rosebery Avenue, in little mom and pop stores. I used to stuff my face on salt beef sandwiches prepared by a lovely old lady near Sadlers Wells.
- down towards Clerkenwell is the Church of the Holy Redeemer, a rare example of the High Anglican Church (aka "bells and smells"). I cant go in here without feeling like someone out of Dickens who just had a nice letter from Cardinal Newman.
- City University is nearby, and although its all polished now, back then it was very much a local education resource for working people. I took Russian at night school here once.
- old London Jewry still had a presence on Rosebery Avenue, in little mom and pop stores. I used to stuff my face on salt beef sandwiches prepared by a lovely old lady near Sadlers Wells.
- down towards Clerkenwell is the Church of the Holy Redeemer, a rare example of the High Anglican Church (aka "bells and smells"). I cant go in here without feeling like someone out of Dickens who just had a nice letter from Cardinal Newman.
- City University is nearby, and although its all polished now, back then it was very much a local education resource for working people. I took Russian at night school here once.
This is the area where I grew up.
The Angel is not just that corner, it's that whole neighborhood, although it is named after The Angel pub (which no longer exists). The Angel extends from the corner pictured, north to Islington Green, and includes the surrounding streets on either side.
Notably, Angel Tube Station actually moved in 1992, when London Transport opened a new station and entrance along the line, equipped with a long escalator, and they closed the old entrance around the corner which had a big lift. For some reason, Apple Maps stubbornly refuses to use the new location and marks the entrance on the wrong street. Google Maps gets it right.
Notably, Angel Tube Station actually moved in 1992, when London Transport opened a new station and entrance along the line, equipped with a long escalator, and they closed the old entrance around the corner which had a big lift. For some reason, Apple Maps stubbornly refuses to use the new location and marks the entrance on the wrong street. Google Maps gets it right.
I used to live above the Almeida Theatre offices on Upper Street. I loved living there. Many visits to Screen on the Green, Islington Chapel, and the various bars and restaurants there.
Unfortunately it was also not far from gang violence from the Islington estates that often spilled in to the busy main streets.
One of my favourite theatres ever. I sometimes rode my motorbike and stuck it in a bay on Napier Terrace and even there I’d see drug dealing going on, which made me extremely nervous, having been bike jacked before. I was honestly surprised the dealing was going on so close to the squillionaires around the actual Almeida theatre.
Drug dealing is just free trade frown upon by the government and the "squillionaires" do partake.
I haven't seen much other crime going on, living there for a few years; a friend got his wallet stolen in Angel with 4 digits cash though, albeit I'm not sure whether that was an inside job or normal pick pocketing.
Overall it felt pretty safe, especially when compared to west london (I got jumped with a knife once) or south london (plenty of crime going there).
I haven't seen much other crime going on, living there for a few years; a friend got his wallet stolen in Angel with 4 digits cash though, albeit I'm not sure whether that was an inside job or normal pick pocketing.
Overall it felt pretty safe, especially when compared to west london (I got jumped with a knife once) or south london (plenty of crime going there).
Yes it was two posh ladies buying the Charlie and looking over at me in the distance nervously. I guess this was before delivery had really taken off. Strange.
Never found that end of Islington to be particularly bad, even if was a bit hectic.
Never found that end of Islington to be particularly bad, even if was a bit hectic.
I used to live above the Wetherspoons, in the building next-door to the Angle; I don't miss the dunks pissing on my doorstep at closing time.
I do miss how central and convenient it was, though.
I do miss how central and convenient it was, though.
Working around the corner in Clerkenwell was great. I rarely head that way any more but still enjoy the odd walk up Upper Street to Highbury.
I worked there too. Good to see the Sun Cafe is still open for a banging English breakfast. I think Whitecross St markets is still on probably too.
It's not every that you run into a post on HN about the area you live in. :) After trying 5-6 Airbnb's across the city for almost a year, Angel seemed to be the best in terms of the mood, pubs, canal, shops, and restaurant. It's been years but I discover new spots around here quite often and probably stick to here for quite some time!
Work’s London office is in Angel, it’s a wonderful part of London. Absolutely tons of niche food options of just about every kind you can think of.
I make it a personal mission to eat somewhere different every time I visit.
I make it a personal mission to eat somewhere different every time I visit.
Not a mention of the Werkz just round the corner and the perfect opportunity to go goth spotting on a Friday night (although I now see that Slimes is now a monthly night rather than weekly).
I was looking for a Slimelight reference in the article, too. The world's longest-running Goth nightclub, it used to be BYOB, which made it a cheap night out. I still have my membership card.
To my eternal shame I’ve never been to Slimes. I used to love the Bangface night though. The werkz is such a great club and you’d just never expect it to be where it is.
Nor Club de Fromage - quite the let down.
What is the author talking about when he mentions the Monopoly board.
I have played Monopoly (the board game) many times and have never heard if the places he is referring to.
I have played Monopoly (the board game) many times and have never heard if the places he is referring to.
Monopoly is localised to the country in which it's sold. The UK version has London place names, including The Angel, Islington. It doesn't even say "UK version" or something in the box, that's just all that's ever been sold here. No doubt that's true of many other places. To be honest, I was pretty surprised when I found out there's a US one!
This predates the modern very local ones (e.g. in the UK you can now get Reading monopoly).
This predates the modern very local ones (e.g. in the UK you can now get Reading monopoly).
One might expect the original American “Monopoly” to be set in New York, but it’s actually based on the streets of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Which is sort of like if the UK version were set in an Essex beach town.
Just walked by for the first time in years.
I was surprised to see the buildings across the road demolished and Jamie Oliver restaurant is now called 411 bar.
I was surprised to see the buildings across the road demolished and Jamie Oliver restaurant is now called 411 bar.
Bill Bryson has a bit in "Notes from a Small Island" (I think it was?) about how depressing it is that the British keep taking these older beautiful buildings, and then plonking down uncharacteristic, dull modern style steel and glass buildings right beside them, or replacing lower levels with them etc.
It was always something that bugged me as a Brit to some degree, but, of course, as soon as I read that, I noticed just how much of it there was. It's ever where, on almost every high street. A bizarre mishmash of character and "meh".
> The building, recently sold on to the New River Company, is repaired and refitted for use as offices and a bank. The building looks rather less dazzling at ground floor level as a result.
The Angel, Islington is a supreme example. The same goes for the buildings along the road from it. The building above the ground floor has character. The ground floor looks exactly like what you'd see in almost any high street in the country.
Near where I worked in London, plans went up for renovation that I think ended up working out reasonably well, https://maps.app.goo.gl/XSpdfzdyQE4DpTXr8. Where that Metro Bank is, they ripped out everything behind that brick facade, and rebuilt (it badly needed it), then worked to do up the brick, maintaining the original style.
This kept the building in the characteristic style of the neighbourhood, (see https://maps.app.goo.gl/US1GvYA1fCQ9VCZi6 for examples of other buildings in the area that are of similar age), but didn't leave it stuck with the maintenance issues. Of course you can see just beside it where they didn't do that, and shoved something decidedly more modern in place, and completely at odds with the styles of the buildings on either side of it, or across the street from it.
It was always something that bugged me as a Brit to some degree, but, of course, as soon as I read that, I noticed just how much of it there was. It's ever where, on almost every high street. A bizarre mishmash of character and "meh".
> The building, recently sold on to the New River Company, is repaired and refitted for use as offices and a bank. The building looks rather less dazzling at ground floor level as a result.
The Angel, Islington is a supreme example. The same goes for the buildings along the road from it. The building above the ground floor has character. The ground floor looks exactly like what you'd see in almost any high street in the country.
Near where I worked in London, plans went up for renovation that I think ended up working out reasonably well, https://maps.app.goo.gl/XSpdfzdyQE4DpTXr8. Where that Metro Bank is, they ripped out everything behind that brick facade, and rebuilt (it badly needed it), then worked to do up the brick, maintaining the original style.
This kept the building in the characteristic style of the neighbourhood, (see https://maps.app.goo.gl/US1GvYA1fCQ9VCZi6 for examples of other buildings in the area that are of similar age), but didn't leave it stuck with the maintenance issues. Of course you can see just beside it where they didn't do that, and shoved something decidedly more modern in place, and completely at odds with the styles of the buildings on either side of it, or across the street from it.
I'd argue it's almost the opposite - huge swathes of London are housed in shitty Victorian and Georgian homes and flat conversions, and we can't fix them up or replace them with modern homes because of extreme local conservation laws. Right now I'm living in the most modern home I ever have - a 700sqft 2-bed from the 1960s.
exactly! I do not understand the British obsession for preserving insane amounts of crooked-walled buildings with horrible insulation ratings. zero historical interest, 100% NIMBY-ism. then the general populace mopes about the lack of housing, and dreams 15-minute cities without realising the only way to solve both is tear down what’s taking up space and build tall instead.
yeah, precisely. there's a reason new houses aren't built like that any more. you have the same problem in parts of the US where houses that are really not all that great to live in are nevertheless preserved as-is because they are "historic"
Many of the Victorian buildings we may think of as worthy of preservation were eyesores of their times. St Pancras station hotel is a well known example. Mostly, I like the variety and would prefer a planning regime that would allow a larger variety of designs to be feasible to get approval for.
The ability to do that is what allowed London to prosper while older European towns turned into tourist theme parks. It is one of those wonderful things. You make money as an American and you are like a God to these Europeans, their luxuries are trifles.
At some point people wish to become ossified and want their homes and cities to become tomb worlds visited by gawking tourists.
At some point people wish to become ossified and want their homes and cities to become tomb worlds visited by gawking tourists.
> You make money as an American and you are like a God to these Europeans, their luxuries are trifles.
Actually, you would just be seen as arrogant. At best.
Actually, you would just be seen as arrogant. At best.
Of course, what God is humble? Their people struggle on their $30k/yr incomes living in small homes on the outskirts which cost the majority of their income so that they can preserve their cities for our divine visitations. Like a poor craftsman makes a sculpture for the king, they preserve their cities for us so that we may be entertained, because they cannot live in them.
> It was always something that bugged me as a Brit to some degree, but, of course, as soon as I read that, I noticed just how much of it there was. It's ever where, on almost every high street. A bizarre mishmash of character and "meh".
i remember reading something somewhere that you can use this aesthetic to see where the blitz hit worst.
i remember reading something somewhere that you can use this aesthetic to see where the blitz hit worst.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5333306,-0.1026485,3a,75y,...
The main thoroughfares of London, and likely everywhere, are likely tagged as "urban blight" for AI training models without a second thought, but twenty steps away from them and you get extraordinary surprises.