London holiday apartment: Islington

Considering central London standards this apartment offers good space for 4 people. It was clean and everything was functional and convenient. The owner was very nice. This provided an instant feelgood factor.
The location is great. Islington itself is a vibrant part of town with many restaurants and shops. Its residential areas are also good for walks. Highbury&Islington station (Victoria line and London Overground) is across the road. A few insider tips (we used to live in the area for over six years):
- La Porchetta on Upper Street: great value for money and good fun. You can see the action on Upper Street through the large windows while you work on what must be the largest pizzas in the world.
- The Sunday farmers market (behind Town Hall, signposted on Upper Street): nice atmosphere and losts of organic shopping to be done for a nice meal or a quick bite:
- Chilling out on Highbury fields: it lies in front of you when you come out of the front door. Walk up to the Oasis Cafe for a cup of tea.
- Take a walk along the New River and look at one of the most beautiful streets in the world: Alwyne Road.
- Flashback on the Essex Road for second hand CDs.
- Sitting on the Islington Green and looking around.
- The Screen on the Green cinema: on of the best in London.
- The Hope and Anchor on Upper Street for live music.
- Hop on the Overground and ride out to wonderful wonderful Richmond.

We stayed in this top floor apartment on Highbury Fields for one week in May 2009. Our experience was great - the apartment was clean, well appointed, and just a few steps from the Highbury & Islington station on the Victoria Line (one stop from King's Cross, about 15-20 minutes from Victoria Station). Several markets are within walking distance, so it was easy to stock up on necessities. We didn't make much use of the kitchen for cooking (so many good restaurants around...), but it was clean, well stocked, and large enough to cook for a family. The beds were maybe just a bit harder than we're used to, but some might find that to be a good thing. Regardless, we had no trouble sleeping comfortably. As others have mentioned, the stairs leading to the apartment are narrow and steep, so if you have mobility concerns, this might be something to consider.
I have to say that communication was excellent. Though Sally and Nigel were at their other property in Edinburgh when we checked in, we did run into Sally later in the week. She was very bright and pleasant, and we would have been very comfortable contacting her if we needed anything (as it turns out, everything was already well taken care of and we had no reason to contact Sally or Nigel). We dealt mostly with Warren. Warren was highly professional and always answered emails promptly. We had arranged with Warren to check in early (our flight was supposed to arrive at 7:00), but after boarding the plane, we were delayed on the tarmac for nearly six hours. With no way of contacting Warren, we were a little concerned that no one would be there to check us in. When we arrived, we found that Warren had already checked on our flight and was ready and waiting for us right on time.
Thanks for a great stay!

There can’t be many flats to rent that enable you to enjoy an early morning swim after a 2 minutes walk and jump on a tube, after a 2minute walk in another direction. The location is fabulous and the small shops in Highbury (8 minutes) are well worth the short walk
We have used this flat when I have been working in London and I have used the kitchen for recipe testing, it is well equipped. I was amazed to find a supply of freezer blocks (useful for my work but also for picnics) in the freezer.
Sally and Nigel are very hospitable from the welcoming bottle of wine, expensive butter and delicious bread on arrival, to their generosity over parking tickets and internet access. Our only complaint is that we rarely want to leave.