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So for all the people, who find Camden too expensive, the hoards of tourists too damn annoying, the amount of puke on the streets in front of the Barfly on a Saturday night too sickening and the overall mood not authentic enough, this little guide gives some good reasons to move further north from there, to the lovely Finsbury Park/Holloway/Crouch End area.I know, I know all this will probably mean very little to new students, who have been hearing that Camden is the place to be for ages, but trust me North London is where it’s really happening right now! Living there actually means that you can spend your money on other things than just the rent and let’s face it, beer and nice shoes are more important than living in zone 1.

Pubs/Clubs/Venues
Holloway Road, the centre of all things trendy up north, has some dingy but lovely pubs to offer. Firstly we have the infamous Nambucca from whose soil bands like the Holloways, Hadouken! and more, very British indie bands sprang. It is not only a bona fide ‘discover the next big thing here’ club/pub, but it is also the spiritual home of Million Dead singer Frank Turner, who can at least once a week be seen sipping a cold and cheap pint in one of the dark corners. Personally, I have witnessed very early and free gigs from the Maccabees and Jamie T there and can only recommend the inviting atmosphere and cheap drinks. However, if you are not an indie cindy, but  more of a lover of all things dark, there is the Big Red on the corner of Holloway Road and Seven Sisters Road. It’s the Mecca of Megadeath lovers and leather fetishist and let’s be honest the music in there is unbearable but the drinks are cheaper than a bottle of WKD in Asda. Moving further towards the centre on Holloway Road we find such fine pubs like the Metro Bar and Canteen, which offers outside seating during the summer so that you can do some people spotting and for you Wetherspoons lovers the Coronet next to Waitrose will do.
As for the Finsbury Park area, you have to be a bit careful if you aren’t an Arsenal fan as nearly all the pubs there are strictly red. If you do like a bit of mingling with the football fanatics on a Saturday afternoon though, there is the Arsenal Tavern on Blackstock Road. For the more cultured Humanities students amongst you lot, there is always Stroud Green Road. With its bohemian and slightly arty atmosphere your certain to find like-minded art students who will find the newest ghetto-grime-surf-funk band which will hit the cover of the NME within months. Stroud Green Road is populated by diverse indie characters ranging from the singer of Pink Grease to several members of the now sadly combusted art-punk band Snow White. Sitting outside one of the numerous pubs on Stroud Green Road is never a waste of time and always worth the money.   
Once you’ve had enough of busy life at Finsbury Park, moving further up north to Crouch End guarantees some relaxation and more nice places to drink and discover music. The one spot to stress here is the King’s Head on Crouch End Hill, which is famous for its low-key acoustic performances. Artists like Jeremy Warmsley, Emmy the Great and Kitty, Daisy and Lewis embraced the warm atmosphere and great sound of this pub venue. The low capacity of the King’s Head also warrants for an intimate atmosphere and maybe even the chance to get of with your favourite musician, because this is certainly what you students are craving!



Sometimes the Holloway area can be quite grim with its council estates and pregnant teenagers, so you are best to avoid standing outside the KFC on Seven Sisters Road for too long. Furthermore, be aware to not flaunt any money you just got out of the cash machine on Holloway Road because the thieves are very quick fingered. Other than that, if you don’t make yourself look like a spoilt rich brat, the Holloway area is perfectly fine to live in and will give you a completely new outlook on style-big golden ghetto hoops anyone?

For all you retro lovers Holloway Road has a lot of amazing second hand shops to offer, so just stroll down slowly and reward yourself with the biggest sixties shades you can find. Moreover, the area is also the quite sufficiently populated with charity shops and sometimes a Gucci bargain can just be round the corner. Pure Groove Records on the Archway end of Holloway Road is one of the best record shops in London, which does not only offer fine and rare b-sides and other assorted indie stuff, but which also stocks merchandise and many of the good free music papers. Staff is always nice, if not a bit über keen, and for people with a weakness for geeks, just like myself, Pure Groove is heaven!

As said earlier, the north plays host to many creative musicians and wannabe indie darlings. The Holloways resided above Nambucca for some time and most up-and-coming guitar bands seem to originate from this area. Finsbury Park is the epicentre of art punk bands like The Horrors, who had first get-togethers in a dingy pub just next to Finsbury Park tube and the Horrors offspring the Rotters. Furthermore, Crouch End is thickly populated by BBC people, who can constantly be seen buying their latte from Starbucks, and famous residents have included Kate Kannibal out of The Priscillas, Rob Britton from the band Luxembourg and members of the band Travis.