Once a small town on the outskirts of London, Hackney's Stoke Newington station opened 1872 and with it came the commuters and businesses as the capital spread. Today, in Travelcard Zone 2, the 1980s glass and steel-framed station is a local transport terminus with links to Liverpool Street to the south and Enfield to the north, courtesy of the London Overground.
Known affectionately as 'Stokey' by its residents, Stoke Newington has a strong community brimming with independent retailers, vintage shops and a charming cafe culture. A very green area, the West Reservoir, Clissold Park and indoor climbing centre are all popular local landmarks. Novelist Daniel Defoe lived in Stoke Newington for several years, and some say he took inspiration for his famous work 'Robinson Crusoe' from the story of local Robert Drury who was shipwrecked off Madagascar in 1703 and only rescued in 1717.