Today I want to bring you my first-timer’s guide to visiting Muswell Hill, London. This north London neighborhood is known for its park, palace, and views of of the UK capital. It’s worth discovering.
Muswell Hill, London
I’ve had a five-weekend hiatus from traveling outside England.
That’s not to say I haven’t been busy moving into a new flat, winning a modeling competition, and exploring more of the English countryside. But it still feels a little strange to have been in town for such a long time.
In an attempt to combat cabin fever, my boyfriend and I decided to check out a new neighborhood on Sunday afternoon.
One of our good friends in Hampstead sent us a Washington Post article entitled “A Londoner’s London“, which details several neighborhoods that Soho-weary London dwellers could explore on their weekends at home.
The number one neighborhood was Hampstead (done!), so we looked farther down the list for somewhere we hadn’t yet visited. The winner was Muswell Hill, a land not far from ours.
How to Get to Muswell Hill
Our journey to Muswell Hill was a quixotic adventure. I, of course, played the role of Lady Quixote, while my trusty partner took the role of Sancho Boyfriend (hey, at least I didn’t cast him as Rocinante).
We began our excursion to this under-the-radar London neighborhood on foot, then quickly employed the use of several modes of public transportation.
We meandered through the hauntingly beautiful Highgate Wood and passed some pointy-roofed houses on our way to Muswell Hill.
From there we strolled down a set of old forgotten train tracks and over an ancient aqueduct to find ourselves in the neighborhood.
Things to Do in Muswell Hill
We began our explorations of Muswell Hill in the huge expanse of Alexandra Park.
After availing ourselves of some gelato, we were caught in a freak downpour in the middle of a Cypriot kebab festival (whether Greek or Turkish we couldn’t determine).
Damp but not discouraged, we walked past the 19th-century Alexandra Palace, which housed an ice rink, a corral housing some spotted deer, and a lake full of paddle boats. There were great views from it, too.
We saw a skate park being used for parkour and a street artist completing a mural on a concrete slab.
Lady Quixote and Sancho Boyfriend continued the journey into the colorful world of Muswell Hill, heading up, up, up to the high street and down, down, down to a farmers’ market.
Too late to sample the produce, we opted instead for some tapas at the local pub. Falafel and sweet potato wedges stood in for windmills, but we were no less vigorous than Don Q in skewering them.
Our bellies full and our energy flagging, we hailed a bus to take us home from Muswell Hill.
Our Steinbeckian Rocinante faithfully transported us back to Hampstead and reality all at once, and we spent the rest of the evening planning our next adventures.
Tomorrow we hit the road once again, but this time we’re traveling a bit farther than Muswell Hill.
An airplane, our trusty steed of the sky, will whisk us up to Scotland, and after that we’ll be traveling every weekend save for two over the next couple months.
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