Hackney – going places

Options: it's easy to get around Hackney. Photograph: © Transport for London

In a property market that often values houses based on their proximity to a tube station, it is easy to look at a map of Hackney with mild trepidation. Strictly speaking, the borough has only one Underground station – Manor House – and a couple of stations dotted around the boundaries, such as Old Street and Finsbury Park.

Yet getting around Hackney is easier than ever, and as London 2012 put the borough’s transport systems to a rigorous test, they passed with flying colours.

Hackney is one of the most sustainable areas in the country, with car ownership in steady decline, and a huge increase in bus use and cycling. Additionally, it boasts an excellent Overground rail network, which provides one of the most pleasant public transport systems in London.

The East London Line Project, which saw the London Overgound extended down the length of the A10, linking new stations at Shoreditch High Street, Hoxton and Haggerston to Dalston Junction, means that it is now possible to get as far as Richmond, Clapham Junction or West Croydon within an hour from practically any part of central Hackney.

Stratford, which is set to become an increasingly developed area in the aftermath of the Olympics, is less than 15 minutes from Dalston Kingsland station.

The Overground network boasts air-conditioned carriages with plenty of standing room, and during peak times they run at a ten-minute frequency – often even quicker. Another perk is being above ground, which means commuting time can be used for catching up on phone calls or emails.

Aside from public transport, cycling around Hackney is becoming a safer and quicker option.

There are roughly 26,000 fewer cars on the road than there were in 2000, while cycle use has doubled in the last ten years, with around 8000 bikes on the roads of the borough today.

The Olympics has seen the introduction of several bike lanes, and parts of the canal towpaths have been made safer and easier for riding.

Keeping a car in Hackney can be a nuisance, but for those who want the use of a vehicle to nip and get the shopping in, help is at hand.

The recent proliferation of car clubs in Hackney make a useful alternative to car ownership. Zipcar has a particularly strong representation in the borough, with cars on every few streets in the more central areas. You only pay for the time you use the car, and once signed up to the scheme, the process is remarkably simple.

Plans for an extension to the Docklands Light Railway, which would serve parts of Hackney, have been mooted in the past and may yet come to fruition as the next wave of upgrades to the DLR are confirmed.

In the meantime, however, Hackney is fast becoming one of the best connected areas in the capital, so have a look at that map, and think again.