buildings in London. (February 2006)]]
is a district within the
London Borough Of Hackney .
It is immediately adjacent to central Hackney - bounded, roughly, by the western side of
Hackney Downs (to the West), the
Lea Valley (to the East), Clifden Road (to the South) and the Lea Bridge Road (to the North). But it is most sensibly defined as the area roughly centred on Lower Clapton Road, to the north of which is Clapton Ponds, the remnant of the old village green.
Hackney Downs, one of the larger open spaces in Hackney, is formally within this district, though many people consider the Downs to be an area of Hackney in its own right.
Like many other parts of East London, Lower Clapton is socially diverse and vibrantly multicultural. Chatsworth Road provides many amenities for people who live in the area, and in so doing has long been a minor gem of thoroughly useful, unpretentious local charm. The shops and restaurants on Chatsworth Road reflect the diversity of the surrounding streets - offering
Turkish ,
Asian and
Caribbean produce alongside butchers, bakers and greengrocers.
Lower Clapton enjoys a surprising amount of green space for a district of inner London. Apart from Hackney Downs, Millfields Park and the recreational facilities of the Lea Valley are easily accessible from the area.
Large parts of Lower Clapton look much as they did when the area was first developed in the second half of the 19th Century. Most of the housing stock consists of
Victorian Terraces of various sizes, and as a result the area has become more popular amongst middle-class professionals during the UK housing boom of
2000 -
2005 . Keen observers will now be able to detect the first green shoots of "gentrification".
