There's been no shortage of comings and goings on our high street this year. We've had cheers and tears and edge-of-seat hopes and fears aplenty.
Starting with the great new additions, May saw the arrival of the first of our new community oriented venues on Green Lanes with the opening of Blend and their great new gallery space. Then, just a couple of months later, we welcomed Jam in a Jar (featured on the front page).
Further south, Hakkan is keeping us waiting with his soon-to-open classical music cafe. In fact we'd been waiting so long we'd all begun to assume that it was dead in the water - until we got an update this month direct from the horse's mouth!
Just nearby, John Shi and crew are truly getting their feet under the Harringay table as they settle in to Sika Orinetal Express's new home. A few doors down N4 Eatery put on a smart new frock and right opposite this pair we witnessed a tearful goodbye to the Royal Mail sorting office and welcomed TK Maxx in its place.
Further north , on a cold January day we saw the opening of Crepanini next to the Salisbury (though it looks as if that might be a short lived venture since later in the year it was up for sale). Up beyond Falkland Road on Queens Parade a new Italian, Durazzo is about to open (or has just recently done so).
If our high street is known for one thing beyond our hallowed pavements, it is of course Turkish food. That sector has been evolving fast this year too. As 2012 closed, Rakaas opened near Harringay Bridge with it's unique large garden. Then in fairly rapid succession we've seen the opening of Shamata with their home-made organic food, Antep doubled in size and become Zer, Cafe Rose transformed to Taksim, Hanci Restaurant and Gazantiep Patisserie both opened and Antepliler has undergone a makeover. As if all that wasn't enough, somehow Gokyuzu managed to get itself voted as the second best restaurant in London on Trip Advisor.
8 Harringay 2013
The Year on Harringay's High Street
The
Did You Know?
Despite Disney Furniture store celebrating its 100th birthday in Harringay this year, it wasn't the first shop in its Grand Parade premises. Last year we found out who was.
PIcture: Sunset over Green Lanes (by Hugh Flouch)