There’s more to Cally Road than the constant Tube closures

Caledonian Road is not only home to some intercollegiate halls, but also to countless UCL students as they leave the aforementioned halls and take on the big city with even greater independence.

“Caledonian Road.” It sounds like one of the most boring places in the world, let alone London and most people don’t even know it exists. Yet for those of us that live there, it’s a home from home like no other.

As you walk down the road you can’t help but appreciate its natural beauty. Cally Road gets a bad rep for certain things, but there’s a nice, sweet tone to the area that really kindles a sense of affinity to it. The place has a palatable sense of history in that it feels very of its time in the current day, but also with a feeling of the past.

A Norwegian entrepreneur essentially brought ice cream to the masses via Caledonian road, importing ice from Norway through regents canal and keeping ice and making ice cream in huge ice houses around the area – if that’s not life changing history on your door step then what is? It’s a nice little titbit of history that adds onto the whole offbeat allure of the place.

It also makes for a surprisingly cool and cultural area: on the Kings’ Cross end, a Hare Krishna shop which cooks the free food UCL and SOAS student frequently queue up for on a regular afternoon basis sells the stuff at bargain prices, and various quirky independent stores populate the area, including a vegan food store, and even a Buddhist centre.

There’s amazing transport connections from Caledonian Road, with easy access to all parts of London – especially the Westend by the Piccadilly line, as well as King’s Cross nearby that’ll get you anywhere you want. It’s also within an awesome proximity to university without having to pay a small fortune to live there.

It’s for this reason that so many UCL students choose to make it their home, and that makes it a social haven. House parties, FIFA tournaments, walks along the canal: home is where your friends are and there’s plenty in Cally Road. Okay, it might not be the most inspiring place in the world, your Grandad up North might not know much about it, but it’s the most underrated place in London, and all in all, I’m proud to call it my stomping ground.