What are the Differences Between Harringay and Haringey?

They may only have a couple of letters different in their name, and both lie in the same area of London, but the two places are quite distinct. Anthony Pepe can help whether you are interested in property for rent in Harringay, or you need a residential home sales agent in Haringey; here we explain the history of the area, and the differences between the two.

Where it All Started

The original name both forms come from is Heringes-hege, where the ‘g’ is pronounced as a ‘y’ phonetically. It’s an Old English name which dates back to the 14th Century; it seems likely that Hering was an Anglo Saxon who settled in the area.

Over the years Heringes-hege evolved into a variety of different names – with some local historians recording over 1,000 mediaeval variants, all used at different points throughout history. Among these were Hornsey (which is now a separate neighbourhood), Haringey and Harringay.

One’s a Borough…

Haringey today refers to the North London borough; the name was chosen in 1965 (it’s actually an amalgamation of three previous boroughs).

Because it’s a borough, it has distinct boundary lines. It also has its own political and administrative dimensions. London borough councils provide the majority of local government services (schools, waste management, social services, libraries) – this means they have their own elected councillors.

The borough covers an area of 11 square miles and includes Tottenham and Wood Green in the east, and Highgate, Muswell Hill and Crouch End in the west.

…While the Other is a Neighbourhood

Harringay lies within the southern centre of the borough of Haringey. In comparison to Haringey (as you might expect) it’s comparatively small – it is just under two miles long from north to south, and about half a mile from west to east.

The nature of borders varies; for example to the west it’s formed by the East Coast rail line, whereas in the south-west the border is marked by Finsbury Park (which is officially part of the neighbourhood). At other times, streets in the district mark the end of the district.

Key Features of Harringay…

While Harringay is mainly a residential area, one of the key streets is Green Lanes, pictured, a long, cosmopolitan high street with shops catering for a variety of cultures.

The other areas include Grand Parade, to the east of Green Lanes; behind Grand Parade, the streets are in an area known as Harringay Gardens. The area to the west of Green Lanes is known as Grand Ladder, owing to its similarity to the shape of the streets when seen on a map.

Although the original streets largely consisted of Victorian homes, increasingly new conversions and modern apartments are being added to the area.

…and of Haringey

The borough is much wider than the neighbourhood, so it includes some major London landmarks, including Tottenham Hotspur FC (their new stadium was approved by borough planners) and Alexandra Palace, the entertainment venue which was formerly home to the BBC (and the radio and TV mast is still in use).

More than a quarter of its total area is given over to parks and green spaces. The borough overall also lies on a bit of a sloped gradient, and generally the west of the borough is higher than the east – the ground falls away from wooded high ground in Highgate and Muswell Hill.

Property for Rent in Harringay with Anthony Pepe

Whether you are looking to move into or out of Harringay or Haringey, Anthony Pepe can help. We pride ourselves on our high standards and are always looking for ways to improve our service to the customer, whether you are looking to buy, sell, rent or rent out.

Our Harringay office is on Green Lanes, at the heart of the neighbourhood. We also offer landlord and property management services in the area, and also have a Land and New Homes department – for more information check out our services page here.

To contact our Harringay office, call 020 8341 9999, email  harringay@anthonypepe.com or follow this link .