So I live in this sleepy town of Harrow, North West London. It’s getting an unfairly bad reputation for crime, lots of rats and too many chicken shops… While this is kinda true, it makes the area seem bad to live in, however there are also some good things happening here. The borough spans over 50km covering all the smaller districts and towns and there is also a town centre. I’ve taken some time to do a bit of research and create a guide of this not-so-bad place to live.
I’m going to keep shopping and nightlife to a minimum because in my opinion there isn’t really any…there isn’t!
Sports & Fitness:
- Ok so I love boxing, If you do to and want to get involved then get down to Harrow Amateur Boxing club for a session. Whether you want to get in the ring or just do the classes to build up your fitness. Sweeney will sort you out. See https://www.facebook.com/HarrowABC
- Football? There are a couple of local teams in the borough, you can get your young ones involved or you as a spectator can enjoy. The Hive stadium has regular matches and is a really nice venue https://www.thehivelondon.com. A list of the clubs can be found here – https://www.netmums.com/harrow/local/index/after-school-activities/football
- MMA – Two main centres here in Harrow which will allow you train and level up in Kickboxing, Muay Thai, BJJ and martial arts. See MCMA http://moderncombatmartialarts.com
- Karate and Martial Arts – I found over 8 different schools in the borough; go here for a full listing https://www.netmums.com/harrow/local/index/after-school-activities/martial-arts
- Gymnastics – We have a gymnastics club in Wealdstone which offers membership and drop in for kids and adults, check http://www.harrowschoolofgymnastics.co.uk/
- American Football. Don’t screw up your face!, it’s on the up in the UK so get with it see http://wembleystallions.co.uk/about-club/ This is really in Sudbury Hill rather than Harrow, however.
- Harrow Leisure Centre – This is a really good multi centre for swimming, gym, weight lifting, rock climbing, badminton, trampoline and quite a lot more by all accounts. https://www.everyoneactive.com/centre/harrow-leisure-centre/ There is also a partner swimming pool and athletics track at Bannister and Hatch End.
- Harrowall – As Bouldering is going to be an official sport in the 2020 Olympics, I’ve included it under this section. There is a newly built ginormous climbing centre installed in Harrow – Get involved https://www.harrowall.co.uk
- Running. There is a weekly 5k group you can join for free, meet new people and get fit! http://www.parkrun.org.uk/harrow
Leisure:
- Skating – Did you know there is a monthly roller disco in Harrow? Our best kept secret. It starts in the afternoon for the kids and then adults in the evening, and it goes on till 2am!. Hire is available although queues are long. See – https://www.facebook.com/sk8citylondon/
- Golf – Swing or drive? Down near Northwick park hospital, you can play golf. Proper golf or silly golf. There are also batting cages if you want to practice your baseball swing, food and drink is also available. See – http://playgolf-london.com/ There is also another option available here; http://www.harrowgolf.co.uk/
- Skatepark – BMX, Blades, Skateboards its all here at the outdoor craters and bowls http://www.skateparkhunter.com/skatepark/uk/harrow-skatepark/
- Bowling: There is ten pin bowling up in Stanmore, they also serve fast food and drinks. See – http://www.m18.co.uk/
- Gaming – Check out the new virtual reality bays in Harrow town centre. Great for the gamers! See – https://www.vr-champions.com/
- Fishing: Fancy yourself as an angler? Get in touch with the Harrow Angling school, although I hear the waiting list is pretty long. See – http://www.hsac.co.uk/index.htm https://harrowangling.co.uk/fisheries
- Shooting range; Tired of playing GTA? This has real targets in a safe environment! See – http://ruisliprifleclub.org.uk/
Culture:
- Well lets start with the historic ”Harrow on the Hill”. Home to the famous Harrow school, where the some of the wealthiest and most famous Harrovians have attended. Some of us don’t really know these guys, but we’ve all served them at some point during our Saturday jobs!. The school and surrounding buildings are renounced for their architectural merit and good walks.
- Harrow School. Some parts of the school are accessible to the public, there are some very pretty sights along Football Lane and the gallery is open for viewing. See – http://www.harrowschool.org.uk/Old-Speech-Room-Gallery
- Art Gallery & Studio: A space in West Harrow where Multidisciplinary Artists can host and display their work. See – http://www.usurp.org.uk/
- The Arc – This is a multi space, Ampitheatre , studio and café next to Harrow on the Hill station https://www.harrowcommercialservices.co.uk/archousecafe
- Harrow Arts Centre – Platform for all of the arts, music, dance, film. They even have small theatre productions showing. See – https://harrowarts.com/whats-on
- The Market – Cheap household and electrical goods sold every Thursday morning behind Debenhams in the car park.
- Headstone Manor & Museum – Small museum but large collection of items relating to this History of Harrow. See – http://headstonemanor.org
Shopping:
We’ve got the basics. Two Shopping centres and a department store. Everything you need is here, everything you want isn’t.
Nightlife: There really is none anymore. Pubs are nice in the afternoons and they are very quiet. Sometimes the beers are flat, and the music is not to my taste. I also find the sports are really hard to watch in these pubs as the screens are often not bright or loud enough.
Food: We have a plethora of Chicken shops just waiting for you to tuck into!. They are scattered all over, but the majority are in Wealdstone and South Harrow. Some can come with a meal deal, inc drink and fries, be sure to look out for lunchtime offers.
But the really nice places to eat and some local gems id recommend are:
- The Fat Crab – seafood and fries in Rayners Lane a strong favourite. See – http://thefatcrab.uk/home/
- Everest Lounge – Pricey and Spicy Indian food in Wealdstone, but very good and have Guinness on draught. See – http://everestlounge.com/
- The White Horse – Really great food in here, a good selection and a fantastic Sunday Roast. See – http://www.whitehorseharrow.co.uk/
