Editing Dalston

{{Short description|Area of East London, England}}
{{About|the area of London|the village in Cumbria|Dalston, Cumbria|other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox UK place
| official_name             = Dalston
| static_image_name         = St Mark's Church, Dalston - geograph.org.uk - 386321.jpg
| static_image_caption      = St. Mark's Church – "Cathedral of the [[East End of London|East End]]"
| map_type                  = Greater London
| region                    = London
| country                   = England
| london_borough            = Hackney
| constituency_westminster  = [[Hackney North and Stoke Newington (UK Parliament constituency)|Hackney North and Stoke Newington]]
| constituency_westminster1 = [[Hackney South and Shoreditch (UK Parliament constituency)|Hackney South and Shoreditch]]
| post_town                 = LONDON
| postcode_area             = E
| postcode_district         = E8
| postcode_area1            = N
| postcode_district1        = N1, N16
| dial_code                 = 020
| os_grid_reference         = TQ345845
| coordinates               = {{coord|51.545|-0.070|display=inline,title}}
| charingX_distance_mi      = 4
| charingX_direction        = SW
}}
'''Dalston''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|d|ɔː|l|s|t|ən}}) is an area of [[East London]], in the [[London Borough of Hackney]]. It is {{convert|4|mi|km|0|abbr=off|spell=on}} northeast of [[Charing Cross]]. Dalston began as a hamlet on either side of Dalston Lane, and as the area urbanised the term also came to apply to surrounding areas including [[Kingsland, London|Kingsland]] and [[Shacklewell]], all three of which being part of the [[Civil Parish#Ancient Parishes|Ancient Parish]] of [[Hackney, London|Hackney]].

The area has experienced a high degree of gentrification in recent years, a process accelerated by the [[East London line extension]], now part of [[London Overground]], and the reopening of [[Dalston Junction railway station]], part of London's successful bid to host the [[2012 Olympics]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/archive/20185.aspx|access-date=4 January 2013|website=Tfl.gov.uk|title=London Overground's East London route doubles passenger numbers in one year|date=7 June 2011}}</ref>

==Bounds==
Dalston has never been an administrative unit, and partly for this reason the boundaries are not formally defined. There are generally understood boundaries in the south and west, but less clarity to the north and east. There is an electoral ward of the same name which covers a part of the northwest of Dalston.

Dalston's boundaries (taking in Kingsland and Shacklewell, but not [[De Beauvoir Town]], which is also sometimes associated with Dalston) are described with more or less precision below:
* '''South:''' Dalston takes [[Metropolitan Borough of Hackney|Hackney's]] southern border with [[Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch|Shoreditch]]. Albion Drive forms much of this boundary.
* '''West:''' The originally Roman A10 road (under the names, south to north: [[Kingsland Road]], Kingsland High St, Stoke Newington Road) is widely understood as Dalston's western margin. The exception is that both sides of Kingsland High St are included – here Dalston takes Hackney's western boundary as it crosses the A10 to take in a small area bounded by Boleyn Road and the Crossway, to include [[Dalston Kingsland Railway Station]]. The western boundary corresponds with the western side of the E8 postal area with which Dalston is associated, though postcodes are not intended to define districts, and the postal area also takes in areas that are not ever described as part of Dalston.
* '''North:''' There is not a tradition of a clear northern boundary with [[West Hackney]]. Dalston's association with the E8 postal area means that its 'sphere of self-identification' does not extend far, if at all, beyond the postcode boundary, and no further north than Farleigh Road.
* '''East:''' Between Downs Road and Amhurst Road, the physical barrier of the railway embankment marks the postcode boundary with [[Lower Clapton]]. There is little tradition of a boundary with the [[Hackney Central|central Hackney]] area except that it is sometimes said that Dalston extends as far as the park at [[London Fields]].

==History==
The name Dalston is thought to have derived from ''Deorlaf's tun'' (farm)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://origin.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/ES_Vol_I_Main_Report.pdf|title=Dalston Junction Environmental Report|website=Origin.tfl.gov.uk|access-date=30 October 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110823201420/http://origin.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/ES_Vol_I_Main_Report.pdf|archive-date=23 August 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> in much the same way as nearby Hoxton was named after the farm of "Hoch". The first written record available is from 1294 when the name was written as Derleston.

The village was one of four small villages within the [[Hackney (parish)|Parish of Hackney]] (along with [[West Hackney|Newington]], [[Shacklewell]], and [[Kingsland, London|Kingsland]]) that were grouped for assessment purposes, together having only as many houses as the [[Hackney Central|village of Hackney]].

[[John Rocque's Map of London, 1746#The Country Near Ten Miles Round|John Rocque's map of 1746]] shows the village of Kingsland centred on the crossroads at what is now Dalston Junction and the small village of Dalston further east along Dalston Lane. Another clear feature is Roman [[Ermine Street]] which now forms most of the western boundary of this area. Ermine Street now has the road number A10 and goes by a number of names, including [[Kingsland Road]] as it travels through London.

Around 1280&nbsp;CE a [[leper hospital]] was founded in Dalston by the citizens of London and in 1549 it was attached to the chapel of St Bartholomew as an outhouse.

During the 18th and 19th centuries the area changed from an agricultural and rural landscape to an urban one.  By 1849, it was described as ''a recently increased suburban village, with some handsome old houses'', and by 1859 the village had exceeded its neighbour and, with the railways and continuous building, the village of Kingsland disappeared.<ref name=Brit>{{cite web|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22698|title=Hackney: Dalston and Kingsland Road – British History Online|website=British-history.ac.uk|access-date=8 November 2017}}</ref>

During the 1930s, 1940s<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1585110/Vidal-Sassoon-Anti-fascist-warrior-hairdresser.html|title=Vidal Sassoon: Anti-fascist warrior-hairdresser|last=Singh  |first=Anita|date=2008-04-13|access-date=2017-11-08|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235|work=Telegraph}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://pasttenseblog.wordpress.com/2016/06/01/today-in-londons-radical-history-fascist-rally-in-ridley-road-market-smashed-by-jewish-43-group-1947/|title=Today in London's radical history: fascist rally in Ridley Road market, smashed by Jewish 43 Group, 1947|date=2016-06-01|work=past tense|access-date=2017-11-08|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/last-reunion-for-war-heroes-who-came-home-to-fight-the-fascists-1628953.html|title=Last reunion for war heroes who came home to fight the fascists|date=2009-02-22|work=The Independent|access-date=2017-11-08|language=en-GB}}</ref> and 1960s<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/31/newsid_2776000/2776295.stm|title=1962: Violence flares at Mosley rally|website=News.bbc.co.uk|date=1962-07-31|access-date=2017-11-08|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.britishpathe.com/video/mosley-tries-again|title=Mosley Tries Again|author=British Pathé|website=Britishpathe.com|language=en-GB|access-date=2017-11-08}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.britishpathe.com/video/mosley-gets-rough-house|title=Mosley Gets Rough House|author=British Pathé|website=Britishpathe.com|language=en-GB|access-date=2017-11-08}}</ref> the area's large Jewish and other minority populations made it a target for provocative rallies by [[Oswald Mosley]] and the various organisations he founded. These were actively opposed by many local people, together with organisations such as the [[43 Group]] in the 1940s and the [[62 Group]] from 1962, and this led to a number of violent confrontations, notably in the Ridley Road and Hertford Road areas.<ref>{{Cite web |date=Sep 2, 2020 |title=Today in London radical history, 1962: nazi meetings in the East End scattered by anti-fascists |url=https://pasttenseblog.wordpress.com/2020/09/02/today-in-london-radical-history-1962-nazi-meetings-in-the-east-end-scattered-by-anti-fascists/ |website=London Radical Histories}}</ref> A 2014 novel, ''[[Ridley Road (novel)|Ridley Road]]'', and its [[BBC One]] TV adaptation uses the clashes as a backdrop to the narrative.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Jo Bloom draws on the spirit of '60s anti-fascist groups for novel Ridley Road |author= |work=Hackney Gazette |date=8 January 2015 |url= https://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/things-to-do/jo-bloom-draws-on-the-spirit-of-60s-anti-facist-3485448}}</ref>

In July 2017 a riot broke out on Dalston Road, which had originally started as a demonstration against police violence. Protesters barricaded the spot where a man, who later died at the [[Royal London Hospital]], had been arrested. The rioters threw fire bombs at police and caused property damage.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dn.se/nyheter/varlden/valdsamma-upplopp-i-london/|title=Våldsamma upplopp i London – DN.SE|date=2017-07-29|work=[[Dagens Nyheter]]|access-date=2017-07-29|language=sv-se}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jul/28/demonstrators-dalston-london-protest-death-rashan-charles|title=Demonstrators block Dalston road in violent protest at Rashan Charles death|last=Wyatt|first=Timothy|date=2017-07-28|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=2017-07-29|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

===Administrative history===
The [[Hackney (parish)|Ancient Parish of Hackney]], of which Dalston was a part, detached from [[Stepney#Manor and Ancient parish|Stepney]] in the Middle Ages and had consistent boundaries from that time on.

The area was part of the [[Historic counties of England|historic (or ancient) county]] of [[Middlesex]], but military and most (or all) civil county functions were managed more locally, by the [[Tower division|Tower Division (also known as the Tower Hamlets)]], a historic ‘county within a county’, under the leadership of the [[Constable of the Tower of London|Lord-Lieutenant of the Tower Hamlets (the post was always filled by the Constable of the Tower of London)]]. The military loyalty to the Tower meant local men served in the Tower garrison and Tower Hamlets Militia, rather than the Middlesex Militia. This arrangement lasted until 1900.<ref>The London Encyclopaedia, 4th Edition, 1983, Weinreb and Hibbert</ref><ref>East London Papers, Volume 8, Number 2, The Name 'Tower Hamlets'. M.J. Power, December 1965</ref>

In 1900 the [[Metropolitan Borough of Hackney]] was formed, using the boundaries of the former parish, and it became part of the [[County of London]]. In 1965 Hackney merged with the boroughs of [[Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch|Shoreditch]] and [[Metropolitan Borough of Stoke Newington|Stoke Newington]] to form the modern [[London Borough of Hackney]], part of a new larger county of [[Greater London]].

==Notable buildings==
St. Mark's is a large Victorian church primarily built in the period 1864–66 to a design by Chester Cheston. It is reputedly the largest parish church in London, larger than [[Southwark Cathedral]], capable of hosting congregations of 1800–2000 people<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/assets/downloads/documents/dalston_junction_to_hoxton_transcript.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170326051652/http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/assets/downloads/documents/dalston_junction_to_hoxton_transcript.pdf |archive-date=2017-03-26 |url-status=live|title=Dalston Junction to Hoxton|website=Ltmuseum.co.uk|access-date=8 November 2017}}</ref> and its great size has earned it the nickname, the "Cathedral of the East End".<ref name="hackney.gov.uk">{{cite web|url=http://www.hackney.gov.uk/Assets/Documents/st_mark_s_caa_a.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415084612/http://www.hackney.gov.uk/Assets/Documents/st_mark_s_caa_a.pdf |archive-date=2012-04-15 |url-status=live|title=Conservation Area Appraisal : St Marks|website=Hackney.gov.uk|access-date=8 November 2017}}</ref> The residential area around the church is also of high architectural quality and has accordingly been designated the "St. Mark's Conservation Area".<ref name="hackney.gov.uk"/>

The [[Rio Cinema (Dalston)|Rio Cinema]] is a Grade II listed independent Art Deco cinema. It is a popular single-screen cinema located on Kingsland High Street, with a history stretching back over 100 years.

The [[German Hospital, Dalston|German Hospital]], locally known as 'The German', is a group of attractive Victorian red brick buildings that were home to a hospital from 1845 to 1987. The hospital was initially founded to cater primarily for London's then large German-speaking community. It eventually became an ordinary [[National Health Service|NHS]] facility before its facilities were merged and moved to [[Homerton University Hospital]].

==Festivals==
Dalston is known for music, events and its nightlife. Its biggest festival to date began in 2015, Dalston Music Festival. Centred on Gillett Square and 8 clubs in the surrounding area, it was founded by Andrew Bunsell of Dalston Studios.

==Arts and entertainment==
[[File:dalston culture house.jpg|thumb|right|The Dalston Culture House now houses the Vortex Jazz Club. (October 2005)]]

Dalston hosts several art and entertainment venues, and has a history as an entertainment centre, with at one time hosting four or five cinemas within a radius of {{convert|1/3|mile|m|sigfig=1}}, and the Dalston Theatre, a former [[hippodrome]] and [[music hall]] that later became the [[The Four Aces Club|Four Aces blues club and the Labyrinth nightclub]]. The Dalston Theatre was demolished in February 2007, despite an active local campaign to save it. Dalston was also a hub for 1970s and 1980s pub rock venues but these are largely defunct.

[[File:dalston rio.jpg|thumb|left|The Dalston Rio Cinema]]

==Shopping==
[[File:ridley road market dalston 1.jpg|thumb|right|Dalston's Ridley Road market, October 2005]]
Established in the 1880s, [[Ridley Road Market]] is opposite Dalston Kingsland railway station.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ridley Road Market|url=http://www.hackney.gov.uk/ridley-road-market.htm|publisher=Hackney Council|access-date=10 October 2011}}</ref> Fruit and vegetables, some fairly exotic, are available. [[Halal]] butchers cluster around the high street end of the market.

Ridley Road market is reputedly the basis for the one found in the BBC's ''[[EastEnders]]''.<ref>Benjamin Hewitt, [http://hackneypost.co.uk/2009/03/19/ridley-road-market-the-real-eastenders/ "Ridley Road Market: The real EastEnders"], ''Hackney Post'', 19 March 2009.</ref> The Kingsland Shopping Centre (formerly Dalston Cross) is just south of Ridley Road Market.
Kingsland Road and the surrounding streets are home to an ever-growing number of boutiques, bars and cafés.

==Area profile==
[[File:dalston junction 1.jpg|thumb|left|Dalston, looking south towards [[City of London|the City]]. A major traffic nexus. (October 2005)]]
Contemporary Dalston is a lively neighbourhood with an ethnically varied population. Architecturally it is a mixture of 18th- and 19th-century [[terraced house]]s and 20th-century [[council estate]]s. It is currently undergoing rapid [[gentrification]], partly because of the redevelopment of the railway station at [[Dalston Junction railway station|Dalston Junction]] and partly due to the revitalisation of large parts of east London in the build-up to the [[2012 Olympics]]. ([[London Borough of Hackney|Hackney]] was one of the four host [[borough]]s of the [[2012 Olympics|Games]].)

Dalston has attracted immigrants for over 100 years; at the turn of the century it was a popular area for newly arrived [[Jews|Jewish]] people from [[central Europe]]. In the 1950s and '60s, as the Jewish community became more affluent and moved out, they were replaced by a large Caribbean community, which accounts for the wide choice of Caribbean food available in Ridley Road. As the Caribbean community slowly drifted out of Dalston it then became popular with the Turkish, as well as the Vietnamese. Recent arrivals include Poles, judging by the numbers of Polish delicatessens now appearing and other stores catering to Polish tastes.

[[Fassett Square]] was the inspiration for the BBC soap ''[[EastEnders]]''. Originally, there were plans to film the series there, on location. However, Fassett Square ([[Albert Square]]) and Ridley Road Market (Walford Market) were rebuilt on the set in Elstree, near Borehamwood, to have a more controlled filming environment. The idea of Walford stems from Walford Road, and many of the houses on the show use the same exterior design. Coincidentally both [[Barbara Windsor]] and [[Tony Holland]], one of the original creators of the show, lived at different times on the street.

The Hackney Peace Carnival Mural depicts a group of people marching for peace against [[Nuclear warfare|"the bomb"]]. It was designed in 1985 by [[Ray Walker (artist)|Ray Walker]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Keys |first=Lottie |date=2022-03-25 |title=Can you help solve hackney's mural mystery? |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/news/can-you-help-solve-hackneys-mural-mystery-032522 |url-status=live |access-date=2025-05-18 |work=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]}}</ref> and has become an important cultural statement from that era. It can be found opposite [[Dalston Junction Overground station]] on Dalston Lane. It has also been used on the cover of  [[Home (Rudimental album)|the Home album]] by local group [[Rudimental]].

[[Music hall]] artist [[Marie Lloyd]] (1870–1922) used to reside on Graham Road. The house now has a [[blue plaque]].

In April 2009 ''The Guardian'' published an article on Dalston claiming that it was the "coolest" place to live in Britain.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/apr/27/dalston-cool-london-suburb | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Paul | last=Flynn | title=Welcome to Dalston, now the coolest place in Britain | date=27 April 2009}}</ref> In the same year however, sculpture park [[The Towers of Hackney]] was torn down to give way to new buildings.

==Transport==
[[File:Dalston Junction stn concourse.JPG|alt=Dalston Junction station concourse, which is clad in reflective, silver metal. There are people moving around the station.|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Dalston Junction railway station|Dalston Junction]] concourse]]

=== Rail ===
Dalston is on the [[London Overground]] network, served by three stations:
*'''[[Dalston Kingsland railway station|Dalston Kingsland]]''' – for London Overground services between [[Stratford station|Stratford]] and [[Richmond station (London)|Richmond]] or [[Clapham Junction railway station|Clapham Junction]]. This provides Dalston with a direct rail link to [[Hackney Central railway station|Hackney Central]], [[Highbury & Islington station|Highbury & Islington]], [[Camden Road railway station|Camden Road]], [[Willesden Junction station|Willesden Junction]] and destinations in [[North London line|West London]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://content.tfl.gov.uk/london-rail-and-tube-services-map.pdf|title=London's Rail & Tube services|website=[[Transport for London]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511111245/http://content.tfl.gov.uk/london-rail-and-tube-services-map.pdf|archive-date=11 May 2019}}</ref>
* '''[[Dalston Junction railway station|Dalston Junction]]''' – for London Overground services between Highbury & Islington and either [[West Croydon station|West Croydon]], [[Crystal Palace railway station|Crystal Palace]], [[New Cross railway station|New Cross]] or Clapham Junction. This gives the area a direct rail connection to [[Shoreditch High Street railway station|Shoreditch]], [[Whitechapel station|Whitechapel]], [[Canada Water station|Canada Water]] and destinations in [[East London line|South London]].<ref name=":0" />
* '''[[Haggerston railway station|Haggerston]]''' – partly in the district, served by London Overground trains between Highbury & Islington and West Croydon, Crystal Palace, New Cross or Clapham Junction.<ref name=":0" />

All stations are in [[London fare zone 2]], and [[Oyster card|Oyster Cards]] are valid for travel from Dalston to other destinations in London. Dalston Junction is the busiest station of the three, with 5.677 million passenger entries and exits at the station in 2017–2018.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://orr.gov.uk/statistics/published-stats/station-usage-estimates|title=Estimates of station usage|website=[[Office of Rail and Road]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190507164919/https://orr.gov.uk/statistics/published-stats/station-usage-estimates|archive-date=7 May 2019}}</ref>

There is no direct rail link to [[Central London]], and Dalston is not on the [[London Underground]] network. Direct connections to [[London fare zone 1|London's Zone 1]] can be found at Hackney Central and Highbury & Islington stations. A [[Dalston (Crossrail 2) railway station|new station in Dalston]] has been proposed as part of the [[Crossrail 2]] development.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://crossrail2.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2015-consultation-route-map.pdf|title=Crossrail 2 route (autumn 2015)|website=[[Crossrail 2]]/[[Mayor of London]]/[[Network Rail]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190515123115/http://crossrail2.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2015-consultation-route-map.pdf|archive-date=15 May 2019}}</ref>

=== Buses ===
Dalston is served by [[London Buses]] on routes 30, 38, 56, 67, 76, 149, 236, 242, 243, 277, 488 and N38. Routes 76, 149, 242, 243 and 277 run 24-hours, daily.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-maps/dalston-a4.pdf|title=Buses from Dalston|website=[[Transport for London]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190515123314/http://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-maps/dalston-a4.pdf|archive-date=15 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-maps/dalston-night-170617.pdf|title=Night buses from Dalston|website=[[Transport for London]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190515123427/http://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-maps/dalston-night-170617.pdf|archive-date=15 May 2019}}</ref>

[[Dalston Bus Garage]] on Shrubland Road has been demolished.

=== Road ===
Major roads in Dalston include:
* '''[[A10 road (England)|A10]] ([[Kingsland Road]]/[[Kingsland High Street]])''' – southbound to [[Shoreditch]] and the [[City of London]], northbound to [[Tottenham]], [[Enfield Town|Enfield]] and [[Hertford]].
* '''[[A104 road (England)|A104]] (Balls Pond Road/Dalston Lane)''' – westbound towards [[Green Lanes (London)|Green Lanes]], [[Highbury]] and [[Angel, London|Angel]], eastbound to [[Hackney Downs]], [[Clapton, London|Clapton]], [[Leyton]] and [[Epping Forest]].
* '''A1207 (Graham Road)''' – eastbound to [[Hackney, London|Hackney]].
* '''B102 (Southgate Road)''' – southbound to [[De Beauvoir Town]] and [[Hoxton]].
* '''B108 (Queensbridge Road)''' – southbound to [[Haggerston]].

==== Air Pollution ====
The [[London Borough of Hackney]] measures roadside [[Air pollution|air quality]] in Dalston, in particular the concentration of [[Nitrogen dioxide|Nitrogen Dioxide]] (NO<sub>2</sub>) in the district. [[Diffusion tube]]s which measure the concentration of NO<sub>2</sub> in roadside air show that across Dalston, the local roadside air quality failed to meet the [[Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs|UK National Objective]] of 40μg/m<sup>3</sup> (micrograms per cubic metre) in 2017.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hackney.gov.uk/media/12320/Air-quality-annual-status-report-2017/pdf/Air-quality-annual-status-report-2017|title=London Borough of Hackney Air Quality – Annual Status Report for 2017|date=31 May 2018|website=[[London Borough of Hackney]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190515123955/https://www.hackney.gov.uk/media/12320/Air-quality-annual-status-report-2017/pdf/Air-quality-annual-status-report-2017|archive-date=15 May 2019}}</ref>

In 2017, the average roadside NO<sub>2</sub> levels in several key locations in Dalston were:
* Dalston Lane (A104) – 63&nbsp;μg/m<sup>3</sup>
* Kingsland High Street (A10) – 62&nbsp;μg/m<sup>3</sup>
* Kingsland Road (A10) – 52&nbsp;μg/m<sup>3</sup>
* Dalston Library – 39&nbsp;μg/m<sup>3</sup> (which meets the UK National Air Quality objective)<ref name=":1" />

=== Cycling ===
[[Cycling infrastructure]] is maintained and managed in Dalston by the London Borough of Hackney and [[Transport for London]] (TfL).

Several key routes pass through the district, including:
* '''[[Cycle Superhighway|Cycle Superhighway 1]] (CS1)''' – an unbroken, signposted route running on residential streets, north–south through Dalston. Northbound, the route carries cyclists to [[Stoke Newington]], [[Seven Sisters, London|Seven Sisters]] and [[Tottenham]]. Southbound, the route passes through [[De Beauvoir Town|De Beauvior Town]] and [[Hoxton]] ''en route'' to [[Moorgate]] in the [[City of London|City]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://content.tfl.gov.uk/cycle-superhighway-route-1-map-city-to-tottenham.pdf|title=Cycle Superhighway Route 1|website=[[Transport for London]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190429095103/http://content.tfl.gov.uk/cycle-superhighway-route-1-map-city-to-tottenham.pdf|archive-date=29 April 2019}}</ref>
* '''[[Quietway|Quietway 2]] (Q2)''' – an unbroken, signposted route running on quieter streets or [[Shared use path|shared-use paths]], east–west through Dalston. Westbound, the route runs to [[Bloomsbury]] via [[Canonbury]], [[Angel, London|Angel]] and [[Finsbury]]. Eastbound, Q2 runs to [[Walthamstow]] via [[London Fields]] and [[Clapton, London|Clapton]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://content.tfl.gov.uk/q2-bloomsbury-walthamstow-east.pdf|title=Quietway 2 (East): Bloomsbury to Walthamstow|website=[[Transport for London]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407114313/http://content.tfl.gov.uk/q2-bloomsbury-walthamstow-east.pdf|archive-date=7 April 2019}}</ref>

Also nearby, there is a signed cycle route through [[Shacklewell]] from [[Hackney Downs]] to the east, to [[Clissold Park]] and [[Finsbury Park]] to the northwest. The [[Regent's Canal]] [[towpath]] passes through neighbouring [[Haggerston]], which runs unbroken from [[Limehouse]] to Angel, via [[Mile End]].{{Geographic Location
|title     = '''Neighbouring areas of Dalston'''
|Northwest = [[Stoke Newington]]
|North     = [[Stoke Newington]]
|Northeast = [[Lower Clapton]]
|West      = [[Canonbury]]
|Centre    = Dalston
|East      = [[Hackney Central]]
|Southwest = [[De Beauvoir Town]]
|South     = [[Haggerston]]
|Southeast = [[London Fields]]
}}

==Cultural references==
[[File:St Mark, Dalston, London E8 - Interior - geograph.org.uk - 1680110.jpg|thumb|Interior of St. Mark's Church in Dalston, featured in 2007 film [[Run Fat Boy Run]].]]
* The 2007 film ''[[Run Fat Boy Run]]'' (directed by [[David Schwimmer]]) was filmed in Dalston (St. Mark's Conservation Area). Dennis ([[Simon Pegg]]) stays in a flat on Sandringham Road across the road from St. Mark's Church.
* The second and third series of popular television show ''[[The Mighty Boosh (TV series)|The Mighty Boosh]]'' takes place in Dalston.
* The 2021 film [[Boiling Point (2021 film)]] was filmed in Dalston at restaurant, Jones & Sons.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hui |first=Angela |title=How 'Boiling Point' was filmed in a real London restaurant |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/news/how-boiling-point-was-filmed-in-a-real-london-restaurant-012622 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250328095148/https://www.timeout.com/london/news/how-boiling-point-was-filmed-in-a-real-london-restaurant-012622 |archive-date=2025-03-28 |access-date=2025-04-27 |work=Time Out London |language=en-GB}}</ref> Dalston bar [[Dalston Superstore]] is mentioned multiple times in the film.
* Dalston Songs is a staged song cycle with seven singers created and composed by [[Helen Chadwick (musician)|Helen Chadwick]] and choreographed by Steven Hoggett. It was based on interviews with people in East London about home and was performed in 2008 at the [[Royal Opera House]].
* Dalston is the second of 12 placenames associated with London mentioned in an [[Overdubbing|overdubbed]] choral series on the [[Lily Allen]] song "[[LDN (song)|LDN]]": "Angel, Dalston, Stockwell, Clapton, Soho, Ladbroke Grove...".
* [[Britney Spears]] recorded the pop video for the song ''[[Criminal (Britney Spears song)|Criminal]]'' in Dalston in September 2011.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/entertainment/britney-spears-shoots-new-video-in-dalston-1-1027933|title=Britney Spears shoots new video in Dalston|first=Chloe|last=Mayer|website=Hackney Gazette}}</ref>
* British indie rock band [[Razorlight]] recorded a song called "Don't go back to Dalston", featured on their debut album ''[[Up All Night (Razorlight album)|Up All Night]]''.
* [[Connan Mockasin]]'s song "Forever Dolphin Love" mentions Dalston.
* Dalston was featured in an episode of the 1990s Channel 4 comedy series ''[[Drop the Dead Donkey]]'', in which the reconstruction of a fictitious post office robbery is staged, in a 'Crime Watch' type parody.
* The poet [[Martina Evans]] lives in Dalston and has referenced it in some of her poems.<ref>{{cite web |title=I want to be like Frank O'Hara |url=http://www.martinaevans.com/videos |website=www.martinaevans.com |access-date=18 July 2021}}</ref>

==Notable people==
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* [[Tony Blair]], [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] politician and former [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]], lived at 59 Mapledene Road 1980–86
* [[Martina Evans]], poet, lives in Balls Pond Road and has referenced Dalston in some of her poems.<ref>{{cite web |title=On Living in an Area of Manifest Greyness and Misery |url=https://www.poetryinternational.com/en/poets-poems/poems/poem/103-15587_ON-LIVING-IN-AN-AREA-OF-MANIFEST-GREYNESS-AND-MISERY|website=www.poetryinternational.com|access-date=18 July 2021}}</ref>
* [[Stephen Fry]] and [[Hugh Laurie]], performers, shared a house on St Mark's Rise in Dalston in the early 1980s<ref>{{cite book|title=[[The Fry Chronicles: An Autobiography]]|last1=Fry|first1=Stephen|publisher=[[Penguin Books]]|year=2010|isbn=978-0-718-15483-7|location=London|page=365|author-link1=Stephen Fry}}</ref>
* [[Sam Lee (musician)|Sam Lee]], folk musician and ethnomusicologist
* [[Emily Lloyd]], actress
* [[Diane Morgan]], interviewer from Bolton<ref>{{cite web|url=https://inews.co.uk/essentials/playing-idiot-easy-diane-morgan-philomena-cunk-motherland-miserable/|title='Playing an idiot is easy': Diane Morgan on the joy of Philomena Cunk|date=28 December 2016|website=Inews.co.uk|access-date=8 November 2017}}</ref>
* [[Charles James Martin (scientist)|Charles James Martin]], director of the [[Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine]]
* [[Alan Spenner]], bass player with [[the Grease Band]] and [[Roxy Music]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/artists/15272876-81af-4cb5-a5e0-b893c78295f9|title=Alan Spenner – New Songs, Playlists & Latest News – BBC Music|publisher=BBC|access-date=8 November 2017}}</ref>
* [[Edith Thompson and Frederick Bywaters|Edith Thompson]], hanged for murder, was born here
* [[Rachel Whiteread]], [[Turner Prize]]-winning artist
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==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Dalston, London|Dalston}}
* [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=22698 History of Dalston & Kingsland Road] British History Online
* [http://bombsight.org/explore/greater-london/hackney/dalston/ Bombs dropped on Dalston in the Second World War]. Bomb Sight.

{{LB Hackney}}
{{London Districts}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Dalston| ]]
[[Category:Districts of the London Borough of Hackney]]
[[Category:Areas of London]]
[[Category:Major centres of London]]