Stayed here for two and a half months while working in the U.K. and this place worked beautifully as a home base. The flat itself has a lot of light, the kitchen is easy to cook in, and though it's right off Essex road the flat felt peaceful and the bedroom is quiet. The neighborhood is great -- a great mixture of long-term businesses and newer trendier ones. There are lots of good food options right around (we particularly enjoyed the Ecuadorian place, and the Marquess Tavern) and fancier ones in the area, and grocery shopping is easy. It's a 15 minute walk to either Highbury/Islington or Angel tube stops, but a 5 minute walk to the Great Northern Line or to the incredibly handy 38 bus which is a quick and easy ride into central London. Cannonbury/Islington is a very pretty area and the flat is a 10 minute walk to Regents Canal. The kitchen redo is cheerful; the furniture is basic and fine; it's not super stylish but it's more than functional and we'd return here in a heartbeat.