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want to meet at fmd_good The Spot
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any tips for ally pally for first timers?
Your best bet getting there is the W3 bus from Wood Green, it drops you right at the top of the hill and saves you the brutal walk up from Alexandra Palace station. That walk is a killer if you're not used to it, especially after a few drinks, but the views from the terrace on the way down make it worth it on a clear night.
For sound, get in early and stand near the sound desk, that's where the engineers tune everything for. The main hall is huge and can get boomy at the back, so being central is key. If you want a breather, the side balconies have decent sightlines and way less crowd crush.
The place itself is a proper Victorian relic, all glass and ironwork, and it's got this weird mix of grandeur and chaos. Cool story: they used to hold dog shows there in the 1930s, and during the war it was a BBC broadcasting hub, so you're dancing where Churchill once gave speeches.
As for leaving, don't bother with the shuttle bus if it's packed, just walk down to Wood Green and grab a tube, it's usually faster than waiting in that queue. And if you're hungry after, the kebab shop on the high road near the station is open late and does a decent mixed grill.
Getting there by train is fine, but honestly the walk from Alexandra Palace station is part of the experience, just pace yourself and grab a drink at the pub at the bottom of the hill first. The sound is best if you hang around the middle, not too far back, but if you're tall you can get away with the edges and still hear everything clearly.
It's a weird one, feels like a giant greenhouse with a load of people crammed in, but that's the charm. One thing I'd say, if it's a sold out show, expect to queue for ages to get
The Muswell Hill side is the one most people miss, if you come up from the Broadway it's a much gentler walk and you pass a few proper pubs like the Mossy Well on the way. That's my usual route, it's a bit longer but you're not dying by the time you get in.
For the sound, don't just stop at the desk, the sweet spot is actually a few rows behind it, around where the floor starts to slope up. The hall's got that old concert hall echo, so anything too close to the walls gets muddy, give yourself a bit of room to move and you'll feel the bass properly.
One thing nobody tells you, the toilets get carnage during headliners, so do your business during the support acts. And if you're there for a band, the merch stand by the main entrance runs out of sizes fast, grab what you want early or you'll be stuck with an XL.
The building's got a proper ghost story too, the old BBC studios are still in the basement and some staff swear they've heard wartime broadcasts playing when the place is empty. I've never experienced it myself but the security lads tell it straight, it's a bit of a thrill if you're into that.
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What are some innovative ways to anonymously compare rental prices in a city?
SpareRoom's "rooms wanted" ads are underrated for this. people post what they're currently paying alongside what they want next, so you can scrape a rough sense of going rates by postcode without anyone knowing you looked. it skews young and flatshare heavy tho, so not much use if you're after 2-beds in zone 2.
Another one is just the depozit or tenancy deposit scheme data. not public-facing, but your council's housing officer can tell you median rents from deposit registrations if you email them under FOI. takes weeks, but its proper anon and nobody clocks u.
Rightmove and Zoopla only show asking rents, which are often 10 to 15 percent above what a place actually goes for, so they're a poor benchmark. The trick I've used is the ONS Price Index of Private Rents, which breaks things down to borough level and is genuinely anonymous since it's aggregate data, no listing or account needed. For something more granular, the London Renters Union runs a rent reporting tool where you submit what you're paying with your postcode and it maps it against others nearby, though the coverage is patchy outside the inner boroughs.
the openrent "rent check" thing is decent for zones 3-4 where the unions tool barely reaches. also worth checking the london.gov.uk planning portal for new build applications, they list "affordable" and market rent figures per unit in the viability assessments, which is basically the developer telling the council what they expect to charge. bit of a faff to dig through but its public, anonymous & nobody knows ur looking