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Neasden
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Neasden is a place in the London Borough of Brent.
The area was recorded as Neasdun in 939 and the name is derived from the Old English nēos = 'nose' and dūn = 'hill'. It means 'the nose-shaped hill' referring to a well-defined landmark of this area. It was known as Needsden in 1750, and the present spelling appeared at a later date.
In the early 1850s Neasden had a population of about 110. The urbanisation of Neasden began with the arrival of the railway. In 1875, Dudding Hill, the first station in the area, was opened, and the Metropolitan Railway was extended through Neasden shortly afterwards. New housing, initially for railway workers, appeared and by 1911, Neasden's population had swelled to 2,074. Another station, Dollis Hill, was built in 1909.
In the 1930s the building of the North Circular Road, a main arterial route round London, brought another wave of development. The last farm in Neasden was built over in 1935. Neasden Shopping Centre was opened in 1936, and was considered the most up-to-date in the area. Industries sprung up in the south of the borough, and by 1949, Neasden's population was over 13,000.
The post-war history of Neasden is one of decline; traffic problems necessiated an underpass on the North Circular Road that effectively cut Neasden in half and had a disastrous effect on the shopping centre. The decline in industry through the 1970s contributed to the borough's decline. But Neasden has survived, largely due to a succession of imimgrant communities keeping the local economy afloat. Irish, Asian, Afro-Caribbean, South American and most recently East European immigants, attracted by housing and good transport links have settled in Neasden and opened pubs, shops and small businesses.
In 2004, the Shopping Centre area was partially redeveloped by the council in an effort to reverse its fortunes. It remains to be seen if these measures have proved effective.
Neasden is also considered dangerous and is among London's most crime ridden areas, as it is known for its high crime rate, including gun crime, thefts and as it also borders Stonebridge and Harlesden, which are among London's most dangerous places.
Neasden has achieved a certain notoriety thanks to the British satirical magazine, Private Eye. Since early in its history the magazine has used Neasden as an exemplar of the suburban environment in pieces parodying current events, personalities, and mores (for example, the University of Neasden). Spoof sports reports usually feature the perennial losers, Neasden F.C..
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