The narrow streets of ‘Shimokita’, barely passable by cars, create a streetscape like a dollhouse version of Tokyo. It’s been a favourite haunt of generations of students, musicians and artists. If hippies – not bureaucrats – ran Tokyo, the city would look a lot more like Shimo-Kitazawa. Unfortunately the massive redevelopment of the train station area is cramping its style a bit, but it's still a great place to wander – and bar-hop.
Restaurants, bars and entertainment venues are clustered on the south side; the more laid-back north side has many cafes and second-hand shops.