Things to Do in Headington

Skip the postcard spires of central Oxford. Headington delivers something else entirely, a working neighborhood where London Road traffic competes with student chatter from the Brookes University campus. Victorian red-brick terraces line quiet, tree-lined crescents. The smell of frying onions from a kebab shop drifts past floral scents from front gardens. Look up on New High Street. A shark's tail fin juts from a rooftop, bizarre and beloved, a sculpture locals have defended for decades. Hospital staff, academics, and students live here. The energy is practical, unpretentious, far from the collegiate show. Headington Hill Park offers cool shade on sunny afternoons. Families picnic on sloping grass. The distant city murmurs behind them.

Headington connects well yet feels apart. Buses 1, 5, and 10 run frequent from Headington shops along London Road into Oxford city centre. The trip takes 15-20 minutes, traffic depending. Standard. Economical. Taxis to the central train station cost noticeably more but save time. The neighborhood walks fine. Main shops and restaurants cluster on London Road. Quieter residential streets spread behind. A car helps for Shotover Country Park or day trips. Central Oxford parking is difficult and expensive. The bus usually wins.