Crouch End takes its name from “crux” the Latin for cross or crossroads. Several roads met in this valley. In fact the ancient roads still survive as the roads which meet at Crouch End Broadway.

The housing in Crouch End is mainly late Victorian and Edwardian. It was one of the later parts of London to be developed. Crouch End roughly coincides with the N8 postcode. The most desirable streets are those between the Broadway and Highgate. Crouch Hall Road and the streets off it contain late Victorian houses, many in the Gothic style, as well as Edwardian houses. There are blocks of modern flats such as Highgate Heights and Panorama Court on Shepherd’s Hill.

North of Park Road up to Alexandra Park lies Priory Park Village, as it is called, with Priory Road running through the middle of it. The roads such as Redston Road and Linzee Road contain mainly Edwardian houses. Just below Alexandra Park and to the east of Priory Park Village is the Campsbourne Conservation Area, with medium-sized houses of the late Victorian period mainly between Beechwood Road and Northview Road. Further east towards the railway lines lies the old waterworks site being developed into new homes. The process is expected to continue on the other side of the railway lines where there are redundant rail and gas works. Below the High Street and to the east of Priory Park, Middle Lane and the streets off it, such Temple Road and Hillfield Avenue, are popular streets with large houses. There are Victorian terraces - but also 20th century houses - in Rokesly Avenue, and a council development in Lightfoot Road. South of Tottenham Lane, this area contains more streets of Victorian houses, some of them very large indeed. Between Crouch End Hill and Crouch Hill are more large Edwardian houses in streets such as Haslemere Road. There are large Victorian mansion blocks here too, such as Albert Mansions, and more flats and terraced houses. On the east side of Crouch Hill is the large Holly Park Estate, which is council property. Where Stapleton Hall Road runs off the junction of Crouch Hill and Stroud Green Road, the area is called Stroud Green. There are smaller Victorian terraces here built in the Gothic style in Mount Pleasant Crescent, and other terraces in the streets from Stroud Green Road to Florence Road.