Stoke Newington is an area occupying the north-west part of the London Borough of Hackney. The historic core on Church Street was the site of the original hamlet of Stoke Newington which in turn gave its name to the Ancient Parish of Stoke Newington. Church Street retains the distinct London village character which led Nikolaus Pevsner to write that he found it hard to see the district as being in London at all. Stoke Newington is nicknamed "Stokey" by many residents.