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North West London is a solid residential district of London well served by the tube and bus network and possessing some pockets of very desirable and fashionable housing areas, for example in St John’s Wood, Little Venice, Belsize Park and Hampstead. Further out of the city, you will find a mixture of estates of fairly modern properties to attractive leafy villages with plenty of open space around them - this is not really typically London suburbia. Harrow-on-the Hill and Pinner are notable sought after examples.

Starting at Marble Arch and travelling northwards up the Edgware Road, you come to Little Venice, Warwick Avenue and Maida Vale (W9). They lie just north of the A40(M) Westway and offer good quality executive apartments in mansion blocks or in  large white stucco houses which have been converted. Some of these houses remain intact and are extremely sought after and very expensive.  There are a few prestigious modern developments tucked away behind the main roads, for example executive apartments at Clarendon Court. Streets such as Randolph Avenue, Warwick Avenue and Lauderdale Road are some of the premier locations here.  Also situated in this area is ‘Little Venice’, part of the Grand Union Canal which is a very pretty area.

West of Little Venice and Maida Vale, St John’s Wood (NW8) is a very smart area. With its large houses and elegant terraces, it was once the home of  artists and authors. It is still the home of Lord’s Cricket Ground. Abbey Road made world famous by The Beatles is in St. John’s Wood. There is a good mix of property styles here, some dating from the early 18th century and the area has plenty of space giving  good sized plots and gardens. As a result you can find substantial detached or semi detached homes, small terraces, modern mews developments and smart mansion blocks of executive apartments.  The prices reflect the desirability of the area. St John’s Wood has an excellent High Street for shopping with some exclusive stores and the local tube station is on the Jubilee Line. New building here is limited, but there is a new luxury apartment complex at The Galleries. The American School in London is situated here which explains why the area is so popular with expatriate families.

North of St John’s Wood, Swiss Cottage (NW3) is slightly less sought after, although it is still very exclusive.  Many of the Victorian houses have been converted into flats, but there are also some three/four bedroom modern town houses on three floors in the area off King Henry’s Road which sell well and are quite competitively priced.  Eton Avenue is a sought after part of Swiss Cottage with a range of good quality properties.

Belsize Park (NW3), to the south of Hampstead, is a mainly residential area, with streets of large, white-stuccoed houses.  Property here tends to be a little cheaper than in Hampstead but it is comparable with the best parts of St John’s Wood.

Primrose Hill (NW3) to the west of Camden, is a very pleasant area, popular with families. It offers some particularly good quality, large properties backing onto Regent’s Park.

Hampstead (NW3) and Highgate (N6) are very much sought after locations, with commensurate high prices.  Both areas have a distinctly village feel and Hampstead’s winding streets enhance this effect.

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Hampstead is one of the most desirable areas of London with its hilly streets, narrow lanes and trendy shops. The Heath is wonderful and much-loved by Londoners, it has lovely views, woods, ponds and summer concerts at Kenwood House.  The housing in both these areas largely dates from the Georgian and Victorian eras and is very elegant.  Many large white stucco properties in Hampstead have been converted into flats with anything from one to three and very occasionally four bedrooms; few of these large and attractive properties remain intact as family homes. New apartments have been built at Cranbourne Manor close to Hampstead Village.  In the roads leading off the High Street in Hampstead Village you will find typical small ex-workers cottages with lots of character, there are also some popular Victorian town houses, both of theses types of property are very sought after.  Property in Hampstead is generally very expensive, so you may like to consider its neighbour Highgate for similar property which is more affordable.  Roads leading off Highgate Road near Parliament Hill such as Croftdown Road and Woodsome Road in the Dartmouth Park area are worth considering as you can find some good family sized homes here.  Alternatively on the other side of the Heath in the little streets off North End Road, you will find affordable three/four bedroom houses.  The South Hill Park area of Hampstead is popular with families and you will find some terraces of Victorian and Edwardian three storey houses within very easy reach of the Heath.  There are very good schools in the area, including the popular American and Jewish schools. Hampstead has excellent shopping facilities, restaurants, bars and cafes.

Hampstead Garden Suburb was conceived in 1907 by Dame Henrietta Barnett as a place where everyone, regardless of class or income, could live in beautiful surroundings. The houses, which range from cottages to six bedroom detached residences, are built to traditional British designs from Georgian architecture to Edward Lutyens. The area is still very sought after and commensurately expensive. It is well served by two parades of shops with everything from high street names to specialist retailers.

The network of roads between Hampstead Village and the Finchley Road are a fine source of elegant family homes with gardens and large price tags. West Hampstead (NW6) and Fortune Green (NW2) are much better value but the houses are smaller and the roads busier. Approaching Golders Green, the Golders Hill Park district with roads like West Heath Drive, are worth considering for family houses in a pleasant setting near the heath.

Golders Green (NW11) has an old Jewish tradition and this culture is reflected in the local shops.  In Golders Green you will find a fairly good selection of 1930s’ properties, including both detached and particularly semi detached which may be of interest if you are looking for a family sized home. Between Golders Green and East Finchley is the charming Hampstead Garden Suburb (N2), a conservation area mainly consisting of cottages and large family houses.  Although there are some flats here, they are quite few and far between.  Also limited in number, but very exclusive, are the ambassadorial style houses on Bishops Avenue and Winnington Road which command vast sums of money.   There are excellent state schools including the Henrietta Barnett School for girls, but shopping amenities are limited to a small parade in the centre, in keeping with the conservation nature of the area. Finchley (N3) and East Finchley (N2) are very residential areas with a good mixture of flats and houses, some of them house shares.  New property can be found at Woodside Grove and Victoria Park Heights, both are apartment devlopments. This is a good area to find a property for rental.

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Mill Hill (NW7) is quite a prestigious area generally, properties in the ‘village’ being particularly sought after including those along and off The Ridgeway and in the Lawrence Street area in roads such as The Reddings and Reddings Close.  Uphill Road is a very exclusive location with some very large and expensive houses, but at the bottom end of this road, the prices become a little lower and resale in this area is generally very easy.  There are occasionally small new developments of executive homes built here, Damascus House is a contemporary development of luxury apartments. Also well regarded is the Copthall area near the sports centre where there is a development called Bennington Heights.

Pinner  is located a little west of Harrow and one of its most exclusive parts is the area known as Pinner Village.  Pinner Village has attractive tree lined avenues and is a very popular housing area with traditional and modern properties, mostly individual in style.  Prices in this location are extremely high and it is to this part of Pinner that many people aspire when considering living in north west London. Here in Regent’s Court is a new apartment development behind electric gates and private parking and on the Eastcote Road more new apartments have been built. Incidentally, Pinner Hill is even more exclusive and expensive.

Prices are generally considered to reflect the address rather more than the actual quality of the house in Pinner Village, nevertheless, it is certainly worth being aware of the less popular parts of Pinner when you are relocating. Proximity to main roads and railway tracks are major disadvantages.  Pinner’s schools are very well regarded and this is another feature which attracts residents.  The system of catchment areas means that you will be  more likely to gain a place for your child at a popular school if you live within its catchment area.

There is plenty of parkland around and although there are large stores such as Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer, they are well hidden from view, in keeping with the ‘village’ qualities of which Pinner is proud.

There are some very attractive and popular houses known as ‘Artegens’, which is short for Artesan and General, located on the Pinnerwood Estate in the area towards Pinner Hill.  Dating from around the 1930s, these have a very distinctive quality about them, but they tend to come onto the market rather seldom and are always purchased very quickly.  Nevertheless, it may be worth keeping a look out for them.  Some properties in this area back onto the golf course which adds to both their view and their price!

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