London Area Guide: Hampstead

Want to find out about one of London’s most affluent areas with an array of green space? In this video, I share the top reasons to love and live in Hampstead! A family-friendly area with a range of historical and modern beautiful homes, incredible history, and green space, as well as close to all your London necessities, you may well fall in love with Hampstead as I have!

Steeped in history, with Grade II listed homes, expansive green spaces, and beautiful views of London, makes Hampstead the place to live.  This upscale community appeals to growing families due to its selection of high caliber private and state schools. It also boasts a high street of fabulous cafes, eateries, fashion boutiques and a local butcher. In this article, I wanted to highlight some of the best parts of Hampstead that make this such a fabulous area.

With it’s old world charm and a history going back over a thousand years, this area is one of London’s most sophisticated communities. It offers homes of all sizes, and expansive green space which makes it popular with families. Hampstead actually houses more millionaires than anywhere else in the UK.

Where is Hampstead Located?

Based in North London, with neighbours West Hampstead, Golders Green, and Swiss Cottage, Hampstead is definitely the most affluent. When you arrive you immediately get a sense of the old-world vibe with historic buildings and cobblestone streets, making it a quaint and unique area. Adorable eateries and classic pubs offer great places to relax, shop, and grab a drink with friends.

Things to do in Hampstead:

Then there’s the romantic Hampstead Heath where you can spend countless hours wandering around nature. Another great thing about Hampstead is that you will never run out of things to do, with museums, theatres, art galleries, and churches to visit.

The stunning neo-gothic St Stephen’s Church of England was originally built in 1669 and was de-consecrated and refurbished in the late 1990’s and is now used by the community for education, weddings, social celebrations, and occasionally as a music hall.

Green Space in Hampstead

Hampstead’s coveted status is also based on the convenience of living in London, while feeling like you are in the countryside. Without strict structure or conformity, Hampstead Heath offers a new experience every time you visit, allowing you to lose yourself in the unspoiled oasis of pure and wild nature. With adventure playground, lakes for open water swimming, a zoo, and a 1930’s listed building around it’s lido, it also offers incredible views of the London skyline from its famous Parliament Hill (which has inspired many a romantic movie scene).

Living in Hampstead is like being part of one of London’s most exquisite treasures, mixing royal and cosmopolitan living perfectly. Preservation of the village and the heath is taken very seriously, with its wild beauty compassionately maintained and will be available for locals and visitors to enjoy for years to come.

Hampstead High Street – Where to Shop & Dine

Coming back into the town of Hampstead, there is an array of quaint shops and eateries lit by classical street lamps, and hidden down cobblestone streets all paint a poignant image of old-world London. Beautiful cottages and properties are nestled among the high street and there are even 18 Grade II listed buildings on the high street alone. You’ll find some lovely boutiques and shops here too, including Charli for sustainable fashion, La Coqueta for beautiful kids clothing, and high end fashion shops including Bimba y Lola, Nicole Farhi, and Kurt Geiger, to name but a few.

Some of Hampstead’s legendary pubs include The Holly Bush on Holly Mount, and The Spaniards Inn on Spaniard Road where you can be transported back in time and enjoy a drink. As an added bonus, the world-class hospital The Royal Free hospital offers incredible care to residents, and emergency services.

Hampstead Property

On the property front, Hampstead has a wide range of housing options, stately Georgian homes, quaint cottages, and large red-brick Victorian houses, many of which have been converted into flats, there are grand mansion blocks and recently, new modern developments have come up too. According to Zoopla the average property price in 2020 was nearly £1.8m.

Schools in Hampstead

One of the reasons Hampstead is so popular with families is because of its volume of school choices, offering some of the capital’s finest state funded and independent primary and secondary schools, including Hampstead School for Girls, in addition there are 10 colleges including King’s College London.

Transport options in Hampstead

Moving onto transport options, Hampstead is well connected with Hampstead Tube station offering a Zone 2 stop for the Northern Line, and there is a London overground which gives you a cross road of access in every direction. Hampstead is also located close to the A1 which leads to the M1 giving commuters access to Greater London when needed.

Hampstead’s Best Kept Secret: The Hampstead Pergola

Moving on to something you have to see is the Hampstead pergola and hill gardens. Hidden away on west Heath, this beautiful turn of the century stone walkway has gradually been taken over by nature and now is an idyllic overgrown garden with amazing views of London, transporting you into what feels like a children’s novel.

Historical figures in Hampstead

Hampstead has also been steeped in historical figures choosing to live in the area, with writers including John Keates, Enid Blyton, Daphne Du Maurier, Lord Byron, and T S Eliot, Ian Fleming, George Orwell and DH Lawrence. This is just a snippet of the writers who have lived in the area, with other famous residents from actors to scientists, politicians and even Sigmund Freud. Hampstead’s density of blue plaques is truly impressive!

In summary – Hampstead is an upscale community in North West London offering incredible homes, a charming and extensive high street with great eateries and shops, along with great transport and the crown jewel of Hampstead Heath. It’s no wonder it’s such a highly sought after area!

If you’d like to know more about this area or any other London neighbourhood that may be suited to your home needs, please get in touch.