Join the bohemian Primrose Hill set in this upmarket arty enclave, where protected views of London and pastel properties paint an enticing picture.
Primrose Hill: north London’s upmarket arty enclave
You’d be forgiven for assuming the epicentre of London’s arty edge lies squarely in the east of town. But one salubrious north London suburb earnt a reputation as an arty enclave long before the likes of Dalston and Shoreditch began attracting a bohemian crowd: Primrose Hill. Back in the Victorian era, the likes of illustrator Arthur Rackham, painter Duncan Grant and musician Henry Wood laid the area’s artistic foundations. By the 1990s, it found itself making tabloid headlines after “The Primrose Hill set” of emerging British actors and musicians chose to live their lives to the full there.
Today, Primrose Hill is best known for its protected views of London that rival anywhere in the capital and continue to attract celebrity homebuyers. The area’s heart lies along Regent’s Park Road, which proudly hums with independent shops, restaurants and cafes, while colourful houses line nearby stately crescents – and overlooking it all is the grand hill from which the area takes its name.
Transport
- Tube: Primrose Hill is served by two Zone 2 Tube stations: Chalk Farm and Camden Town – both are on the Northern line. Swiss Cottage (Jubilee line) and Mornington Crescent (Northern line) stations are also close by.
- Overground: Kentish Town West, South Hampstead and Camden Road stations are all a short walk away.
Property scene
For such a small area, Primrose Hill is packed with spacious detached homes, semi-detached villas and terraces of Victorian stucco houses. Chalcot Square and Chalcot Cresent are two iconic London residential streets with their tradition of being painted in different pastel shades.
- Average property price in Primrose Hill: £847,125 – property price range: £360,000 – £1,690,000
- Average rental price in Primrose Hill: £1,042 per week, rental price range £600 – £1,800 per week
Schools
- Primary schools: Primrose Hill has two state primary schools: Primrose Hill School, which is judged “outstanding” by the Government’s education watchdog Ofsted, and St Paul’s CE Primary School, which is judged “good”.
- Secondary schools: Haverstock School is the local comprehensive school in Haverstock Hill and is judged “good” by Ofsted.
- Private schools: North Bridge House Prep school (girls aged seven to 11, boys aged seven to 13), North Bridge House Senior School (co-ed, aged 11 to 16) and St Christina’s School (boys aged three to seven, girls aged three to 11) is a private Catholic school.
Things to do
- Open space: The park – one of the eight royal parks of London and one of six protected viewpoints in the city – affords iconic views over central London below. At the south side of the hill is a children’s play area.
- Shopping: Regent’s Park Road is the main shopping street and is lined with independent shops, cafés and restaurants.
- Leisure and the arts: The Roundhouse at Chalk Farm is widely regarded as one of the most incredible live performance spaces in the world.