Hampstead is very probably one of the best villages in the whole of London. It’s full of history, very attractive, totally unspoilt by any post-war developments, is higher up and has cleaner air than the West End, and has the amazing Hampstead Heath on its doorstep. That’s why it is much sought-after by wealthy folks and is in fact very popular with American business people and professionals. Really, you need to be an investment banker to buy a house in a place like Downshire Hill, the street leading from the Rosslyn Hill to the Heath – the houses are detached and semi-detached, magnificent Georgian and early Victorian family homes. But it is also possible for young couples, if they’re both employed, to rent a flat in the village.
Celebrities like it. Rick Gervais, Liam Gallagher, Helena Bonham Carter, example. Boy George has his gothic villa by the Heath. Other famous people who lived in Hampstead: Elizabeth Taylor, Daphne du Marier, DH Lawrence (mind you, he lived in a lot places), HG Wells, George Orwell, Judy Garland, Sigmund Freud, Peter Cook, etc, etc. It’s been very popular with the mediaset, otherwise known as the media-ocracy… Jonathan Ross and Melvyn Bragg live there.
The tube line is the Northern Line and it’s three stops from Camden (two more from Kings Cross and Euston).
One reason Hampstead is so popular with families is the number and quality of schools in the area such as William Ellis, on the eastern side of the Heath, and private schools such as South Hampstead School for girls and The Hall prep school and University College School for boys.
There are numerous good pubs, cafes and restaurants. There’s the Holly Bush at the highest point, Holly Mount. It’s got lots of character and history and is tucked away in a quiet location. There’s The Flask, a Young’s pub in Flask Walk; this is also a good pub serving well-kept ale and serving food. There’s also the Wells Tavern in Well Walk, near the Heath; it’s a great pub for a Sunday roast. The William IV pub in the High Street is well known as a gay pub, and has had a gay scene apparently since the 1930s.
There are a few of the café and restaurant chains in Hampstead such as Gail’s, Côte, Wagamama and Gaucho. But that’s OK because they are pretty good quality places. Then there are places more particular to Hampstead, notably the Coffee Cup in the middle of the High Street; it’s been there since the 1960s and remains popular. They offer seating outside (with heaters in the winter) and a wide choice of food. It’s a great place to sit and watch the world go by along the High Street. Also, if you have a dog, it’s pet friendly, so recommended. Jin Kichi is a small and very good Japanese restaurant in Heath Street.
Funnily enough, the fashion outlets never seem to do well in Hampstead, despite the amount of wealth in the neighbourhood. There has always been a very high turnover of stores in the High Street, maybe it’s because of the level of rents and/or perhaps the misguided assumption by boutique owners that they will do well in Hampstead. The fact is that Hampstead residents are obviously not pushovers and probably want a deal, like the rest of us.
There is a slight lack of budget shops like Poundland and Lidl… for this you need to go down the hill to Camden or over to Brent Cross shopping centre. Hampstead tends to major on high end stores. There is a Tesco though in Heath Street.
For many, the great thing about Hampstead, the reason why people like it so much, is that it is such a great place to go for a wander. So here’s a little circuit you might like to do… Let’s say you start at the top of the High Street where Hampstead tube station is. Walk along Heath Street a couple of minutes and then turn left into Church Row, a magnificent Georgian street with St John’s Church, a stunning and very elegant Regency church and in many ways the centre of Hampstead, with a very peaceful churchyard and cemetery, perfect for quiet contemplation, and in fact, I suspect, a location for the recent TV series by Rick Gervais, ‘Afterlife’. There is a crypt ideal for kids’ parties.
Then, hang a right up Holly Walk, past the churchyard on your right, past The Watch House, a base in the 1830s for the newly formed Hampstead Police Force, then past where Robert Louis Stevenson lived (three best Scottish writers, Robbie Burns, Sir Walter Scott, and Robert Louis Stevenson)…. Then along Mount Vernon and to Holly Walk, to The Holly Bush for well-earned refreshment.
You can then press on to the very top of Hampstead, via the National Trust Fenton House and Garden (stunning), to Whitestone Pond and so onto Hampstead Heath 790 acres of wonderful open landscape, woods, lakes, and including the Kenwood estate, a remarkable Regency country house with landscaped gardens, lake and great café with outdoor seating in gardens. Kenwood is managed by English Heritage and well worth a tour. In the grounds during the summer there are concerts, classical and pop, and you can enjoy a nice picnic on the grass.
From the top of Hampstead Heath you get amazing views of the City of London and can see far away to Canary Wharf and beyond. It’s a great place to go along, with your significant other, with kids, with dog(s).
Roam around the Heath and then circle back to Downshire Hill and then up Rosslyn Hill and you have done a wonderful full circular walk back to the tube station. If you came by car, you can park at East Heath car park (cost £4.50 for two hours)… note that parking in the village is tricky sometimes.
