The Area
Welcome to the neighbourhood! If you have just moved or are considering a move here, you'll find an incredibly diverse area which makes living in a big, busy city incredibly rewarding and enjoyable. Here are just a few of the things we like about the neighbourhood.
Transport
All three roads are part of the London Cycling Network which connects marked cycle routes across the capital. Oxford Street is about ten minutes away, the City is an easy 25-30 minute ride and Westminster is around 20 minutes away. For cycle routes, you can either use Camden Cyclists or the TFL site with the cycle option in the advance menu ticked 'on'.
We have two local tube stations; Finchley Road is a short walk downhill and Hampstead is just up the hill. Buses along the Finchley Road serve Victoria (82), Oxford Circus (113) and Aldwych (13). In the other direction, buses go to Golder's Green (13), North Finchley (82) and Edgware (113), There's also a cross town 'hospitals and shops' bus which starts at Brent Cross and goes via Waitrose on Finchley Road to the Royal Free and the Whittington Hospitals (C11) and the curious 46 which goes to Maida Vale (west) and Farringdon (east). TFL has a wonderful website with journey planners, timetables and much more.
Our local train station is Finchley Road and Frognal on the North London line. Trains are operated by London Overground and go to Richmond (west) and North Greenwich (east). This train line is indirectly responsible for the success of the Rolling Stones as Andrew Loog Oldham, their slightly odd first manager travelled from his mother's house at 18 Netherhall Gardens one Sunday night in 1963 to see the band in Richmond.
Our local City Car Club is located at the O2 centre on Finchley Road, which means that although you can apply for a Resident's Parking Permit for the annual cost of £90, you don't really need a car! Provided you are on the electoral role and pay council tax you can apply for visitor's permits for use in hourly or daily chunks
Shops
Whilst the immediate area has no retail premises, we do have everything you could want within walking distance. Belsize Village is the place for newspapers, fruit and veg and deli bits and bobs. It's a five minute walk along Nutley Terrace, down Daleham Mews and along Belsize Lane. You can also park a car there quite easily whereas just about everywhere else is heavily restricted.
Hampstead village - Heath Street and Hampstead High Street itself - is increasingly a place to buy coffee, mobile phones and houses. That said, the newspaper shop on Heath Street opposite Church Row is excellent, Brian Lay Jones (Heath Street) has good quality fruit and veg. Recommended shops on Hampstead High Street/Rosslyn Hill include the Rosslyn Deli and Happy Returns Toy Shop.
Going down the hill, there are newsagents on Finchley Road just north of Frognal and the delights of the O2 Centre. Our nearest supermarkets are Waitrose and Sainsbury both on Finchley Road, Morrisons on Chalk Farm Road and Tesco on the A41. All except Morrisons deliver.
Other local shopping areas worth investigating are South End Road which has Polly's Cafe and M&S Simply Food and England's Lane with Violette cafe and Lotus and Frog gift shop..
Restaurants
Whilst many food critics bemoan the lack of high end restaurants in Hampstead, there are more than enough great places to eat locally. Any list of favourites would include Dim-T (3 Heath Street), Jin Kichi (73 Heath Street), The Wells (30 Well Walk), Bradleys (25 Winchester Road) and Artigiano (12a Belsize Terrace). Great lunch and breakfast can be had at Camden Arts Centre (Arkwright Road), the Village Cafe on the corner of Belsize Lane/Daleham Mews and the Brew House up at Kenwood. A great new addition is the cafe at the Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre which is expensive but very good.
You can find a map of the area here. There is an aerial view of the neighbourhood here.
For more recommendations and guide to the local-ish area, have a look at Urban Path, MyHampstead and Primrosehill.com.
Transport
All three roads are part of the London Cycling Network which connects marked cycle routes across the capital. Oxford Street is about ten minutes away, the City is an easy 25-30 minute ride and Westminster is around 20 minutes away. For cycle routes, you can either use Camden Cyclists or the TFL site with the cycle option in the advance menu ticked 'on'.
We have two local tube stations; Finchley Road is a short walk downhill and Hampstead is just up the hill. Buses along the Finchley Road serve Victoria (82), Oxford Circus (113) and Aldwych (13). In the other direction, buses go to Golder's Green (13), North Finchley (82) and Edgware (113), There's also a cross town 'hospitals and shops' bus which starts at Brent Cross and goes via Waitrose on Finchley Road to the Royal Free and the Whittington Hospitals (C11) and the curious 46 which goes to Maida Vale (west) and Farringdon (east). TFL has a wonderful website with journey planners, timetables and much more.
Our local train station is Finchley Road and Frognal on the North London line. Trains are operated by London Overground and go to Richmond (west) and North Greenwich (east). This train line is indirectly responsible for the success of the Rolling Stones as Andrew Loog Oldham, their slightly odd first manager travelled from his mother's house at 18 Netherhall Gardens one Sunday night in 1963 to see the band in Richmond.
Our local City Car Club is located at the O2 centre on Finchley Road, which means that although you can apply for a Resident's Parking Permit for the annual cost of £90, you don't really need a car! Provided you are on the electoral role and pay council tax you can apply for visitor's permits for use in hourly or daily chunks
Shops
Whilst the immediate area has no retail premises, we do have everything you could want within walking distance. Belsize Village is the place for newspapers, fruit and veg and deli bits and bobs. It's a five minute walk along Nutley Terrace, down Daleham Mews and along Belsize Lane. You can also park a car there quite easily whereas just about everywhere else is heavily restricted.
Hampstead village - Heath Street and Hampstead High Street itself - is increasingly a place to buy coffee, mobile phones and houses. That said, the newspaper shop on Heath Street opposite Church Row is excellent, Brian Lay Jones (Heath Street) has good quality fruit and veg. Recommended shops on Hampstead High Street/Rosslyn Hill include the Rosslyn Deli and Happy Returns Toy Shop.
Going down the hill, there are newsagents on Finchley Road just north of Frognal and the delights of the O2 Centre. Our nearest supermarkets are Waitrose and Sainsbury both on Finchley Road, Morrisons on Chalk Farm Road and Tesco on the A41. All except Morrisons deliver.
Other local shopping areas worth investigating are South End Road which has Polly's Cafe and M&S Simply Food and England's Lane with Violette cafe and Lotus and Frog gift shop..
Restaurants
Whilst many food critics bemoan the lack of high end restaurants in Hampstead, there are more than enough great places to eat locally. Any list of favourites would include Dim-T (3 Heath Street), Jin Kichi (73 Heath Street), The Wells (30 Well Walk), Bradleys (25 Winchester Road) and Artigiano (12a Belsize Terrace). Great lunch and breakfast can be had at Camden Arts Centre (Arkwright Road), the Village Cafe on the corner of Belsize Lane/Daleham Mews and the Brew House up at Kenwood. A great new addition is the cafe at the Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre which is expensive but very good.
You can find a map of the area here. There is an aerial view of the neighbourhood here.
For more recommendations and guide to the local-ish area, have a look at Urban Path, MyHampstead and Primrosehill.com.