property, homes and houses for sale in North London

North London - an area full of places that are hidden gems

Living in North London

North London has always been a popular area for families seeking good schools and open spaces. It is a renowned area with many well known neighbourhoods, including fashionable Muswell Hill and the villagey Chase Green in Enfield.

Crouch End is one of London's best kept secrets. Sitting in a valley between Crouch Hill and Highgate to the south and west, and Muswell Hill and Alexandra Park to the north, it has all the qualities of a small rural village.

Enfield town is a thriving modern market town. With a new library and arts centre on the way and an extension to its shopping centre, it looks set to become an even more popular destination.

Then there is the curious area of Hampstead Garden Suburbs, an exclusive enclave within the already exclusive Hampstead, and lying at the north end of Hampstead Heath. The North/North West arc immediately above the city centre boasts some of London's finest architecture. Sweeping Georgian terraces, white Regency townhouses and Italianate Victorian Mansion blocks line the streets. More utilitarian, 20th century housing pops up around most corners too and can rival the prices of period equivalents in highly sought after areas. Young professionals clamour for ex-local authority properties to get a foot on the London property ladder. Barnet is the gateway to London. Travellers from the North have stopped here for hundreds of years, to graze their horses before entering the City. Today, people are more likely to travel from the north on the M1 by car than on horseback.

Transport

North London is ideally situated as an accessible region with links into Central London and access to major routes across the UK.

North London is a focal point for traffic heading north and north east and with the M25 at the top of the region, it provides a simple route to all motorways heading out of London to any part of the UK.

Be aware that most of North London is part of the Low Emissions Zone. For more details go to www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/lez/default.aspx

London's Underground provides one of the quickest ways to travel within London. The North London region contains 27 stations on the Piccadilly, Northern, Victoria and Central lines.

There are 40 mainline stations in North London on the Great Northern WAGN and the West Anglia lines. The WAGN line starts in London at King's Cross, Moorgate and Finsbury Park and has routes running up through Barnet and Enfield, Hertford, Stevenage and on to Peterborough, Cambridge and King's Lynn.

A number of bus routes serve North London. For full details visit Transport for London's website www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/default.aspx

History and culture

The culture of North London varies greatly and is hugely diverse. There's the modern town of Enfield, leafy Muswell Hill, and Islington - famous for its lively social scene, designer boutiques and coffee shops. And there's Highgate with its much visited famous cemetery, where some 850 people of note are buried.

For further information visit www.london.gov.uk; www.angelislington.net; www.highgate-cemetery.org/