London


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why">WHY?</h2>



<p>A North West London hidden gem, Queen&#8217;s Park has all of the chichi swagger of Notting Hill without the big-city stifle. Fifteen minutes by tube from the West End, yet the high street is awash with independents of all varieties so shopping local&#8217;s easy-peasy. And with a luscious 30-acre park as its centre, it&#8217;s little wonder celebs like Daniel Craig, Sienna Miller, Dermot O’Leary and Louis Theroux are among its many famous residents.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-eat">EAT</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/323839214_1527092421102310_7142268084193080779_n.jpg" alt="Bob's Cafe, Queen's Park" class="wp-image-4443" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/323839214_1527092421102310_7142268084193080779_n.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/323839214_1527092421102310_7142268084193080779_n-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/323839214_1527092421102310_7142268084193080779_n-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/323839214_1527092421102310_7142268084193080779_n-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/323839214_1527092421102310_7142268084193080779_n-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Bob&#8217;s Café (Instagram @bobscafes)</figcaption></figure>



<p>Local picks so often start with <a href="https://www.bobscafe.net/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bob&#8217;s Café</a>, a cool, understated caff with a laid-back vibe and an adventurous menu of culturally diverse fare. <a href="https://www.carmelrestaurant.co.uk/queenspark" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Carmel</a> is a popular Mediterranean brunch-lunch-dinner restaurant &#8211; their flatbreads and grilled veg are something of a speciality. Ida, a family-run neighbourhood Italian; Australian joint <a href="https://www.milkbeach.com/queens-park" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milk Beach</a>; top-rated sushi restaurant <a href="https://www.michikosushino.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Michiko Sushino</a>; and <a href="https://mycocotte.uk/queens-park/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cocotte</a>, a stylish farm-to-table rotisserie that’s also a popular brunch spot. For  Italian pizzas and a zesty negroni there&#8217;s the <a href="https://www.thesalusbury.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Salusbury Pub</a>, a 20-year stalwart of the high street. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shop">SHOP</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="798" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-26-at-06.55.43.png" alt="Verandah Gift Shop Queen's Park " class="wp-image-5158" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-26-at-06.55.43.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-26-at-06.55.43-300x160.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-26-at-06.55.43-1024x545.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-26-at-06.55.43-768x409.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><strong>©</strong> Verandah gift store </figcaption></figure>



<p><a href="https://visitportobello.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Portobello Market</a> is easily walkable and draws punters from across the country and abroad for the uniqueness and quality of its products. In QP proper, two shopping streets flank the neighbourhood. The first is Salusbury Road, bridging Queen’s Park and Brondesbury Park, and home to popular<a href="https://provenancebutcher.com/pages/queens-park" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Provenance Village Butcher</a>, independent <a href="https://www.welbooks.co.uk/queens-park-books" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen’s Park Bookshop</a>, clothes shop <a href="https://www.ediitstore.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ediit</a> and indie wine merchants <a href="https://www.thesalusburywinestore.com/">The Salusbury Winestore</a>. The second is Chamberlayne Road, where you’ll find popular neighbourhood florists <a href="https://scarletandviolet.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scarlet and Violet</a> , wine specialists <a href="https://riseandvine.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rise &amp; Vine,</a> and stylish gift shop <a href="https://verandahshop.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Verandah</a>. For the essentials, there&#8217;s an M&amp;S right by the tube and Sainsbury&#8217;s / Tesco options dotted about. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-health-amp-wellbeing">HEALTH &amp; WELLBEING </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1880" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Queens-Park-3.jpg" alt="Yogarise in Queens' Park " class="wp-image-5163" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Queens-Park-3.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Queens-Park-3-239x300.jpg 239w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Queens-Park-3-817x1024.jpg 817w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Queens-Park-3-768x963.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/Queens-Park-3-1226x1536.jpg 1226w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Yogarise </figcaption></figure>



<p>Get into shape with <a href="https://ourparks.org.uk/borough/bootcamp-99197" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bootcamp</a> alfresco in Queen&#8217;s Park or join <a href="https://www.fitnessfirst.co.uk/find-a-gym/london-queens-park" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fitness First Queen&#8217;s Park </a>for classes, gym, cardio and PT training. Yogi&#8217;s will adore <a href="https://yogarise.london/queens-park-studio/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Yogarise Queen&#8217;s Park</a>, where you can enjoy everything from dynamic flow to Reformer Pilates. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-community">COMMUNITY </h2>



<p>Who says you can&#8217;t have a country community feel in the big smoke? The annual <a href="https://www.qpark.org.uk/queens-park-day/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen&#8217;s Park Day</a> has been described as a &#8216;turbo-charged village fête&#8217; and is an unmissable date in local residents&#8217; calendars. This year saw the arrival of a travelling show, climbing walls, donkeys to ride and falconry. The <a href="https://lfm.org.uk/markets/queens-park/">Queen&#8217;s Park Farmers&#8217; Market</a> is another bedrock of the QP community. On Sundays, 10am-2pm at Salusbury Primary School, you can stock up on the very best organic seasonal produce, grab some sumptuous street food, chat to stallholders and bump into your neighbours along the way. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nearby-attractions">NEARBY ATTRACTIONS</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="998" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/queens-park-garden.x5641888d.jpeg" alt="Queen's Park, London" class="wp-image-4440" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/queens-park-garden.x5641888d.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/queens-park-garden.x5641888d-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/queens-park-garden.x5641888d-1024x681.jpeg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/queens-park-garden.x5641888d-768x511.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Queen&#8217;s Park</figcaption></figure>



<p>I mean, how about Queen&#8217;s Park? Six all-weather tennis courts, an ornamental quiet garden, a children&#8217;s playground with paddling pool, a children&#8217;s animal farm and a café &#8211; you won&#8217;t be running out of things to do. Portobello Road is a 20-minute walk away and with it the rest of the joys of Notting Hill, and Kensington Palace is just beyond that. You&#8217;re right by <a href="https://www.londonzoo.org/">London Zoo</a>, <a href="https://www.lords.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lord&#8217;s Cricket Ground</a> and <a href="https://www.abbeyroad.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Abbey Road</a> &#8211; British cultural pillars in every department. And let&#8217;s be honest, you&#8217;re no more than half an hour from any of London&#8217;s biggest and best attractions. This is as central as suburban paradise gets.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-culture">CULTURE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="997" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/457416609_1719293258608323_4313226589143806868_n.jpg" alt="Queen's Park Book Festival" class="wp-image-4421" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/457416609_1719293258608323_4313226589143806868_n.jpg 997w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/457416609_1719293258608323_4313226589143806868_n-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/457416609_1719293258608323_4313226589143806868_n-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/457416609_1719293258608323_4313226589143806868_n-768x770.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 997px) 100vw, 997px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Queen&#8217;s Park Book Festival</figcaption></figure>



<p>The <a href="https://queensparkbookfestival.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen&#8217;s Park Book Festival</a> takes place annually towards the end of summer and this year featured such superstars as Zadie Smith and Sebastian Faulks. Talks are interspersed with comedy, theatre and dedicated children&#8217;s events over the course of a weekend in the beautiful surroundings of the Victorian park. More permanently, beloved of the locals is the independent <a href="https://thelexicinema.co.uk/TheLexiCinema.dll/Home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lexi Cinema</a>, showing the latest, the greatest and the choicest in film weekly, plus live screenings of National Theatre productions. And it&#8217;s the UK&#8217;s first social enterprise theatre, meaning it donates 100% of its profits to charity. Woah.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-average-house-prices">AVERAGE HOUSE PRICES</h2>



<p>Here&#8217;s the catch, but I suppose you saw it coming. The average price of property in Queen&#8217;s Park over the last year is £1,123,323, the majority being flats at an average price of £630,401. Terraced homes sold for an average of £1,664,338, with semis fetching a whopping £2,788,125.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hot-property">HOT PROPERTY</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/0ed69b46-f21f-49bb-a72b-2b7ea2f7b5d0-0.jpeg" alt="A modernised 4 bed period house in Buchanan Gardens, Queen's Park. On the market with Knight Frank for £1.85m." class="wp-image-4436" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/0ed69b46-f21f-49bb-a72b-2b7ea2f7b5d0-0.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/0ed69b46-f21f-49bb-a72b-2b7ea2f7b5d0-0-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/0ed69b46-f21f-49bb-a72b-2b7ea2f7b5d0-0-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/09/0ed69b46-f21f-49bb-a72b-2b7ea2f7b5d0-0-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A modernised 4 bed period house in Buchanan Gardens, Queen&#8217;s Park. <a href="https://www.knightfrank.co.uk/properties/residential/for-sale/buchanan-gardens-london-nw10/QPK012444498" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">On the market with Knight Frank for £1.85m</a>.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nurseries">NURSERIES</h2>



<p>Plenty of choice, but they&#8217;re popular. Best of the bunch are <a href="https://www.dorothygardner-qpeyfed.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dorothy Gardner Day Nursery </a>(2 – 5 yrs), <a href="https://www.leyf.org.uk/nurseries/katharine-bruce/?searched=1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Katherine Bruce Day Nursery</a> (0 – 5 yrs) and <a href="https://sunrisedaynursery.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sunrise Day Nursery</a> (3 mths – 5 yrs), which comes with a bonus forest school. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-schools">SCHOOLS</h2>



<p>Popular state primary schools include <a href="https://www.salusbury.brent.sch.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Salusbury Primary</a>, <a href="https://arkfranklinprimary.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ark Franklin</a> and <a href="https://www.maloreesschools.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Malorees Junior and Infant Schoo</a>l. There are a range of Outstanding comprehensives nearby, including <a href="https://www.paddington-academy.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paddington Academy</a> and <a href="https://kaa.org.uk">Kensington Aldridge</a>. Parents who want to send their children to an independent are ringed by excellent choices: co-ed Catholic school <a href="https://www.stbenedicts.org.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">St Benedicts (Junior and Senior</a><a href="https://london.muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/school-reviews/st-benedicts-school-junior-ealing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">)</a> read the Muddy <a href="https://london.muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/school-reviews/st-benedicts-school-junior-ealing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">review here</a>, co-ed day and boarding school <a href="https://www.kps.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kensington Park School</a> (read the Muddy review <a href="https://london.muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/school-reviews/kensington-park-school-day-boarding-london/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>), <a href="https://dukeseducation.com/schools-colleges/bassett-house-school/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bassett House</a> (co-ed 3 – 11 yrs) in Notting Hill, <a href="https://www.nottinghillprep.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Notting Hill Prep</a>, <a href="https://www.knightsbridgeschool.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Knightsbridge School</a> read Muddy&#8217;s <a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/knightsbridge-school-chelsea-2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">review here</a>, <a href="https://www.brightoncollegeprepkensington.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brighton College Prep Kensington</a> and girls&#8217; school <a href="https://www.pembridgehall.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pembridge Hall</a> – read Muddy&#8217;s <a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/school-reviews/pembridge-hall-preparatory-school-notting-hill/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">review here</a>. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-best-kept-secret">BEST KEPT SECRET</h2>



<p>Sounds macabre, but <a href="https://www.fopoc.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paddington Old Cemetery</a> which edges Queen&#8217;s Park is a quiet sanctuary in the city, with lots of green space, beautiful buildings and some notable inhabitants, including <em>Paddington Bear</em> creator Michael Bond. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-commute">COMMUTE</h2>



<p>In Queen&#8217;s Park you&#8217;re already pretty well in the thick of it. The Bakerloo line is your best friend, going from all of the local stations (Queen&#8217;s Park, Kensal Green, Kilburn Park) and whisking you off to Paddington in 5 mins and Oxford Circus in 15 mins. The Overground goes from Brondesbury Park too, which connects you to Clapham Junction in 25 mins.</p>



<p><em>View the full <a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/best-places-to-live/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Top 300 Best Places to Live</a>.</em></p>


Queen’s Park

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