Chiswick In Top Five Best London Areas To Live

New guide lists good schools, upmarket eateries and Colin Firth as attractions

Chiswick has been chosen as one of the five best places to live in London according to a new guide which described W4 as "a family oasis par excellence."

The top five locations in the capital according to Best Places To Live, are Balham, Chiswick, Dulwich, Muswell Hill and Richmond upon Thames.

The guide takes into account a variety of factors including transport links, quality of schools, natural beauty, low crime rate, property prices and culture. It also includes unemployment figures.

Chiswick House Gardens

Noting the good state primary schools, and the "green patches" of Chiswick House and Gardens, Duke's Meadows, and riverside walks, the Guide also listed the area's impressive architecture and "upmarket eateries" as factors in its attraction for house buyers. Four tube and two rail links, the proximity of the M4 for easy access to the West, and the nearness of Heathrow Airport were also plus points. And it remarks;

"You always bump into somebody you know on the high street- if you're lucky it'll be Colin Firth."

Each area was also assessed on its own individual assets, such as whether it hosts a festival, if it is home to interesting architecture and proximity to an airport.

Statue of Hogarth with his dog, on Chiswick High Road

Citing Bedford Park as the "dream location", the guide also advised would-be-buyers that their money would go further " in the roads north of Chiswick Park Tube station which borders less salubrious Acton".

Balham was described as " to be desired rather than ridiculed", while Dulwich was "the closest thing to country life in south London".

Richmond's village atmosphere, the good state schools and the natural beauty of Richmond Park was praised as attractive to house purchasers and the Guide commented; " Its like living in a landscape painting-accompanied by plane noise".

Muswell Hill was "a practial reality for middle class families" with excellent state schools and affordable homes.

The overall national winner was Stamford in Lincolnshire, which was praised to having "all the charm of the Cotswolds without the snobs and the tourists". Kendal in Cumbria, Wye in Kent and Thornbusy in Gloucestershire were also in the top four.

According to one local estate agent, Chiswick area is becoming more and more popular all as buyers begin to favour W4 over Notting Hill and Kensington.

Christopher Bramwell, head of Savills Chiswick office said family homes were Chiswick's major draw and "one of the best things about Chiswick" was its variety of architecture, from Georgian, Regency and Victorian properties to cottage-style properties and Victorian townhouses.

A Victorian terraced street in Chiswick

The waterfront vistas along the river, and the choice of excellent state schools and independents were also be a major feature in Chiswick being a sought after place to live, he said.

March 15, 2013