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A mixture of wealth, street
markets and poverty (it's the country's 17th most deprived borough),
people who live in Camden know that it is the liveliest place to
be on the planet. From the monied green swards of Hampstead Heath
to the sometimes threatening nitty-gritty of Kings Cross, this is
a London village that has it all.
As much of a melting pot
as any other part of London, there are people from Africa, the Caribbean,
all parts of Asia and Turkey plus large Jewish and Irish communities
- not to mention a preponderance of residents from media-land.
Sadly, if you're thinking
of buying a property round here, deep pockets are essential. The
days when bohemian types were moving to the Borough because property
was cheap, or at least cheaper than elsewhere in London, are decades
gone. Here's a quick rundown of the Borough, area by area starting
from the south.
Holborn and Bloomsbury
Home to the British Museum and London University, the Georgian Terraces
here are for the wealthy. The area around Kings Cross is different
- a mixture of no-man's land and council housing, though some desirable
warehouse properties have been opening up recently and the neighbourhood
will be transformed in around five years time when a major regeneration
project has been completed.
Camden Town
The continually mushrooming Camden markets dominate the centre of
Camden, but get off the main drag and you'll find some beautiful
homes which tend to be occupied by successful media types who can't
quite afford Hampstead - sometimes a stone's throw from less-than-salubrious
council blocks.
Kentish Town
Though it has undoubtedly gone upmarket in the last decade, Kentish
Town is less posh than Camden to the south and a lot less posh than
it's northern neighbour, Hampstead. To the west, Gospel Oak is an
enclave of council housing - where there may be the occasional bargain
for the adventurous. Expensive Dartmouth Park is full of lovingly
restored Victorian houses: pebble dash is not welcome here.
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