This picturesque district at the northern edge of London’s sprawling Regent’s Park is one of the most desirable residential neighbourhoods in the British capital.
With its urban-village vibe, plentiful green escapes, relatively sparse traffic and a multitude of boutiques, delis, restaurants and cafes that spill onto pavements come summer, this self-contained enclave has long attracted celebrity homebuyers.
In fact, you may have already been charmed by the Primrose Hill’s pastel-coloured townhouses in Chalcot Crescent, which was used as the Browns’ family home in the movie Paddington. Poet Sylvia Plath was also one famous resident there.
What’s more, the many character-filled pubs and attractions of Camden, including the popular Camden Market, are right on Primrose Hill’s well-scrubbed doorstep. Easy access to the bright lights, cinemas and theatres of the West End are a pull. And at the summit of this grassy hill are panoramic views of London. There is also the biannual Primrose Hill Festival that features street food, cool pop-ups and indie labels.
In the 1990s, Primrose Hill was a celebrated stamping ground of the privileged “It” girls and boys of Britpop, the Young British Artist movement and a vibrant home-grown film industry then churning out global hits such as Trainspotting and The Full Monty. Actors Jude Law, Sienna Miller, Ewan McGregor and Daniel Craig, musicians Liam and Noel Gallagher, as well as model Kate Moss have all at one time or another been members of the Primrose Hill Set.
Tales of the gang’s antics fell out of the tabloids and the paparazzi no longer prowl Primrose Hill, which has returned to the gentility exemplified by its beautifully restored Regency, Victorian and Edwardian townhouses, with their high ceilings and characteristic tall windows.
Playwright Alan Bennett and celebrity chef Jamie Oliver call family-friendly Primrose Hill home today. The area is also popular with professional American and French homebuyers, thanks to the proximity of the American School and the Collège Français Bilingue de Londres in neighbouring St John’s Wood and Kentish Town respectively.
Smaller townhouses in Primrose Hill start from about £3.5 million (S$6.2 million), rising to a basic £5 million or more for a five-bedroom home. Regency-style detached homes easily command £10 million and beyond.
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