Islington Estate Agents

Camden Town is located in the heart of the London Borough of Camden, which stretches from Islington in the east to Kilburn in the west and from Holborn in the south to Hampstead's Whitestone Pond in the north. Camden Town has been a residential area since the 1790s, but it was only the development of the Grand Union Canal and the improved railway transport that turned it into a bustling part of London. Today, visitors and locals gather to hunt for treasures in Camden's markets, stroll by Regent's Canal, gaze at the beautiful buildings, sample cuisine from around the world, listen to live music and soak up the vibrant and diverse atmosphere.This interesting, leafy borough has a rich literary history, and much of it is expensive and considered highly desirable by those looking to buy a house. The streets in the immediate vicinity of Camden Town are stuffed with old but respectable terraced housing, as well as newer council estates, many of which house privately-owned flats. The east side of the Borough of Camden is generally cheaper than the west.The labyrinthine open-air markets and myriad retail outlets of Camden will keep the keenest shoppers busy, with everything from vintage to futuristic designs on offer:• Camden Lock Market – crafts, books, clothing, jeweller and fast food.• Camden Lock Village – clothing and accessories, as well as a range of unusual items.• Camden Market – originally Buck Street market, this sells fashion for all tastes.• Inverness Street Market – a few of the original fruit stalls remain, alongside clothing, footwear and souvenirs.• Stables Market – a mix of permanent shops and stalls selling household items, antiques, alternative clothing, food and much more.• There is also an indoor fashion market at the Electric Ballroom, which is only open on Sundays.Food and Drink in Camden TownFeeling peckish? You'll find food from around the globe at Camden's many eateries and street vendors. Going to a show at the Roundhouse? Try their pre-theatre menu.  Check out top-quality burgers at Haché or pan-Asian cuisine at Gilgamesh, where you can stay on to enjoy the trendy bar and club.You're never far from a bar in Camden. Try Scottish import BrewDog, the legendary Dublin Castle on Parkway or The World's End, opposite Camden Town Tube station (Northern line). Camden Town even has two breweries, Little Brew and Camden Town – look out for their excellent beers in local pubs. Live Music in Camden TownCamden has always been a hub for London's live music scene, with legendary venues that have launched many big names. Check out Koko, the Underworld and Electric Ballroom to catch the latest bands. You can also see top jazz and blues performances at the Jazz Café or the Blues Kitchen, while the Black Cap offers a glittering array of drag acts.See theatrical performances from top UK companies such as the RSC, as well as films, art installations and gigs at the Roundhouse. You can also catch comedy at the Camden Highlight or see an eclectic mix of fringe performances at the Etcetera theatre. Activities in and Around Camden TownCheck out edgy art exhibitions at the Cob Gallery, contemporary photography at Proud Camden or a huge range of modern visual arts at the highly-acclaimed Camden Arts Centre. You can explore Jewish life and heritage at the Jewish Museum.If you’re looking for something a little more active, take the kids down to the Pirate Castle, where the whole family can enjoy a range of water-based activities. And there's always ZSL London Zoo – set within Regent's Park. It's great fun for kids and adults alike. From here, explore the area along the picturesque Regent's Canal. Trendy Primrose Hill is also well worth a visit not least for the spectacular city views from the top of the hill. London Hotels in Camden TownThere’s lots of accommodation in and around Camden. A good budget hotel in Camden is the Smart Camden Inn hostel. Other options in the area include the Melia White House, the Pullman London St Pancras and the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel.

Once a forgotten East London suburb, Hackney now has a thriving arts and fashion scene, as well as world renowned bars and clubs. Hackney has seen one of the biggest transformations in the past twenty years going from a tiny pocket of London with fragmented areas of properties and local amenities to one of the most sought after area in East London.It has become an incredibly vibrant and sought after place to live in recent years and continues to enjoy some of the fastest and most consistently rising house prices in London. And it's easy to see why. The new East London line provides direct connections to the City, Docklands and West End. Education is also on the up: two of London's most successful City Academies are in Hackney and there are plans to rebuild or renovate every other Hackney school by 2016. Primary and Secondary schools are ever excelling with more City Academies planned for the future.There's a diverse selection of housing – Georgian and Victorian terraces, award winning modern developments, canal-side apartments, warehouse and school conversions alike – as well as an abundance of conservation areas, parks, trendy shops, bars, bistros and restaurants.Hackney is one of the most talked about places in London. In recent years it has attracted food lovers with a range of farmers markets and innovative restaurants. It has also become a creative mecca attracting art and fashion lovers. This means the area has some of the best attractions around.Now closely affiliated with some of the best fashion designers in the industry, Hackney always has new pop-up ventures and exciting stores to explore. The Hackney Fashion Hub, due for completion in 2015, will make Hackney one of the best retail destinations around.Despite being close to the City, Hackney benefits from some amazing open spaces and parks which hugely contribute to its popularity.  With cycling more popular in Hackney than any other London borough, there are also some great spaces for locals to explore on two wheels.

Upmarket, thriving, rich in culture and targeted by city workers and the creative alike. Once a neglected inner-city spot Islington is now one of the capital’s most fashionable places to live with trendy bars, shops, restaurants and nightlife surrounded by beautiful nineteenth century terraces.Islington encompasses Angel, Barnsbury, Canonbury, Higbury, Holloway and Kings Cross. The latter benefits from euro links to France and Brussels and furthermore Kings Cross is already starting to benefit from the ongoing £500m plus regeneration project scheduled to finish in 2015.Islington has a rich and diverse mix of residents that gives its individual and hip vibe. City workers, wealthy young couples, first time buyers and creative live alongside students and pensioners and there is a high proportion of social housing in the area too. Younger residents love the social side of Islington and that it is so easy to get into the City and West-end Property in IslingtonIslington has a varied mix of architectural styles. Some of its most historic includes flat-fronted Georgian and early Victorian terraces – Colebrook Row is one of the most picturesque Georgian rows and consequently one of the most sought after addresses in London. The best of Islington• Shopping in Islington High Street and Upper Street – supermarkets, chains and independent shops and a great street market every Wednesday• Camden Passage antiques village - world famous for its huge range of shops, arcades  and markets• Chapel Market – variety of delis, clothes and bric-a-brac plus the Islington Farmers’ Market on Sundays• Shops and boutiques along St Paul’s Road include lifestyle boutique Pixie Moon, delis and a good independent butcher, Canonbury Butcher. Activities in Islington• There is a varied cultural scene in Islington with four local theatres. The Almeida Theatre has a reputation as a ‘local theatre with a world profile’ producing British and international drama. The King’s Head Theatre and Pub – first pub theatre founded in England since the days of Shakespeare. The Tower Theatre – full-time non-professional company that since its formation has played in public theatres, and stages up to 18 productions a year and Sadler's Wells - the UK's leading dance house for the best of international and UK dance and ballet• Estorik Collection of modern Italian art –one of the finest collections of early 20th Century Italian art in the world. Contains six galleries, an art library, cafe and bookshop• Cinema – Screen on the Green• Union Chapel – catch great bands in this intimate former chapel• For fine dining, Almeida - traditional French neighborhood restaurant opposite the Theatre, serving classical French dishes with Michelin trained Head Chef Alan Jones in charge. Frederick’s is very popular with locals.• Islington’s restaurants cater for an international palate, including Japanese, Spanish, French and the acclaimed Rodizio Rico – serving Brazilian food with passadors (meat carvers) passing from table to table slicing different cuts of meat from skewers onto your plate• The Castle is a relaxing pub popular with local workers and loyal regulars who enjoy freshly prepared sandwiches and daily specials at lunchtime and come back in the evening. On a fine day or evening you can sit on the lovely rooftop terrace. ParklifeIslington is one of London’s most built up environments, but there are great local green spaces, if you know where to look.• The largest park is Highbury Fields - a calm oasis of almost 30 acres, tucked away behind the exceedingly busy Highbury Corner. Beautiful walks, tennis courts and an award-winning children's playground.• Ecology Centre and nature reserve at Gillespie Park - a seven acre nature reserve with 244 species of plants, 94 species of birds and 24 types of butterflies. Open to visitors with advice on wildlife gardening and sustainable living• Islington Green – a small triangle with sculptures and seating in Angel• Barnard Park – with an adventure playground• New River Walk - neither new nor a river it was an aqueduct commissioned in 1613 to bring water from Hertfordshire into central London. The aqueduct still supplies water, accounting for eight per cent of London’s consumption, and though it now ends at Stoke Newington the rest of the path is preserved as a nature trail and good for bird watching

Westminster is at the very centre of Britain’s political and ceremonial life. Tourists arrive in their droves to see the medieval glories of Westminster Abbey, St Margaret’s Church and the Jewel Tower, along with the high Victorian gothic design of Barry and Pugin’s Houses of Parliament and the building that has come to symbolise the capital more than any other, Big Ben’s clock tower.But step away from these landmark World Heritage buildings and the tourist crowds and there is another Westminster to discover, the historic Westminster of peaceful cathedral precincts, some of London’s finest streets of Queen Anne and Georgian houses, and period terrace homes.Although the district is known the world over as the centre of British political life, it is also becoming a much more popular place to live and much more convivial, too.Property in WestminsterWestminster has some outstanding early Georgian houses in Queen Anne’s Gate in the Birdcage Walk conservation area. The best have fine wooden decorative door surrounds and canopies and bow windows at the back overlooking St James’s Park. Most of these houses were used as offices but in recent years the local council has allowed many to be converted back into homes.There are smaller Georgian houses nearby in streets such as Buckingham Place and, closer to Westminster Abbey, in Cowley Street and Barton Street. The very best houses now command prices of up to £2,000 a square foot, with smaller houses starting at about £1,400 a square foot.There are spacious Edwardian mansion flats in the streets around Westminster Cathedral, and where government offices are becoming redundant they are being replaced with new homes. The period mansion flats sell for between £1,000 and £1,500 a square foot and new-build flats for around £1,600 a square foot.Average prices: buying in Westminster*One-bedroom flat: £1.21 millionTwo-bedroom flat: £2.12 millionTwo-bedroom house: £1.69 millionThree-bedroom house: £3.96 millionFour-bedroom house: £6.15 millionwww.Zoopla.co.uk*These statistics also include Knightsbridge, a more expensive area than Westminster. Renting in WestminsterRental yields are low, ranging from 2.7 per cent to four per cent, so most landlords invest with capital growth uppermost in mind. Westminster was once popular with politicians as a place to live as well as to work, but since the expenses scandal there are strict limits on what can be claimed in mortgage and rental costs, which has forced many MPs out of the area however, it is still possible to rent reasonably Average prices: renting in Westminster*One-bedroom flat: £3,441 a monthTwo-bedroom flat: £4,810 a monthTwo-bedroom house: £4,795 a monthThree-bedroom house: £13,120 a monthFour-bedroom house: £15,232 a monthwww.Zoopla.co.uk*These statistics also include Knightsbridge, a more expensive area than Westminster.