Kentish Town: north London's starry, under the radar hotspot

Celebs and politicians love it, the pubs are perfect and house prices just right. By Ruth Bloomfield

- Ruth Bloomfield

Painted terraces line a number of roads in Kentish Town; top right, a local street market

Between the manic tourist mosh pit that is Camden Market and the bucolic wilds of Hampstead Heath lies London's ultimate property sweet spot. Kentish Town is understated, underrated, and — since the pandemic — outperforming.

Its house prices have been quietly outdoing those of the more famous Northern Line villages around it. It also has a celebrity fan base just as starry as anything posher parts of north London can muster.

Its film, TV and musician contingent tends to be lower key than the try-hards who live in Hampstead or Primrose Hill. Venerable locals include Ken Loach, the left-leaning film director, who lives in Dartmouth Park.Bafta winner and official national treasure Bill Nighy has lived in Kentish Town for years, and frequently campaigns on community issues. And Kelly Macdonald, who appeared with Nighy in The Girl in the Café, lived nearby. Meanwhile two iterations of Prince Philip in The Crown, Matt Smith and Tobias Menzies, are both frequently spotted.

Tom Hiddleston lived quietly in Kentish Town for years until he became a father and moved up the road to Belsize Park. Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya was born and raised in a Kentish Town council flat and remains close to his roots as associate artistic director of the Roundhouse, just up the road in Camden Town. His directorial debut, The Kitchen, featured a cameo from Nev Watson, longtime owner of the Modernage salon, who used to cut Kaluuya's hair when he was a boy.

Ever since Karl Marx moved into a townhouse on Grafton Terrace in the mid-19th century, Kentish Town has also been a hotbed of left-leaning politicians.