_Queen’s Park area guide: a local expert’s insights

Queen’s Park is often considered the hidden gem of North West London. Instead of tourists, you’ll find a peaceful oasis with a welcoming mix of family homes, good schools and amenities that make for comfortable living and a vibrant community spirit.

The area is best known for the park itself. It was established in 1879, named after Queen Victoria, to host the Royal Agricultural Society Show. It’s now a beautiful, 30-acre green space at the centre of the community. In keeping with its history, Queen’s Park Day is held every year in September and echoes the retro stylings of a traditional country fête, including donkey rides, cake and jam competitions and street food stalls.

Unsurprisingly, the charm of Queen’s Park attracts many celebrities to the area; Daniel Craig, Sienna Miller, Dermot O’Leary and Louis Theroux are among the many famous residents.

Soroush Akhavan Prado, Core Market Manager at our Queen’s Park office, says: “Queen’s Park is a very affluent area, with residents typically working in the creative, media and tech fields. With beautiful parks, excellent schools and abundance of coffee shops, the neighbourhood attracts those seeking a community-focused, village lifestyle whilst still being in close proximity to central London.”

Where is Queen’s Park?

Queen’s Park is 4 miles north west of central London. The area borders the boroughs of Brent and the city of Westminster. Willesden and West Hampstead are to the north, and North Kensington and Notting Hill are to the south. Kilburn is to the east, and Kensal Green lies to the west. Queen’s Park largely falls in the NW6 postcode but includes NW10 and W10 to the south.

The district is well served by public transport. Queen’s Park and Kensal Green are on the Bakerloo line and the journey to central London takes 15-20 minutes. An Overground train from Queen’s Park to Euston takes 12 minutes. Elsewhere, Overground stations Kensal Rise, Brondesbury Park and Brondesbury give you direct access to Richmond, Hampstead and Islington. Nearby Paddington offers links across the UK.

What to do in Queen’s Park

Sarah Khalil, Head of Queen’s Park sales at Knight Frank, says: “Salusbury Road and Lonsdale Road are predominantly the two best spots in the area, offering an array of high-end shops such as Planet Organic, Joe & The Juice and the Boxing Gym.

“Kensal Rise has also evolved in recent years; Chamberlayne Road is the new high street, while College Road is a lovely street with a variety of cafes, pubs and local shops such as the popular Kensal Store.”

Shopping – two shopping streets flank the neighbourhood. The first is Salusbury Road, bridging Queen’s Park and Brondesbury Park, which includes the popular Provenance Village Butcher, independent Queen’s Park Bookshop, and clothes shop Ediit. The second is Chamberlayne Road, in Kensal Rise, where you’ll find florist Scarlet & Violet, wine specialists Rise & Vine, and stylish gift shop Verandah.

The Park - the park has excellent leisure and sporting facilities, including all-weather tennis courts, a pitch and putt course, a café and plenty of children’s facilities, including a paddling pool and even a small petting zoo.

Farmers’ Market – held in the grounds of Salusbury Primary School every Sunday, the popular market is packed with trendy food and drink stalls and independent vendors selling top quality produce. 

The Lexi Cinema – this small independent cinema on Chamberlayne Road is the gem in Queen’s Park’s arts crown. Volunteers run it with all proceeds going to charity. It hosts an array of activities, from Q&As and panel discussions to baby friendly screenings and outdoor screenings in Queen’s Park.

Queen’s Park Book Festival – the area’s rich literary history is reflected in this annual event, which is held in the park and features established and emerging authors, poets, artists and actors.

Where to eat in Queen’s Park

Independent restaurants and cafes dominate in Queen’s Park; locals are spoiled for choice. A few highlights include Ida, a family-run neighbourhood Italian; Australian joint Milk Beach; top-rated sushi restaurant Michiko Sushino; and Cocotte, a stylish farm-to-table rotisserie that’s also a popular brunch spot.

There are also plenty of family friendly pubs, including The Rise and The Alice House, while chic cafés Bob’s and Dark Habit serve up some of the area’s best coffee.

What are properties like in Queen's Park?

Queen’s Park is largely untouched by new developments; the quiet, suburban streets are lined with charming Victorian and Edwardian houses. Khalil says while these styles of properties have always been desirable, “more recently we’re seeing a resurgence in popularity for the 1930s and 1950s homes, which offer more lateral living. Garden apartments are always popular.”

Properties on roads with a view of the park are particularly sought after. In 1986 the areas surrounding the park were made a Conservation Area to protect their historic character. Khalil explains: “The roads between Salusbury Road and Queen’s Park, from Summerfield Avenue through to Brooksville Avenue, Kingswood Avenue and Chevening Road, are extremely popular. There’s also a lot of interest in properties east of Salusbury Road, including Hartland Road, Lynton Road, Honiton Road and Tennyson Road.

Houses north of the railway line in Brondesbury Park attract families for their wide ground floor living spaces and large gardens. The ‘Kensal Triangle’ is also extremely popular, where properties on streets such as Hardinge Road and Leighton Gardens are always quickly snapped up. These roads benefit from being close to parks and within catchments of good schools.

The best schools in Queen’s Park

Queen’s Park has a selection of state primary schools with “good” Ofsted ratings. Popular choices are Salusbury Primary, Ark Franklin, Malorees Junior & Infant School, and College Green Nursery.

The local comprehensive, Queen’s Park Community School, is rated “good”, and there are a range of “outstanding” comprehensives nearby, including Paddington Academy and Kensington Aldridge.

Parents who want to send their children to private schools can look to nearby Hampstead or Notting Hill, in addition to the three private Islamic schools in the Queen’s Park area.