Matheson's Estate Agent

Centrally located, with good transport links Kilburn has great shopping for the bargain hunter. With a mixed and lively population Kilburn offers a great mix of cultures in its cafes and restaurants, from yams to tapas. Take the High Road for an evening of traditional and contemporary entertainment, and visit the numerous bars and pubs.

Brondesbury Park and Brondesbury (close to West Hampstead) are still the the most select neighbourhoods, offering large detached and semi-detached properties situated on pleasant tree-lined roads; Queens Park comes next, with substantial semis and good-sized terraces (many conversions) which increase in price according to proximity to the 30 acre park; Kilburn and Kensal  Green, though not as established, have definitely arrived and are now popular and pricey. Properties include smaller terraces, mansion blocks and council properties.

Kilburn High Road is cheap and cheerful, with the usual high street chains interspersed with more local outlets. The choice of restaurants is much improved -good Italian on the High Road, good organic on Lonsdale Road near Queens Park tube-and The Tricycle Arts Centre ( theatre and Arty cinema) is sufficiently well-regarded to attract punters from across the capital.

Classier shopping and dining can be found in West Hampstead, the Brent Cross shopping centre is not too far away, and the huge Ikea, off the North Circular, promises to make your life complete with a combination of Swedish meat-balls and flat pack furniture.

Green space is provided by Queens Park, Brondesbury Park and Grange Park (Kilburn). Hampstead Heath to the north is also within easy reach, as is Regents Park to the east

Tubes include Kilburn (Jubilee line), and Kilburn Park, Queens Park and Kensal Green (Bakerloo line). There are also trains at Kilburn High Road and Queens Park and Brondesbury, Brondesbury Park and Kensal Rise.

West Hampstead: Property here is mostly Victorian terraces and semis (generally converted), mansion blocks and purpose-built apartments. The family homes around Fortune Green are among the most expensive; the classy conversions and well-tended mansion blocks of South Hampstead also fetch high prices.

West Hampstead has lots of wine bars, pubs and restaurants and the huge O2 shopping centre (Sainsbury's, multiplex cinema, bars, restaurants) adds to an area already well-provided with a good collection of specialist outlets-interiors, books, antiques.

Tubes include Kilburn, West Hampstead and Swiss Cottage (Jubilee line), and Finchley Road (Jubilee and Metropolitan).