Area guide · Landfall London
Living in North London
Leafy villages, Hampstead Heath and the American School in London, all within half an hour of the center.
- Average home price
- £798,000
- Camden, Aug 2026. Islington: £654,000
- American curriculum
- American School in London
- St John’s Wood, ages 4 to 18
- To the West End
- 15–25 minutes
- Jubilee, Northern and Victoria lines
- To Paris
- Eurostar
- From King’s Cross St Pancras
North London covers a lot of ground: St John’s Wood and Primrose Hill by Regent’s Park, Hampstead and Highgate up on the hills, and Islington to the east. It is the traditional heartland for American families in London, largely because the American School in London is in St John’s Wood.
Expect Victorian and Edwardian houses, mansion flats and high streets that still feel like villages. Prices are high, though below Kensington and Chelsea, and Hampstead Heath gives you almost 800 acres of wild green space.
Property
Buying and renting
In August 2026 the average home sold for about £798,000 in Camden, which includes Hampstead and Primrose Hill, and £654,000 in Islington, with Barnet further north at about £593,000. St John’s Wood itself is in the City of Westminster. As across inner London, prices are lower than a year ago, mainly because flat prices have fallen.
Houses in Hampstead, Highgate and St John’s Wood are among the most expensive in London, so many families start in a mansion flat or a rented house and buy later. Muswell Hill, Crouch End and the streets around Highgate give you more space for the money.
Average London rent was £2,338 a month in September 2026, and family houses near good schools sit well above that. Landlords will usually ask for references and proof of income before they offer you a tenancy.
Before you commit
- Check whether a flat is leasehold and how many years the lease has left.
- Camden, Islington, Westminster and Barnet each set their own council tax and run their own school admissions.
- Walk the route to the Tube and to school at rush hour before you commit.
Family & schools
Schools and family life
The American School in London, in St John’s Wood, teaches a US curriculum from age 4 to 18, with Advanced Placement courses, a short walk from St John’s Wood station on the Jubilee line. Places are sought after, so contact the school as early as you can, ideally before you choose where to live.
North London also has strong state primaries and secondaries, selective grammar schools in Barnet and many independent schools. You apply for state school places through your home council, and secondary school applications are due by 31 October in the year before your child starts.
Before you commit
- Talk to the American School in London before you settle on an area.
- Use your council’s admissions pages to see which state schools are realistic from an address.
- Children aged 11 to 15 travel free on London buses with a Zip Oyster photocard, and under-11s travel free.
Travel
Getting around and getting home
The Jubilee line runs from St John’s Wood to Bond Street in under ten minutes and on to Canary Wharf, the Northern line serves Hampstead, Highgate and Camden, and the Victoria line stops at Highbury & Islington. King’s Cross St Pancras has the Eurostar to Paris and Brussels.
Heathrow is about an hour away by Tube and the Elizabeth line or the Heathrow Express. Luton and Stansted airports are easy to reach from St Pancras and Liverpool Street.
Community
Finding your people
North London has one of the longest-established American communities in the UK, built around the American School. Families tend to find their circle through school events, local clubs and places of worship.
The American Women’s Club of London runs events across the city, and Hampstead and Highgate have active local societies, book groups and a Saturday morning parkrun on the Heath.
Where to look
A starting shortlist. Visit at different times of day, and check the school catchment and council for any address you like.
St John’s Wood
Walk to the American School and Regent’s Park. Mansion flats and grand villas.
Hampstead & Belsize Park
Village streets, the Heath and period houses. The Northern line into town.
Highgate, Muswell Hill & Crouch End
More space for the money, good schools and Edwardian family houses.
Islington
Georgian squares, Upper Street restaurants and quick commutes to the City.
Take it with you
The North London brochure
This guide as a printable PDF, to read offline, share with your family or take on a viewing trip.
Other places in and around London
Kensington & ChelseaClassic central London: garden squares, museums and the highest prices in the UK.
South West LondonFulham, Clapham, Wimbledon and Richmond: family houses, the river and big parks.
City & East LondonCanary Wharf, Shoreditch and Greenwich: modern flats, short commutes and the Elizabeth line.
Surrey & the commuter beltCobham, Esher, Weybridge and Guildford: big gardens, American schools and trains to Waterloo.Sources. Figures checked in November 2026. The London average home price was £554,000 in August 2026, and the average London rent was £2,338 a month in September 2026. Prices and rents change, so check current listings before you decide.
- UK House Price Index England: August 2026 (GOV.UK)
- ONS: Private rent and house prices, UK, October 2026
- The American School in London
- The American Women’s Club of London
Photos from Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License: Brett Jordan, Amadeusz Misiak.
General information, not personal tax, financial, legal or immigration advice.
Social life
Parks, culture and going out
Hampstead Heath is the big draw: swimming ponds, Kenwood House and the view across the city from Parliament Hill. Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill are on St John’s Wood’s doorstep, with London Zoo and the open-air theater in summer.
Islington and Camden bring restaurants, live music and theater. Lord’s Cricket Ground in St John’s Wood is a good place to learn a very English game, and Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are both north London clubs. Tottenham’s stadium has also hosted NFL games.