Kensal Rise/Green people - talk to me!

[BlueIvy]

Thinking of moving there.

Grew up in Harlesden, so know all the roads in Kensal well, but want to know the good, bad and ugly and best/worst things about living there.
Have been away from NW10 for years, so need to re-familiarse myself with it.

Reasons for moving - DH has got an office in Ladbroke Grove; I work in West End and we want to live more centrally (currently in suburbs with long commute).

Looked at primary schools already. Princess Frederica looks nice, but DH is RC and I am not religious, so not sure how we'd fare on the old CofE front.

Any suggestions, comments or advice welcome!

Am over in Queens Park (which is lovely - and v handy as quite a number of bakerloo line trains stop there - would be v pissed off if lived one stop on) but have lots of friends over in Kensal Rise - Princess Frederica is a great primary school and highly sought after. Its a nice area, and quite arty but gentrifying all the time (Lexi cinema, nice butcher, various nice shops on Chamberlayne Rd), with plenty of buses into town - as a result price is going up all the time and there's a fair bit of competition for the family houses in good catchment areas (is still abit cheaper than Queens park though). The further towards Willesden you head the bigger the houses and the more suburban the feel.

Thanks dinky

Our budget is up to 700k and we're after a 4 bedroom house, ideally.

We've seen quite a few 3 bed terraces for 550-600k around Kensal Green / off College Rd, though, and would consider a do-er upper / doing a loft conversion.

I LOVE Queens Park / the Queens Pk side of Kensal Rise, but we cant afford a house there (have looked and its all 850k and then into the millions unfortunately).

Any other insights muchly appreciated.

I think if you go for one of the houses off College Rd (and aim to do up and do a loft conversion) you should be able to do that within your budget - that area is gentrifying all the time so you will recoup the money you spend on it (I reckon houseprices there are going to end up like those in QP). Best bet is to also figure out catchment areas for the schools you're interested in and then see what the houses up for sale are like around there (that's the approach we took when buying our house). My DS1 goes to Salusbury Primary on Salusbury Road in Queens Park - I know there are a few kids in his class from Kensal Green area (over by College Rd area) but think intake depends on the year. The houses over by Willesden Sports Centre are bigger houses - so 4 bed or bigger to start - but with worse transport links (relying on buses really) and it all feels alot more suburban with far fewer shops/cafes/bars etc.

Hi there,

A great resource is local blog park-life.org/

And the Facebook group: www.facebook.com/pages/Park-Life-a-blog-for-Kensal-Rise-and-Queens-Park/260037099686

Kensal Rise/Green is a great place for kids - lots to do in the local area. Also, has underground, overground and loads of buses all within a few minutes walk. As for schools, my DD goes to Kensal Rise Primary, much to the horror of some of my mum-friends in the area!, and absolutely loves it there. There are various other schools in the area (Princess Freds and Mallorees) which are better schools Ofsted-wise but almost impossible to get into unless you live on the doorstep. So far I'm more than happy with Kensal Rise and fingers crossed it will remain that way!
One downside - sometimes the traffic along Chamberlayne road can be a nightmare, especially when they're digging the road up (about twice a year).

Kensal Rise/Green is a dreadful area. When we first moved in it was creative and there was a buzz on the streets. Now just another dull awful suburb with constant building work, dirty streets, opinionated mummies who want a Queens Park postcode but can't afford it. Not safe at night, been robbed in our beds, son mugged on street and train. Very dirty, lots of fly tipping and the Tesco on StationTerrace is disgusting an utterly miserable place to live. It's not Queens Park and I want out

I lived in the kensal for years and am fond if it. It has a community feel....lots of my friends from there are well off now but don't want to leave because they know all their neighbours etc. That said, I was back in the summer for the first time in years and had forgotten how dirty and polluted it is. I couldn't live there with kids. It's drab and bleak. I wouldn't live south of purves road.

Yes,Bruce it was creative, most of my friends from there work in those industries....when I moved there in 97 it was quite rough, it's become sanitised socially but it feels v dirty, the air quality is awful.

You should be able to get a workers cottage in Queens Park within budget?

Hi all,

I'm thinking of moving to Kensal Rise and had a wander round Chamberlayne Rd area at the weekend. Houses are lovely and it's a good location for us but I couldn't really see much in the way of food shops? Where does everyone do their weekly shop? Do you do delivery? Any advice would be great.

Thanks!