Barnes Common dominates the area by far, stretching from the River Thames to the station. There is a small residential area, a continuation of Castelnau to the north, as well as an exclusive enclave deep within the common itself, served by a private road – Mill Hill Road, a gated community. Another similar community is Scarth Road, though it is not as isolated as Mill Hill, and is instead continuous with the main Barnes built-up area on the southwestern portion of the peninsular.

Apart from this, there are also pockets of council estates in the area, in particular Castelnau Estate, an interwar cottage estate. Otherwise, an assortment of Victorian terrace houses as well as post-war flats are spread throughout the area.

The Barnes area was first recorded as a part of the Manor of Mortlake, which was owned by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The area later appears in the Domesday Book, where it was valued for taxation at £7 per year, amongst its population of 50-60 people. The area remained a small riverside village until the railways arrived during the Victorian era, though even prior to that some mansions were already being built. Much of the large mansions and villas of the 18th and 19th centuries, however have become lost to the suburbanisation of the area, though Castlenau Road still holds many fine examples.

Barnes is a popular residence for those in the arts and culture industry. Amongst its residents are actor Robert Pattinson and actress Julia Watson. Stanley Tucci also lives here with his wife Felicity Blunt and three children. According to an interview with the Evening Standard, he enjoys going to Barnes Farmers Market to stock up on groceries, as well as the nearby wetlands and duck pond.

Public transportation to London city centre can be quite limited in Barnes. There is a South Western Railway line, though service is limited (only 6 trains per hour to Waterloo during the off-peak from Barnes Bridge railway station, 2 of them via Richmond), and 2 trains per hour to Weybridge. Barnes railway station is slightly better connected, with 8 trains per hour to Waterloo, but is in the middle of Barnes Common, rather than near any residential area.

There are a few developments in the Barnes area, including The Villas, which were completed in 2019, and is a collection of a few units in townhouses in the middle of Barnes Village. Berkeley Homes have developed these five-bedroom townhouses for families in this quiet area of London. A similar development in the Little Chelsea area of Barnes Village, aptly named ‘Little Chelsea Villas’, was also completed in 2020.