This neighbourhood, sitting in the eastern pocket of Cricklewood, is a lush area with many winding roads lined with large trees. Flanked by two high streets - Finchley Road and Cricklewood Lane -there are plenty of places to catch a bite to eat or wind down over a pint. Locals especially love Papa’s Café for no-frill coffee-shop food, and Giacomo’s for Italian dinners. Still, there’s more to the neighbourhood than its eateries. Boasting a quiet suburban feel with affordable housing options, families flock to the neighbourhood and are able to get more for their money in the modest post-war terraced houses that line the streets. Additionally, despite being close by to multiple rail and tube stops, there’s reason to stay put on the weekend. Whether it’s staying active at the Brondesbury Cricket Tennis & Squash Club, or volunteering at Hocroft Court Community Garden-there’s plenty of ways to enjoy living in Cricklewood.

This neighbourhood has likely been around since the 13th century. However, it wasn’t until the early 19th century that residential growth really picked up. Originally, seasonal agricultural workers were attracted to the neighbourhood. By the end of WWII though, working class Irish immigrants moved in large numbers to the area. Unfortunately, in the 1960s, many of the jobs and industries that had brought working class residents to the area had begun to shut down. The area, having experienced a period of homelessness and economic depression following these closures, has since become a popular and cheaper alternative to other suburban enclaves of North West London.

The late aviator, Amy Johnson, lived in the area in the beginning of the 20th century. She was most well known for being the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia. The 11,000 mile trip took her 19 days to complete.

Some residents who live in the area feel like it can seem a bit run down and sleepy. Still, they insist that they feel extremely safe in the neighbourhood, even at night. Additionally, the area is receiving heightened attention from the council and developers in hope of regenerating the neighbourhood.

This area of Cricklewood, like other sections, is receiving heightened attention from housing developers. Broadway Homes, a development on Cricklewood Lane that was completed in Summer 2019, was built by Fairview Homes and brings over 100 new flats to the neighbourhood, ranging it size from 1- to 3-bedrooms.

Nearby the neighbourhood, the regeneration of the Brent Cross shopping centre and the surrounding area are still ongoing. The scheme will likely impact the businesses and homes in Cricklewood. Known as the Brent Cross Cricklewood development, it will extend the shopping centre while creating 7,500 new homes to the south of the North Circular, rebuilding three schools and creating new parks.

More locally, a development scheme proposed for the B&Q site in Cricklewood by developer Montreaux has sparked controversy among residents. As part of the Broadway Retail Park, the 6.8-acre site would be transformed to offer 1,049 homes built in blocks up to 18 storeys high. While the proposal sparked more than 2,000 objections from members of the public, the local council approved the proposal. However, in mid-2022, Michael Gove and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) intervened in the matter and were able to initiate a public enquiry into the proposal’s components, putting into question its density, height and adequacy for a part of town that does not necessarily have the social and physical infrastructure to cope with such a residential increase.