This Camden neighbourhood is in Zone 2 and has two national rail service stations, two tube stations, and copious bus stops making it convenient to get anywhere in London. The neighbourhood is located right next to Hampstead Heath, one of London’s most popular outdoor green spaces. It has a small village feel to it due the little charming streets and shops ones can wander through. It is also filled with a number of galleries, cafes, pubs, and restaurants to entertain when the weather is not up to scratch for sitting on the grass of the heath.

Hampstead Heath, which makes up the majority of the area, has a number of ponds and springs that were created in the 1500s. In the 1700s these ponds became known for the iron-rich quality and people began to swim and bathe in them, which Londoners can still do today. The Heath was almost transformed into a private estate in the 19th century, however, the locals were strongly against the idea and managed to save it in a legal battle, in what was one of the first land preservation campaigns. On the more gruesome side of history, Ruth Ellis shot and killed her lover outside of the Magdala pub in this neighbourhood in the 1950s. She turned herself in and was hanged shortly after. Ellis was the last woman to be executed in Britain.

John Keats, a famous English romantic poet, lived in the locality. He lived in a semi-detached house with his friend from 1818 to 1820 and is rumoured to have written ‘Ode to a Nightingale’ in the house’s garden. His house has been turned into a museum and literacy centre, which you can visit today.

The River Fleet, London’s lost river, runs through Hampstead Heath and its ponds. The south-eastern part of the heath is also home to the famous Parliament Hill, one of the highest points in London, whose fantastic view of the city is protected by law. Its fame amongst the residents of London has lasted for centuries and it is the backdrop of a scene in the the gothic novel Dracula, where the undead Lucy abducts children playing on the heath.

The village feel of the area can make it feel detached from the city around it and, while this is often one of its attractions for local residents, it also means that it is popular for tourists and Londoners alike looking for a summer day’s getaway from the pollution of the city. As such the small, village shops can become overwhelmed and the streets crowded on a busy sunny day, which some residents object to.

The local Royal Free Hospital, which, for many years was the country’s only hospital providing medical training to women, is planning on building a new seven story building that will contain new laboratories, a patient hotel, charity offices, and a garden. Additionally, close to the neighbourhood will be a new Crossrail station, West Hampstead. The new building will have lifts to both platforms and will be bigger than the current station with twice as many gates and a much larger concourse. This is scheduled to finish around 2021.