This neighbourhood area of Willesden and Willesden Green is located in the north western London Borough of Brent. Willesden Cemetery takes up a large portion of the area, but the rest is filled with family homes, restaurants, and shops. There are numerous grocery stores, restaurants, and pubs along the High Road that winds its way through this neighbourhood. These include O’Farrells Family Butchers and Edward’s Bakery, which have been operating in the neighbourhood since 1908. A unique gem in this neighbourhood is Willesden Salvage, a flea market type store overflowing with random vintage pieces and antiques. The locality also has a Jewish Prayer Hall, a mosque, and 8 churches, making it a diverse and bustling neighbourhood outside of central London.

The name Willesden derives from the Anglo-Saxon word ‘Willesdune’, meaning the Hill of the Spring. The settlement in this area dates back to 939 AD. From the 14th to 16th centuries, the town was a place of pilgrimage due to the presence of two ancient statues of the Virgin Mary at the Church of St. Mary. One of these statues is thought to have been a Black Madonna that was taken to Thomas Cromwell’s house and burnt in 1538 as a part of a large bonfire of “notable images” during the Reformation. 400 years later, the Vicar of St. Mary’s revived the Shrine. Sadly, the new monument does not have as much value.

This area boasts a significant amount of literary connections. The most significant is born-and-raised-in-Willesden author Zadie Smith, who used the melting-pot of her local neighbourhood as the backdrop for the novels ‘White Teeth’, ‘NW’ and ‘Swing Time.’

One of the downsides of living in this neighbourhood is that the housing prices have dramatically increased in the last year. The average selling price has increased by 27.26% in the last year. However, the average rental price is still below London’s average rent per week.

The Brent Local Council has designated Willesden as a district centre. The council is therefore dedicated to maintaining its vitality and viability by completing new retail developments in Willesden. An example of recent development in the neighbourhood is Springhill House by McCarthy & Stone, which offers luxury flats to retiring Londoners who are over the age of 60. Looking Forward, a housing scheme at Willesden Green Garage, in St Paul’s Avenue, is expected to be completed in Spring 2023. ‘St Paul’s Mansions’, as the development is now known, is a partnership between Meadow Partners and HG Construction that will provide 76 flats (a slight alteration from the original 70 proposed) in a building up to seven storeys high, as well as 18 car parking spaces and a children’s play area.

Additionally, there has been debate amongst locals about the newly confirmed Brent Cross Town placemaking project. Argent developers, who oversaw much of King’s Cross’s recent transformation, are behind the project which will be located in the north of Willesden. The new neighbourhood promises to be transformative, boasting 6,700 homes, workspace for 25,000 people, a new high street, 50 acres of parks, as well as schools and community facilities.