Centred around the convenient West Harrow tube station, this residential north London suburb is considered a bohemian area and is a haven for commuters. With regular Metropolitan line services into that stop at King’s Cross, Liverpool Street, and Baker Street, as well as many more, the neighbourhood is incredibly well connected to the inner city. The quiet, leafy streets are lined with large interwar semis with gardens that are perfect for families with kids, and the numerous local schools only add to the area’s appeal. There is plenty of nearby green space in the form of Churchfields and The Grove, and the nearby town centre of Harrow on the Hill provides locals with abundant amenities in a beautiful village setting.

The area was once part of an ancient parish in the Gore hundred of Middlesex. It was almost entirely rural until the 19th century, though the prestigious Harrow School was founded nearby in 1572. As the area industrialised and the train stations were introduced, the neighbourhood formed and quickly became a popular commuter suburb. The Kodak factory was opened in the area in the 1920s, and by 1965, occupied a huge 55-acre site, employing over 6,000 people. It was during the factory’s expansion that much of the suburb was built, providing homes for the local workers. The factory remains to this day, and is considered a proud landmark by residents.

Rumour has it that upon fleeing Oxford on his way to Southwell in 1646, King Charles I stopped off in the area to take one final glance back at London.

The area is also home to the first and only contemporary artist-led gallery in the borough. Set up in 2010 by the Usurp Art Collective in the space of a disused butchers’ shop, the gallery provides professional support for artists, runs cultural programmes, and offers studios to local artists.

While incredibly well connected, the neighbourhood’s Zone 5 location can make travel incredibly expensive, especially when commuting at peak hours. The rumbling train tracks that pass through the centre of the area have also been cited as a source of noise pollution.

Despite local pride in the Kodak factory, Makower Architects are in the process of converting the building into a large housing and office development that will create 2000 new homes. Known as Eastman Village Kodak, the site will also include retail and leisure space in the 8-to-15-storey blocks. Harrow is high on the agenda for the Mayor of London, thanks to its excellent transport connections to central London and wider connections to northwest London. This is reflected in the Mayor’s Outer London Fund, which has given £472,000 for Round One and £1.8m for Round Two, (which will be matched by £1 million from Harrow Council) for wide-ranging improvements to Harrow Town Centre. The borough on the whole is set for a total rejeuvenation too, with the £690m ‘Building a Better Harrow’ scheme in conjunction with Wates Residential, set to bring 1,500 new affordable homes, a civic centre, numerous new commercial spaces, as well as plenty of new and improved green space over the coming ten years. The focus of these developments will be at Poet’s Corner, Byron Park, and Peel House car park.