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From The Times

November 16, 2007

Focus on... Primrose Hill

IF celebrity was a country, Primrose Hill would undoubtedly be its capital

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IF celebrity was a country, Primrose Hill would undoubtedly be its capital. There’s Kate and Jude, Sienna and Sadie and Meg. If Gwen Stefani and husband Gavin Rossdale ever run low on polenta they can always pop next door to Jamie and Jools Oliver. The Gallaghers have gone, selling their rock pad Supernova Heights to Little Britain star David Walliams for a reported £3 million. Stalkers are spoilt for choice. So what attracts all these A-listers to NW1? Each other, for a start. The Primrose Hill Mob shocked the neighbourhood romping between boudoirs and across the tabloids. Meg and Noel have since split – she auctioned the entire contents of their home, including leather handcuffs, online. Since Sadie cleaned up her act it seems that Kate’s the only one still misbehaving. But, good or bad, they’re all still on the Hill. Famous or not, you can live a celebrity lifestyle on the Hill – if you can afford it. Begin by finding your inner calm at Triyoga. Once centred pop along to the Trojka Russian Restaurant and Tea Room for caviar on toast. Try to ignore Take That sharing a pot of green tea at the next table. Which boutique first? Should it be the two-storey trinket trove that is Shikasuki? Lingerie from Miss Lala’s Boudoir? Or some pampering for your underarm pooch at Primrose Hill Pets? If you’re feeling all rustic, and it’s Saturday, grab an artisanal loaf and some handmade cheese from the farmers’ market at Primrose Hill School on Princess Road. Grab the latest Alan Bennett book from Primrose Hill Books and nod at the great man’s house as you walk up the Hill. At the top, don your dark glasses and pick a bench on which to enjoy your impromptu picnic, looking down, in so many ways, on the rest of London. DAMIAN BARR

HOW IT RATES Once a hunting ground of Henry VIII, Primrose Hill has become one of London’s most exclusive enclaves. Delis and boutiques supply the wealthy locals, most of whom work in politics, media, banking or rock’n’roll. Primrose Hill is mentioned in William Blake’s poetry, Samuel Beckett’s radio plays and numerous pop songs.

WHAT’S NEW For new projects of one’s own, try local builder Robin Ellis. His average budget for a private project is £4 million; he specialises in modernising period houses in a chic way (020-7449 4252, www.robinellis.co.uk).

QUALITY OF LIFE Almost too perfect. Pretty, candy-coloured houses by a grassy knoll with skyline views of the city. Regent’s Park is moments away, as are top restaurants and pubs.

TRAVEL With no Tube stop of its own, a short walk to Chalk Farm or Swiss Cottage is required. Otherwise it’s a mere dash across the park to Marylebone High Street and Oxford Circus for shopping. Camden is next door, as is St John’s Wood.

SMARTEST STREETS Chalcot Square is a collection of coloured houses that carry a 10 to 15 per cent premium, costing about £4 million. Only three or four houses have been sold here in the past five years.

BEST RESTAURANTS Odette’s is an upmarket restaurant owned by Mean Fiddler’s Vince Power. Clare’s Kitchen makes good snacks and offers a chi-chi catering service. Sardo Canale is a canalside Sicilian, and Manna is famed for its vegetarian cuisine.

NIGHTLIFE The Engineer is a lovely pub and The Lansdowne on Gloucester Avenue has good food and drink. Trojka, a Russian tea room, holds vodka and caviar nights.

EDUCATIONThe Trevor Roberts School is one of Eton’s feeder prep schools. An alternative kindergarten option is Chalcot Montessori School, with bilingual teaching in French and English. South Hampstead High School for girls is nondenominational and has an excellent academic record.

UPSIDE The hill itself is an idyllic picnic spot in summer and a good vantage point for watching autumn fireworks. At weekends French stalls sell cheese, croissants and salami, and Bibendum is one of London’s best wine merchants. London Zoo is near by for kids, and Camden will satisfy teenagers and old rockers.

DOWNSIDE With so many famous locals it can be hard to grasp which “Primrose Hill set” is being referred to – the Sadie Frost lot or the David Miliband lot. Being a posh ghetto, food prices are extortionate. Well-grounded types are thin on the ground.

KASIA MACIEJOWSKA

£544,725 The average house price in the Primrose Hill postcode NW1

Source: Land Registry

5.8% The increase in prime property prices in NW1 over the past three months

Source: Knight Frank

218% The increase in prime property prices in NW1 over the past ten years

Source: Knight Frank

207ft The height of the summit of Primrose Hill

Source: Time Out London

I lived there during the blitz - 15 Oppidan's rd. The top of the hill was fenced off for the army and there two great guns being fired nearly every night for nearly a year. Each time the guns were fired the whole building shook, and the windows had to be left partly open to avoid being smashed. The houses opposite the hill were empty and some of the duds from the guns went right into them. There was a barrage balloon lower down the hill. One night a mine came down hanging in a black parachute and the whole area was fenced off. Later on we moved and the house where we lived was bombed by a doodlebug.
K. H. Copenhagen

K. Hojlev, Copenhagen, Denmark

I first heard of Primrose Hill because Morrissey lived here many moons ago (in Chalcot Street I think). The first time I visited I was struck by the elegant beauty, colouring and gracious curve of Regents Park Road and the two red telephone boxes on the corner of Primrose Hill Road and RPR ( a good place to wait for a cab by the way!)

That view encapsulated my view of what England is; cosy, traditional but a bit funky, beautiful, relaxed and human. Primrose Hill is special - the parks, a 20 minute walk into the centre of town, lots of multicoloured classical Victorian buildings, few ugly modern buildings and a wonderful windey organic streetscape.

The best restaurant is Lemonia and other delights are Cachao cafe, Jessica and Marek's bookshop Primrose Hill Books, The Engineer and the Lansdowne pubs and Bodydoctor Fitness in Utopia Village (also a good place for share office spaces), Yeomans fruit and veg, All we need now is a good butcher and a cash machine!

peter, primrose hill, london

I'm just in the process of opening a Laser Hair Removal / Botox clinic in Princess St, Primrose Hill (We'll be up and running by February 08). It is my 3rd such clinic and I base the clinic's success on giving complete client confidentiality, (we even offer out of hours appointments for clients who don't want to start "do they don't they" cosmetic enhancement rumours!) I don't know the area yet but this article has been very helpful in preparing our launch.

Liz Ridley - London Rejuvenation Clinic Ltd, London, London

Keep up.... Jude moved out of Primrose Hill ages ago. I know as he lives in the next street to me. Not telling where tho as he is as entitled to his privacy as the rest of us.

Jon, London,

What happened to Mustoes bistro? It closed a few years ago soon after Edward Mustoe's 70th birthday, I believe. Edward, his impressive sideburns and wife Sharon still live locally in their retirement but the days of his Â£1.50 starters have long gone.

However, the tenure of this article : that this is now an enclave of celebrities and the super rich, is far from the truth. Primrose Hill has always had a high percentage of social housing and provides the area with a great mix of people. (I know of a postman and his family who live in one of those multi-million pound houses).

David Townsend, Primrose Hill, London

I have got a bit of pride,and do not go for all this name dropping.
Personally,the minute "my" restaurant or pub is frequented by Kate,Jude and their buddies, then I will be eating and having a drink elsewhere.
Somewhere more classy.

nic, royan, france

Primrose Hill is good, but I think that there are better areas nearby, like St. John's Wood, and Hampstead.

Andrew, Vancouver,

Is it me, or are Sadie Frost and Kate Moss are looking more and more like Eddy and Patsy form Ab Fab every day.?

Brett, Manchester, UK

The Engineer is a very nice pub. Sunk quite few pints there, and then ambled over to Lemonia, the Greek resto with me brothers and families for another lively session. Good stuff. However, I live in Lowndes Sq in Knightsbridge, which is nice as well, though much more crowded and bustling. Primrose Hill is a nice escape. Cheers!

Colin Bowley, London, UK

Not to mention the wonderful 'Mustoes', which was there for about 30 years, but sadly appeared to have closed last time I was back.... I lived on Adelaide Road (NW3).... all the advantages of Primrose Hill without the prices... What happened to Mustoes?

Patricia, Oslo,

There's nothing to be harsh about and it doesn't reflect on London as being a place that's obsessed with property prices (Matthew). It exists in every great city and London is a great city. Reality is, some of us can afford a Primrose and some of us cannot... some of us simply don't care one way or the other. It's no big deal, we all create our own lives and live accordingly. Unless someone is getting hurt, no one should be condemned for it.

Kat, New York City, USA

I've lived in Primrose Hill for 25 years and I can't think of a better place to live in London. The Hill itself dominates the area, not so much by its physical presence (though the views of London are spectacular) but really in the way that so many of the local streets end in, not more streets as is the case in most big cities, but open expanses of parkland and sky. The architecture is pleasing but not too grand as can be the case elsewhere around the parks, so it feels cosy and not too intimidating. The ambience is wam and inviting (save for the prices but that's true for the whole of central London now). There may be celebrities and film crews but they don't impact too much on the area and are probably of more interest to the media who are looking for action than to the celebs themselves or the local residents. It's got a bit mad on summer weekends in recent years but overall it is a really wonderful place and the residents should consider themselves very fortunate indeed - I do!

Robin , london,

It's been like that for a little while now Matthew.

Michael, Belfast,

Finally, a bad picture of Kate Moss!

Michael, Belfast,

Calm down, Matthew; if you are happy in Woking, leave it at that. I only looked at this article because I lived in Primrose Hill when I was a student---then it was shabby and cheap and the only person who passed for a celebrity was Fay Weldon. Chalcot Square was always expensive, however.

Dectora, London, UK/ex Ireland

how utterly ghastly, is this all that Britain now represents? 4 million pound 'projects' and obsession with property prices.

matthew, woking,