Looking for a quieter, calmer version of London living? You’ll find it in the northwestern part of the capital. We take a look at the 10 best places to live in North West London and discover that there are more than a few surprises in store. Affluent, inviting and packed with opportunities for quasi-village living, North West London’s areas are still surprisingly diverse.
Let’s review the main areas of North West London before diving into our top-rated developments. These are the best places to live in this part of the capital, as voted by HomeViews verified reviewers.
10 best new homes developments in North West London
Our rankings below list the 10 highest-rated developments in North West London. These scores are determined purely by verified residents on HomeViews, i.e. the people who actually live there. Residents provide independent reviews on every aspect of living in their new home. Review categories include facilities, design, location, value and management. Take a look to find your perfect North West London home.
*PLEASE NOTE these rankings take into account how recently reviews have been submitted, so may not match the overall star ratings shown. More recent reviews are given a greater weighting to reflect current building performance.
In green and serene Harrow, just a 12 minute train from Euston, you’ll find The Palm House. It’s filled with fully-furnished studio apartments and shared spaces, each designed for an effortless living experience. Here, you can enjoy an onsite co-working space, gym, cinema, cafe and two panoramic roof terraces, all included in your monthly rent. You can meet your neighbours and get stuck in at daily events, from boxing classes to wine tasting masterclasses.
The Palm House is a recent addition to the HomeViews review lists but it has very quickly shot into the number one slot for North West London, attracting more than 20 glowing reviews!
Taking second place, The Quarters Swiss Cottage accommodates 102 self-contained spacious units for short-term stays. Guests can enjoy a range of services and amenities, including in house maintenance and housekeeping. Similarly, Finchley Road station is less than a minute’s walk away, meaning easy access to transport links. Likewise, there is a great selection of shops, restaurants, bars and outdoor space close by.
Third-placed Acton Works by Network Homes sits in Park Royal. Residents benefit from communal and rooftop gardens at Acton Works. Additionally, there is cycle storage on site. Located within walking distance of Harlesden, North Acton and Park Royal Underground Stations, Acton Works benefits from transport between Zone 2 to the Central and Piccadilly lines. Furthermore, Acton Works is a pet friendly development. Also, some apartments have an allocated car parking space.
Sitting in fourth place is L&Q at Colindale Gardens. This popular rental-only development comprises 211 apartments, which ranges from one, two and three-bedrooms. Residents benefit from an on-site concierge, a private balcony and from being only a 10-minute walk from Colindale station, which is serviced by the Northern line.
Taking the number five spot in our best places to live in North West London is The Quarters Kilburn. This HomeViews award-winning rental only development in the heart of Kilburn has 82 self-contained studios. Little Venice, Abbey Road, Regent’s Park and Lord’s Cricket Ground are all nearby, while the development is just five minutes from Kilburn Park station, giving residents access to central London with Euston only a 7-minute journey away. The Quarters offers a secure, comfortable managed environment and residents love its winning combination of excellent build quality, management team and location.
Occupying sixth in our rankings, Queen’s Park Place is a new-build development from London Newcastle made up of 116 contemporary apartments and penthouses arranged around private courtyard gardens. It’s neighboured by Queen’s Park station, which offers Bakerloo line services into Paddington Station in less than 10 minutes.
Seventh-placed Bradstowe House is located in the heart of Harrow, just a short walk from Harrow on the Hill train station. Built by Comer Houses and managed by Greystar, the development houses one and two-bedroom apartments. Along with this, it also features a number of penthouses, all of which are available as rental-only. Residents’ at Bradstowe House have access to an on-site gym, a lounge and a 24hr concierge.
Sitting in number eight, Madison is a Build to Rent development in Wembley, close to Wembley Stadium. Quintain Living’s eighth development contains 381 rental homes. Madison is sophisticated and exudes ‘Mad men’ cool. Its interiors combine a range of mid-century modern and contemporary design influences and it overlooks and opens out onto the leafy Union Park. Living here is so much more than just your apartment.
Ninth-placed Uncle Wembley comprises 239 one, two and three bedroom apartments in Wembley. Residents here benefit from a private gym, wellness room, roof terrace and from it being pet-friendly. The development is also just a 4-minute walk from Wembley Central Station, as well as various local amenities.
The final spot in our rankings for North West London goes to another Wembley development: Wembley Park Gate. This development by Barratt London is located in Wembley Park and comprises 211 apartments, ranging from studio, one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments. Included in the complex are over 70 shops, restaurants and coffee shops. There is also a range of offices. It is located a short walk from Wembley Park Underground station which serves both the Jubliee and Metropolitan lines.
The North West of London has undergone a lot of change in recent years, with more on the way as London’s outer zones become increasingly desirable. While prices across the UK started to stagnate in 2023, those in North West continued to creep up, albeit at a relatively slow rate.
A big part of the attraction of North West London is its blend of rural and city living. Many areas feature beautiful green spaces and village lifestyles, combined with the benefits of excellent access to central London.
North West London areas
Hampstead, Belsize Park and St John’s Wood make up the most prominent ‘village living’ areas of North West London. Between them, they offer up some of the best parkland and leafy suburbs in the city, particularly Hampstead Heath. St John’s Wood is also where Lord’s Cricket Ground – the sport’s spiritual home – is located.
While country walks and cricket matches have plenty of appeal, there’s excitement here too. The bustling shopping centres and quirky vintage markets of Camden are just the beginning. Camden is as colourful as anywhere in London, and enjoys its well-deserved status as an icon of multicultural coolness.
There are also more affordable property prospects in Colindale, which is undergoing a major makeover through urban regeneration programmes. Like Camden, Colindale enjoys an extremely diverse and exciting food and shopping scene, as well as outstanding transport links.
For more information on what makes North West London attractive for buyers and renters, explore our full area guide. It features a full list of the best places to live in North West London according to verified resident reviews.
HomeViews provides verified resident reviews of the UK’s housing developments. We’re working with developers, landlords and the Government to recognise high performers and help to improve standards in the built environment.
