Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
Beautiful surroundings, fantastic park, lovely ponds |
| Disadvantages: |
None - unless you are a snob ! ! |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
Hampstead is split up into two sections.Hampstead Garden Suburb which is very residential area and Hampstead where all the shops, history and gorgeous parks, heaths and old stately houses are. To see the later just get off at Hampstead Northern Line Underground station or get a British rail train to Hampstead Heath.
A little about Hampstead Garden suburb
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This is probably one of the most expensive and well-kept areas in London. Fences and brick walls are disallowed because they spoil the look and feel of the areas. Hedges, trees and grass verges are everywhere. All the houses are very well kept, some overlooking the Hampstead Heath extension (a very famous park)others with one or two acre gardens (in London where space is a premium this is rare) The most expensive road is Bishops Avenue where luminaries such as the Sultan of Brunei sometimes live. These houses are all mansions and well worth a walk past to admire the architecture!
Going on to Hampstead proper
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As you walk up Bishops avenue you reach Kenwood park, one of the most famous parks in England if not the world. Kenwood has a large house mansion holding some of the most important galleries of art in England and beautiful landscape gardens. In the summer there are open air classical music concerts by the lake. You can also go swimming in the summer(or winter if you're mad!). There is a men's only lake and women's only lake, there is also a mixed one. Now these lakes are completely surrounded by hedges and trees and you could easily walk around and miss them
completely. They are almost mystical in their appearance and the epitome of how England has still some very romantic and heavenly areas. You can walk for ages through Kenwood and carry on through the Hampstead Heath to Kentish town which is very near Canden Town which has a lovely canal and Sunday market.
Going to Hampstead Heath extension
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If you come out of either Hampstead station and and get to the back of it or walk from Bishops avenue and turn right pass the centuries old Spaniards Pub you reach Hampstead Heath. Now if you just happen to find yourself there on a bank holiday in England, you'll see Hampstead Fair which is quite fun when its not raining!
Back to the underground station
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Fancy some shopping? Well Hampstead high street has a range of shops, boutiques, cafes and pubs which are upmarket and distinctly different from the run of the mill high street chain store. That said there was a running battle with McDonalds Vs Most of Hampstead, no one really wanted a McDonalds because their garish red and yellow would stick out like a sore thumb. In the end McDonalds got their way but had to have a leaf green shop face so not to ruin the look of the high street. (much nicer than
red and yellow)
There are a heaps of famous people living and have died in Hampstead. Most of whom I have forgotten (can't be that famous then!) but I will try and update this opinion with some names soon. Oh by the way Hampstead is very hilly so I hope you like walking!
Here are some interesting links I have found concerning Hampstead.
http://www.heath-hands.org.uk - volunteers who look after the heath
http://www.heathandhampsteadsociety.org.uk - exactly what is says on the tin!
http://www.plus44.com/heritage/kenwood/kenwood.htm - Kenwood House
