town & country
VIBRANT AND QUIRKY CROUCH END OR QUAINT AND HISTORIC ST ALBANS? ANDREA DEAN TAKES A CLOSER LOOK
ONE of the joys of living in Crouch End, north London, is that everywhere is within walking distance of the shops and eateries on the bustling Broadway, dominated by a Victorian red-brick clock tower. Although easily identifiable, it’s not the area’s best known landmark – that accolade goes to Hornsey Town Hall, a Modernist building that’s appeared in everything from The Crown to Killing Eve and is currently being transformed into apartments and community facilities by international developer, Far East Consortium.
The neighbourhood is known for its strong community spirit and normally packed schedule of events, including one of the country’s biggest arts festivals, which resumed last month after a break in 2020. The local primary schools and open spaces, particularly Priory Park, are also big attractions and the only obvious drawback is no Tube, though Finsbury Park and Highgate stations aren’t far away. Residential roads around the Broadway are filled with Victorian and Edwardian terraces and townhouses. ‘The area attracts young professionals and families who work in the creative and cultural industries, and also media and tech people,’ says James Ballard of estate agent Winkworth. ‘A one-bedroom flat with
a garden would be £400,000 to £500,000 and a four-bedroom period terrace house around £1.5million.’
Families wanting more bricks and mortar for their money without saying goodbye to the buzz should head 15 miles northwest to St Albans, a small city steeped in history with cobbled streets, a Norman abbey and a half-hour commute into St Pancras International. If you are lucky, you will find a drop-dead gorgeous Georgian or Victorian terrace house
within walking distance of the station, or something more modern, though stock is low at present. ‘We are finding that a typical buyer looking for a three to four-bedroom family home is struggling a little bit as demand is so high and supply is lower,’ explains Scott Garlick of Connells. ‘Prices range from £220,000 to £400,000 for one-bedroom flats, and from £400,000 for a three-bedroom house, depending on location – in central St Albans it would be £700,000 to £1million.’