What you need to know about Brent
Forming part of North West London, the London Borough of Brent shares borders with Harrow, Camden, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, the City of Westminster, and Barnet. Notable areas within the borough of Brent include Kingsbury Green, Sudbury, Wembley Park, Brondesbury Park, and Kilburn Park.
Brent property prices are more expensive than in Harrow where property sells for an average of £586,751. However, the borough is more affordable than neighbouring Camden, which has an average price of £1,218,584. Most properties that were sold in the borough were flats, which fetched an average £456,206. Terraced houses in Brent sold for an average of £847,247 which, unusually, were more expensive than semi-detached properties, which reached £749,424 on average.
Brondesbury Park is the most exclusive area of Brent, which recorded an average property price of £1,071,206. Conversely, Stonebridge Park was the least expensive area in the borough, with average properties fetching £270,000. Since 2017, house prices in the borough have increased by 14% from £568,600.
What is living in Brent like?
Brent is a vibrant borough and is the UK's most diverse locality when viewed by country of birth. Many districts in the eastern part of Brent have inner-city characteristics, with districts in the west having a more suburban feel. The whole borough has recently undergone a variety of positive developments, including regeneration projects and the creation of new public facilities.
Although it isn't quite able to compete with more central boroughs, Brent has a relatively good selection of cafés, eateries and restaurants, including both recognisable high street names and independent businesses. Brent's shopping scene is also good, with the likes of Wembley's London Designer Outlet offering easy access to more than 70 high-quality stores. Additionally, Queen's Park is home to a variety of independent boutique retailers and the area hosts a weekly farmer's market every Sunday which offers an array of organic, locally-sourced produce. Wembley is also a bustling shopping area and is home to everything from enticing eateries to high-end fashion boutiques and designer jewellers.
Since 2008, recycling in the borough has been compulsory and the council is aiming to improve its recycling figures year on year. Brent is also home to 14 outdoor gyms and offers free sessions led by qualified instructors on a weekly basis.
While it wouldn't be accurate to describe Brent as a cultural borough, Wembley Stadium does welcome superstars from across the world. Creatives will also enjoy the Tricycle Theatre, the Brent Museum, and the volunteer-run Lexi cinema.
Living in Brent pros and cons
Pro: Lots of attractions
Brent is arguably best known for being the home of Wembley Stadium, which has the largest capacity of any stadium in the UK. The borough also contains a range of other notable attractions and landmarks, including Wembley Arena, the Swaminarayan Temple, and the Kiln Theatre. The Swaminarayan Temple is often referred to as the Neasden Temple and this magnificent white structure reflects the area's rich Hindu culture.
Con: Not renowned for its schools
Schools in Brent have improved significantly in recent years, however, they are still somewhat lacking behind the overall London average. Some of the borough's best schools include St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School and Wykeham Primary School, both of which exceed London and UK average KS2 results. There are also some promising secondary schools, including the Menorah High School and Wembley High Technology College.
Pro: Good transport links
Brent benefits from excellent London Underground connectivity. It is home to 21 tube stations, including Preston Road, Dollis Hill, and Sudbury Park, all of which are served by a combination of the Jubilee, Metropolitan, Piccadilly, and Bakerloo Lines. All stations in the borough are surface level apart from the south-eastern station of Kilburn Park.
The borough is also home to a variety of London Overground and National Rail stations as well, including Wembley Central, Kenton, and Harlesden. Chiltern Rail services also serve the borough, transporting travellers to the likes of Oxford and Birmingham.
Con: Relatively high property prices
Although parts of the borough are some of the most deprived in London, many other areas of Brent have high property prices. As you might expect, prices rise the closer you get to boroughs such as Kensington & Chelsea, and Camden, however generally rental prices are quite high when compared to average earnings. For example, in 2018/19 the average private monthly rent in Brent was £1,500. An annual income of £45,000 is required to comfortably afford to rent a property at this price, which is markedly above the £30,437 median earnings in the borough recorded in 2018.
Pro: Good selection of open spaces and parks
Approximately 100 open spaces and parks are within Brent's borders, including sports grounds and the sizeable Brent Reservoir, which has been named as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Some of the most notable open spaces in Brent include Barham Park in Sudbury, Queen's Park in Kilburn, Roe Green Park in Kingsbury, and Fryent Country Park which includes Barn Hill Wood.
Is Brent a safe place to live?
Recording a rate of 28.61 between March 2020 and March 2021, crime in the borough of Brent can be described as being slightly above average. Between December 2019 and November 2021, there were 57,115 offences recorded in the borough. Almost 18,000 of those crimes were categorised as violence against the person offences with a further 9,930 falling under the category of theft. Vehicle offences were also relatively high in the borough during this period of time, with 8,071 offences reported.
In November 2021, crime in Brent fell by 9.17% when compared to October 2021. Statistics also indicate that crime is down in the borough over the longer term as well. In the 12 months to November 2021, crime was down by 2.75% when compared to the previous 12-month period.
Which celebrities live in Brent?
Although Brent might not be one of the first parts of London that springs to mind when thinking about celebrity residents, a surprising number of famous faces started life in the borough. George Michael lived in Brent and attended Kingsbury High School, and fellow musician Charlie Watts of Rolling Stones fame started his life in Kingsbury before living in Wembley.
Neasden-born model Twiggy was educated at Brondesbury and Kilburn High School, and author Zadie Smith was born and raised in Willesden. Smith still lives in the borough, choosing to make Queen's Park her home.
Plus, the likes of Lily Allen, Rita Ora and Daniel Craig have all opted to set up home in the borough in recent years. Other notable residents of Brent over the years include comedian David Baddiel, Sugababe Mutya Buena, actress Tamsin Greig, and actor Dev Patel.
Things to consider when moving to Brent
Although not the most expensive borough, property prices are on the higher side in many areas of Brent so it's important to understand precisely how far your budget will stretch. Brent is also an incredibly diverse borough, so we recommend spending time in different areas to determine which are most suited to your lifestyle.
The air quality in the borough is also worth considering, as residents will be exposed to levels of pollution that are more than three times the recommended guidelines set out by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Part of the borough is also affected by the expanded ULEZ scheme, which means that drivers of vehicles that don't comply with the scheme's emissions guidelines will need to pay £12.50 per day to drive their vehicles.
