London Fields is situated between Hackney, De Beauvoir Town, Dalston and South Hackney in the North East London borough of Hackney. This compact part of Hackney includes London Fields park and the surrounding areas, which includes a number of residential streets.
In 2021 the average sold price in London Fields was £706,134, which makes the area more affordable than neighbouring De Beauvoir Town with its average price of £819,690. However London Fields is more expensive than numerous other nearby areas including Hackney, which recorded an average price of £670,959, and Dalston, where the average price was £681,660.
Flats were the most commonly sold type of property in the area, and they sold for an overall average of £534,545. London Fields is also home to a selection of semi-detached and terraced properties, which averaged £1,179,062 and £1,290,447 respectively.
Between 2020 and 2021 property prices in London Fields fell by 6%, and they are now similar to the overall average seen in the area in 2017.
What is living in London Fields like?
This fairly unassuming part of the borough of Hackney has a surprising amount to offer local residents, however it is so often overlooked largely due to its proximity to several other more well-known districts.
London Fields park spans just over 31 acres and has a long history dating back to the 13th century. It has been called London Fields since the 1540s and today it contains a variety of recreation and sporting facilities. Some of the park's most popular facilities include a heated lido, BMX track, tennis courts and a cricket pitch. The park also boasts its own café, beautiful grassy areas and a designated space for barbeques. Children have two separate playgrounds to choose from, and since 2013 the park has also been home to a picturesque meadow.
The park has hosted competitive sporting games for centuries, with records showing a cricket match was played here in 1802. Today, several sports teams use the park including London Fields CC. London Fields is used as the starting point for the Dunwich Dynamo, an annual cycle ride that happens after sunset. Additionally, the London Fields Triathlon Club and Hackney Aquatics Club use the park as a training base.
The Pub on the Park has been a key part of the local area since 1855, and a well-used cycle path connects it with Broadway Market, which is home to a variety of boutiques, restaurants and, of course, the famous street market.
Despite being a relatively compact area, it benefits from its own train station which provides good links with other parts of the city. London Fields railway station is in zone 2 and is served by London Overground services to London Liverpool Street, Enfield Town and Cheshunt.
Living in London Fields pros and cons
Pro: London Fields offers lots of access to open space
London Fields park is a popular spot for local residents and sports fans. Whether you want to join a club, take advantage of the numerous facilities available, or simply enjoy the warm months on the grass with a picnic, there's room for everyone here.
Con: London Fields is within the ULEZ zone
As the ULEZ zone has been expanded to further improve air quality across London, London Fields and the surrounding areas are now included. This means that drivers wanting to use vehicles that don't conform to strict emissions regulations will need to pay a daily fee, which is currently £12.50.
The good news however is that the scheme appears to be delivering tangible benefits. Between mid-January and mid-February 2022 air pollution in the London Fields area only exceeded the guidelines set out by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 3 out of 30 days.
Pro: London Fields is home to a variety of different types of property
Despite once being earmarked for demolition, residents successfully campaigned to keep the local stock of Victorian and Georgian properties which now sit within the London Field Conservation Area. London Fields is also known for being home to several housing estates, which have undergone periods of regeneration in recent years and notably, the United House development has won awards for its architecture.
Is London Fields a safe place to live?
There were 3,839 crimes reported in the London Fields SNT area between February 2020 and January 2022. Although this was significantly higher than in the neighbouring area of De Beauvoir, which recorded 1,992 crimes, it is similar to most other surrounding areas including Homerton,where 4,040 cases were reported, Hackney Central which saw 3,674 reports, and Haggerston where 3,550 incidents were recorded.
The most common type of crime in London Fields was theft, which accounted for 1,357 reports. Violent crimes were the second most commonly reported type of crime in London Fields, accounting for 796 cases. The area also experienced 471 vehicle offences and 320 burglaries. Crime rose between April and September 2020, but fell notably between October and December 2020. It remained fairly stable throughout 2021, peaking in November when there were 190 reports recorded. Cases fell slightly between December 2021 and January 2022 from 153 to 149 reports.
In November 2021 the area saw 31 cases of theft from a person, 28 reports of theft from a vehicle, and 26 reports of theft of a bicycle. The areas around London Fields Lido, London Fields railway station and Broadway Market are particular hotspots for cases of theft. This is largely due to the number of people visiting here on a daily basis. That said, crime in London Fields was higher than across the borough and the wider London area, as there were 28 crimes per 1,000 residents here compared to 11 crimes per 1,000 residents in the borough, and eight crimes per 1,000 residents across the city.
Which celebrities live in London Fields?
Until London Fields became known as a trendy place to live, the area hadn't seen many famous faces moving in as they tended to prefer the likes of Dalston.
However when its reputation started to soar celebrities finally discovered what the area had to offer, and the likes of Will Young and Michael Fassbender invested some of their fortunes in beautiful period properties in the conservation area.
Things to consider when moving to London Fields
In 2014 London Fields made it on to the list of the top 30 'most glamorous places to live in the UK', with many lauding it as 'the new Notting Hill'. There is no denying it is a fabulous place to live however that accolade saw property prices soar, and sped up the process of gentrification that had been slowly taking place over several decades.
Today London Fields hasn't lost all its diversity. It has a lot to offer both professionals in creative industries as well as families who flock to the area to enjoy the open space and sporting and leisure facilities. London Fields also benefits from more than 50 schools within a mile radius.
Some of the most notable schools around London Fields include Queensbridge Primary School, St Paul's with St Michael's CofE Primary School, London Fields Primary School and the Sebright School, all of which have secured a coveted 'Outstanding' rating from Ofsted. While the area's secondary schools haven't reached the highest possible rating, there are a number of options which have been rated as 'Good' including The Bridge Academy, City of London Academy and Haggerston School.