Although part of Queen's Park is located within the City of Westminster, the area predominantly sits within the London borough of Brent in North West London. Its neighbouring areas include Kensal Rise and Brondesbury Park, which are among the most expensive parts of the entire borough. Other notable areas nearby include Maida Vale, North Kensington, Willesden, Kilburn, Belsize Park, and St John's Wood.
In 2021, properties in the Queen's Park area reached an average sold price of £1,026,539. This makes the area marginally more affordable than both Brondesbury Park, which recorded a £1,085,946 average during the same period and Kensal Rise where average prices fetched £1,114,343.
Flats accounted for the majority of properties sold in Queen's Park throughout 2021, reaching an average sold price of £627,186. Queens Park terraced properties fetched an average price of £1,310,116, with semi-detached properties reaching £2,270,621 on average.
Overall, property prices in Queens Park in 2021 were 7% lower than in 2020. This means they are currently on a par with 2017 prices, when the average was £1,023,536 at the 12-month peak.
What is living in Queen's Park like?
Development in the Queens' Park area started in 1875 and was named after Queen Victoria. Today, Queens Park is an important architectural area and therefore many of the area's buildings are subject to high levels of protection. A significant number of Queens Park properties are two and three-storey Victorian buildings some of which have been converted into flats.
Salusbury Road is the heart of Queen's Park and is home to a selection of restaurants, cafés, shops and pubs. Every Sunday, the area hosts a Farmers' Market which typically comprises of more than 30 stalls and attracts people from across the city.
As well as being a beautiful area of green space to enjoy all year round, Queens Park hosts two festivals each year which residents can enjoy. The first is the Queens Park Book Festival, which attracts writers from around the world and the second is Queens Park Day, which is held in September and offers an array of entertainment including a fun fair, acrobats, live music, and birds of prey displays.
Living in Queen's Park pros and cons
Pro: Open green space
The layout of Queen's Park was completed between March and June 1887 by Alexander McKenzie, who was one of the most influential park designers at the time. The park doesn't contain any straight paths and showcases bold planting of trees and shrubs, which offers plenty of space for sport and recreation.
There is a wide array of facilities in the park, including numerous tennis courts, a children's playground and paddling pool, a café, an animal farm for children and a pitch-and-putt course. There is also a quiet ornamental garden, which offers a peaceful place to relax and unwind, and the bandstand, which is one of the park's most notable landmarks.
The park is managed in a highly sustainable way, with as much waste as possible being recycled. There are also sustainable schemes that local residents can participate in, including having their Christmas tree mulched, which can then be taken and used in their own private gardens.
Notably, Queens Park has been awarded Green Flag status for 24 consecutive years.
Con: Within the ULEZ zone
For drivers who own vehicles that don't meet strict emissions standards, the added cost associated with using those vehicles within the expanded ULEZ zone can be frustrating. The good news, however, is that the area benefits from such an excellent public transportation network that you may not even want to use your personal vehicle that often any way.
Pro: Good transport connections to the rest of London
Queens Park station is a Network Rail and London Underground station situated within Zone 2. It offers direct links to both central and south London, as well as Watford Junction, Euston, and Harrow.
Brondesbury Park station is located close to Queens Park, making it highly accessible. It is positioned on the North London Line which offers connections to the likes of Richmond and Stratford. A selection of London buses also serve Queens Park, enabling easy access to most of London.
Pro: Good schools within a one mile radius
There are more than 40 schools located within a mile of Queens Park, offering both state and private education options. Some of the area's most notable private schools include the Al-Sadiq School on Chervening Road, Brondesbury College London and Bales College on Harrow Road.
In terms of state schools, there are several 'Outstanding' options, including Kingsgate Primary School on Kingsgate Road, Ark Brunel Primary Academy on Middle Row, and St Augustine's Federated Schools CE High School on Oxford Road.
Is Queen's Park a safe place to live?
Between January 2020 and December 2021, figures show that there were 2,387 crimes reported in Queens Park. This figure includes 604 violent crimes, 542 cases of theft, and 368 vehicle offences. The number of cases in Queens Park were higher than in nearby Brondesbury Park, but lower than in Willesden Green, Kensal Green and Kilburn.
Crime in the area has remained relatively consistent, reaching a low in February 2020 when just 71 crimes were reported and peaking in August 2021 when 124 incidents were recorded.
In November 2021, Met Police data shows that there were 15 cases of harassment, 13 assaults without injury, and 13 cases involving theft of a bicycle. There were several hot spots for cases of reported harassment, particularly around Queens Park and Kensal Rise stations. The same areas were also affected by bicycle theft. Overall, though, there were 7 crimes reported per 1,000 residents in Queens Park, which was lower than the 8 crimes per 1,000 residents recorded both in the borough of Brent and across London.
Which celebrities live in Queen's Park?
Queens Park is an affluent area with a variety of residential properties, which is why numerous famous faces have chosen to make it their home at some point. Musicians Lily Allen and Dua Lipa are amongst the most recognisable faces, alongside actors Daniel Craig, Thandie Newton, Jason Isaacs, Cillian Murphy and Sienna Miller.
The ex-editor of British Vogue, Alexandra Shulman, has also lived in Queen's Park, as has writer Zadie Smith, painter Edward Sutcliffe, and architect Alison Brooks.
Things to consider when moving to Queen's Park
Although most of the areas recently sold properties have been flats, the Queen's Park area does still boast some of the finest family properties in the North West London area. Families tend to stay in the area for some time however, which is why securing this type of property can be a competitive process.
Property within the conservation area typically reaches the upper end of their valuations, sometimes even selling for over the asking price. It is also worth noting that as a large percentage of property in the area is highly protected, it can sometimes be a long process to obtain planning permission for any desired changes you would like to make in the future.
Queen's Park has a strong community feel which is comprised of both homeowners and renters who are eager to live close to the heart of London but still benefit from a slightly slower pace of life and the beautiful open space on offer here.