PROPERTY
PROPERTY Welcome To Notting Hill Part of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Notting Hill has been transformed over the last 50 years. Catapulted into worldwide pop-culture fame as the location for Richard Curtis’s 1999 eponymous romcom starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, the global perception of Notting Hill as the epitome of bookish and elegant ‘Old London’ endures. Yet, with its annual Caribbean carnival, melting pot of cultural influences and vibrant, artistic past – there’s so much more than meets the eye to this zesty west corner of the capital. Developed in the 19th century to provide housing for the growing London middle classes and influenced by the fashions of the time, the area has been laid out in elegant squares and crescents, many with communal gardens, providing excellent family housing. Residents are attracted to the ‘bohemian-meets-cool’ atmosphere of the area and the diverse mix of people, as well as the truly unique community and village atmosphere which is so rare to come by in a large city. Adding to the village-inthe-city feel is the abundance of open green space, including Holland Park, Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, offering facilities such as the Serpentine Lake and Gallery, Albert Memorial, and the Italian Gardens. A defining part of Notting Hill’s culture is the annual Notting Hill Carnival – the largest street festival in Europe – celebrated every August Bank Holiday weekend since the 1960s. There is a strong Caribbean theme WWW.THEAMERICANHOUR.COM
to the carnival with hundreds of performers and floats along the parade route, attracting some two million people every year over the Sunday and Monday on which it is held. If you’ve heard of Notting Hill, the chances are you’ve also heard of the colourful Portobello Road, home to the world’s largest antique market, held every weekend. The name for Portobello Road actually comes from the ‘War of Jenkins’ Ear’, when Admiral Edward Vernon captured the Panamanian town of Puerto Bello from the Spanish. The Ladbroke family owned much of the land in Notting Hill in the 19th century, and as such, several streets and locations in the district are named after the family. Notting Hill has always been an inspiration to musicians, artists and actors. Jimi Hendrix wrote his renowned Purple Haze here, the critically acclaimed black comedy Withnail & I was filmed in the area, the famous Keira Knightley ‘to me, you are perfect’ scene in Love Actually took place on a Notting Hill mews, and more recently parts of the Paddington film series were shot on Portobello Road – to name just a few of its silver screen credits. With its creative atmosphere, lifestyle opportunities and proximity to the City, Notting Hill attracts a wide mixture of people including many celebrities and media moguls, as well as bankers and professionals who predominantly work in the City of London, the West End, Canary Wharf and Mayfair. It is also a popular spot for many young families to put down roots,
with excellent access to world-class schools including Wetherby, Notting Hill Prep and Pembridge Hall.
Houses In Notting Hill
A mix of Georgian, Edwardian, Victorian and modern architecture line the leafy streets of W11. St Peter’s, the landmark church on Kensington Park Road, was designed by Thomas Allom in 1855 along with the surrounding housing in Kensington Park Gardens, Stanley Crescent and Stanley Gardens. Sweeping crescents retaining original features help to distinguish Notting Hill’s character, with its white stucco facades and in some streets, such as Portobello Road, bright terrace houses painted in a variety of colours. Some of the most desirable crescents include Lansdowne, Stanley, Elgin and Blenheim Crescent. Mews houses are also very popular in this area, including Pembridge Mews, St Luke’s Mews, and Horbury Mews.
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