Why The Sunday Times Named Crouch End One of the Best Places to Live
The Sunday Times has published its guide to the Best Places to Live in the UK for 2026, and Crouch End features once again. It’s a familiar position for the N8 neighbourhood, which took the paper’s top London spot back in 2023. Here’s what caught the Sunday Times’ attention, and why it rings true for anyone who knows the area and understands why Crouch End continues to rank so highly.
A market town 5 miles from central London
Crouch End has long been known for its village atmosphere, and that’s still very much the case. You get independent shops, generous green space, spacious period properties and a high street that runs on its own rhythm, all within easy reach of central London. The bohemian streak that once drew Bob Dylan to the local recording studio has softened as house prices have climbed, but musicians and creatives still gravitate here.
Getting in and out
Crouch End famously has no Tube station of its own, which many residents count as a feature rather than a flaw. The W7 and W3 buses reach Finsbury Park in around 10 minutes for the Victoria and Piccadilly lines, and the recently renamed Suffragette line runs from Crouch Hill to Gospel Oak in nine minutes, giving easy access to Hampstead Heath, Kew and Richmond.
A community that turns out
It can feel cliché to say that an area has a community feel, but for Crouch End, it’s genuinely true. There is a thriving calendar of events each week, and people turn out for them. For example, locals filled Hornsey Town Hall in December for the relaunch of the restored art deco building, now a mix of flats, workspace and an arts centre. June brings the Crouch End Festival, one of the country’s larger community arts events, and there are plans afoot for a new cinema to join the Picturehouse and ArtHouse. Schools are also a genuine pull, with several state primaries rated good or outstanding by Ofsted and a strong choice of secondaries, both state and independent, nearby.
Eating, drinking and shopping
The high street balances familiar names (Waitrose, M&S, Waterstones) with an outstanding selection of independents. Velasquez and Van Wezel anchor a coffee scene good enough to draw people across north London, and Dunn’s has been baking on the Broadway since 1820. When it comes to eating out, the choice runs from French cooking at Les 2 Garçons to long-standing favourites like O’s Thai Café, while the pubs keep their character. None more so than The King’s Head, which is home to a comedy club that has been running since the 1980s.
Space to breathe and room to play
Even in a city as green as London, outdoor space is still one of Crouch End’s strongest assets. Alexandra Park and Priory Park host weekly Parkruns. Queen’s Wood offers ancient trees and quiet. And the Parkland Walk is the longest linear nature reserve in London, running along the route of a former railway line.
Park Road Leisure Centre has indoor and outdoor pools, while the local playing fields boast tennis, padel and three cricket squares.
What it costs
The average house price sits at around £912,000 (according to Lloyds Banking Group as quoted in The Sunday Times). The streets around Coleridge Road, Elm Grove and Cecile Park draw the keenest interest, where one-bedroom flats start near £300,000 and larger family houses range from roughly £1.4 million to £3.25 million.
You can browse what’s currently available on our Crouch End property listings, and also learn more about Crouch End from our dedicated guide.
Thinking about a move?
If you are considering a move to Crouch End, our local team knows the area street by street. Pop into the Crouch End office or give us a call on 020 8348 5515.
We’d be glad to help you find your place in it.
