Swiss Cottage, an area often conflated with nearby South Hampstead, is a lovely residential area of North West London that was named for an early 19th century inn built in the style of a Swiss chalet. This area is well-preserved and mainly has attractive red-brick Victorian terraces and semi-detached houses, as well as attractive, leafy streets. Many of the roomy homes here have both front and back gardens, and those without private rear gardens often have access to a communal garden. There is a mix of young professionals and families in this appealing suburb, drawn to everything from the good transport links to the excellent schools.
Swiss Cottage is home to many neighbourhood and community facilities, including a large leisure centre. There is a local farmer's market twice per week. The cafes along West End Lane are local hangouts. The community has been known to rally against large developments, tower blocks.
Swiss Cottage is a safe area, with the neighbourhood and the wider surrounding area listed as having average crime. In 2014/2015, both the crime rate and the violence against the person rate were lower than for London overall. The nearest high crime hotspot is the ward including Camden Town.
Parking here is relatively easy and inexpensive, and many have front gardens they use as car parks, or allocated parking in blocks. Swiss Cottage is conveniently located near the A41 for travel by car. Parts of the area can sometimes suffer from the large traffic gyratory.
The nightlife in this area is primarily of the upscale pub, bar, and wine bar kind, but transport connections are very good, and there is a lot of variety in the nearby areas. The bus connections to nightlife hotspot Camden Town are great, with the 31 serving both areas.
While there are somewhat fewer children living in this area than in London overall, it is a great place to raise a family. Much of the housing in this safe and pretty area is fairly spacious Victorian homes, suitable for families. This area has a lot of green space, including a lot of private rear gardens or communal gardens between terraces. Familes are also drawn to the area for its excellent schools. There is a large leisure centre with facilities ranging from indoor swimming pools to a cafeteria.
This area has a lot of more spacious homes, green space, including many with private rear gardens or communal gardens between the terraces. It is sandwiched between Regent's Park and Hampstead Heath, giving ample dog walking opportunities - or you can just stick to the lovely tree-lined neighbourhood streets. This would be an excellent place to own a dog.
South Hampstead station is in Zone 2 and offers Overground services, as does West Hampstead and Finchley Road & Frognal. West Hampstead station also offers Thameslink connections, and the Jubilee Line. Finchley Road is on the Jubilee Line and the Metropolitan Line. Swiss Cottage is on the Jubilee Line. Belsize Park is on the Northern Line. There are excellent bus connections in this area, including night buses, and the area is conveniently located on the A41 for travel by car.