Leafy London area with 'village-feel' named best place to live but it doesn't even have a Tube station

The best place to live in London in 2024 has been named and it's far more popular than anywhere else in the city. The South East neighbourhood of Dulwich has long been a desirable place to live, but this year, popularity for the village-like area has soared more than 150 per cent.

According to property agent Foxtons, the number of buyer enquiries for Dulwich each month is up 153 percent compared to last year. And it's easy to see why. Dulwich has been named everything from London's most 'stylish' neighbourhood to being labelled 'London's Tuscany'.

The area is green and leafy, with lots of green space giving Dulwich a countryside feel. But it's still easy to access all London has to offer too.

READ MORE: Prices of flats rising faster than houses as posh part of London sees average flat sell for £1m

Dulwich is famous for its art gallery, and is close to places like Brixton and Clapham for nightlife. It's also clearly the place to live if you've got the cash - Tom Cruise and Jo Brand have both lived in Dulwich, as well as award winning Northern Irish actor James Nesbitt, who has lived in the area for years and is an avid supporter of Dulwich Hamlet FC.

However, there aren't any Underground or Overground services nearby - and even the new Superloop and Bakerloop bus routes don't extend out to Dulwich. But it doesn't seem to bothering prospective buyers too much, as homes are being advertised on Rightmove for more than £1 million in some areas of the neighbourhood.

And there are some excellent schools in the area, including prestigious private school Dulwich College. Day fees cost £24,693 a year, while full boarders' fees cost a whopping £51,546 each year.

Hampstead has also been named by Foxtons as one of the most popular places buyers are making enquiries for, though at a significantly lower increase than for Dulwich - just over 100 percent more than in 2023. Hampstead has a lot of the same qualities as Dulwich, with stunning green spaces, lots to do and a very trendy vibe, yet is perhaps better connected to Central London, having the Northern Line and the Overground as transport options.

More interestingly, the third-highest area where property enquiries had gone up 101 percent since 2023 was in Ilford in East London. This is a very large area, covering everywhere from Fairlop in the North down to Loxford in the South, with Newbury Park in the middle.

Yet when MyLondon went to speak to residents in the town last year, many were frustrated with the amount of crime in the area. The landlord of a local pub, the General Havelock, told MyLondon he has his windows smashed in every two weeks, and once was stabbed in his side after a brawl broke out in front of the pub and he ran out to help.

Got a story for us? Email anna.willis@reachplc.com.

Don't miss out on the biggest South London news. Sign up to our MySouthLondon newsletter HERE for all the latest daily news and more.