There has been a community-driven lifestyle revolution over the past decade in the heart of Chelsea. The curation of a village-like culture has gone hand-in-hand with a burgeoning desire to socialise on the doorstep and be able to walk around the corner for a coffee, a newspaper, and a pint of milk. This has been at the forefront of the Cadogan Estate's continual upgrades to Chelsea Village. The village starts at Sloane Square and tracks west and northwest along the King's Road, down to the Thames and up Sloane Street. It has the components of a rural village, with seven garden squares in residential enclaves off the King's Road, while Burton Court and the Royal Hospital grounds are the village greens – minus the ducks. The triangular Chelsea Green is where you will find the butcher's (Jago's), fruit and vegetable shop (Andreas) and a baker's (Birley Bakery). This pocket has been pedestrianised and is now a vibrant hub of local life. The upgrade to Pavilion Road has also been a huge success bringing a cosmopolitan cafe culture to Chelsea. The King's Road is a bustling stretch of artisanal outlets and yet has an M&S and Whole Foods has signed a 15-year lease. There is many a pub, but The Suprise is a local favourite. You may catch a glimpse of Eric Clapton or Mick Jagger in this charming London village where residents come from all over the world to feel part of something very local. The majority of properties are houses, rather than apartments, meaning people live here full-time, and helps to give Chelsea Village a strong sense of community. A busy events calendar does this too, from the farmer's market on the Duke of York Square to the Chelsea Pensioners' Carol Service. 

Lulu Egerton, Senior Director Sloane Street

The Onslows is a historic and architecturally revered grid of opulent townhouses that spill out onto, or have access to, six London square gardens. Built in the second half of the 1800s this collection of grand residential streets is located between South Kensington underground station and Chelsea, across to Gloucester Road. The properties are all now vast lateral apartments, some with four-metre-high ceilings (like 81 Onslow Gardens, pictured), terraces on the first floor that double the main reception room and roof terraces for those on the upper levels. The majority of residents are British, French, Italian and American families who walk their young children to school in the week – to the likes of Le Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle de Londres – and picnic and play on the residents' lawns at the weekend. This highly sought after piece of central London is within a short stroll of the King's Road, South Kensington, Knightsbridge and even Hyde Park, and is nestled within the cultural heart of London. The Royal Albert Hall and Exhibition Road are on the doorstep. The double lateral apartments here still command record prices despite the wider, more subdued housing market, and locals often believe it is unfathomable to live in any other part of town. The Anglesea Arms is the heartbeat of the area, while it is locally accepted that the Hunter's Moon – a countryside pub in a London village – does the best Sunday roasts.

Edward Bensted, Associate South Kensington

There is an intimacy about the collection of roads bounded by Ledbury, Talbot and Chepstow Roads and Westbourne Grove. It is as if they are keeping a secret in this micro village within a village. Residents are largely families due to the fact many properties have private gardens. A two-bedroom flat in a townhouse could start from £850,000, while a three/four-bedroom house is closer to £4,000,000. The Artesian Village is at the epic centre of Notting Hill. People land here with small children and a puppy and realise they can walk to school, then go to the gym locally or run along quiet, leafy roads and into Kensington Gardens, before grabbing a coffee and working remotely at Electric House. Or they can simply hop in a cab to Mayfair. Westbourne Grove is the apex of the area, lined with bars, eateries and coffee shops. The area is defined by its village staples too, such as the wine shop (Jeroboams), the fishmonger (Notting Hill Fish + Meat Shop), and the pubs (The Pelican and The Cock & Bottle). In the main, this is a low-rise neighbourhood of independent outlets, rather than high rise developments and department stores. Of course, there are big name restaurants too: The Ledbury is on one corner, and then there's Clare Smyth's Core, and Dorian (as pictured) on Talbot Road. The market is price sensitive but buoyant; driven by families who need to find the perfect pocket of London to put down roots. And once they arrive, they seldom move on. 

Miles Meacock, Senior Director Notting Hill 

Working and living in Hampstead Village is like wandering through a dream. Within 20 minutes of Mayfair and Soho is this magical area comprising 800 acres of wild open space and natural ponds to swim. Here, you can drop your shoulders and breathe. There's an authenticity to the community which is comprised of an eclectic mix of people and is, of course, steeped in literary history – home to Keats, Shelley, Du Maurier and Stephenson, among a host of others. In fact, the Hampstead Summer Festival is hosted at Keats's house – now a museum dedicated to his life. In December, the Christmas Fair takes over the high street. Despite the excellent connections into central London, there is no need to leave Hampstead for restaurants – the village is full of exceptional eateries. There's 28 Church Row which serves small Italian and Spanish plates, and they make their own pottery, that can also be bought. Another exceptional eatery is Jin Kichi for authentic Japanese cuisine. The community congregates at one of the local, fantastic pubs - from The Hollybush, an established Hampstead institution, to The Duke of Hamilton in the centre of the village, or The Wells Tavern and The Flask which are both innate parts of Hampstead life. There is a range of property types and sizes – which means there is a healthy mix of ages and stages – from Georgian gems in the heart of Hampstead village, to Victorian and Edwardian family homes. Many of these homes only ever coming available once in a generation. There are period homes that were historically converted into apartments and flats and the entry price for these properties are around £450,000.

Sarah James, Director Hampstead 

The Ten Acre Estate has some of the oldest homes in the area. Built in the early Victorian era (1860 – 1880) and before the red brick brigade moved in, these elegant townhouses mark the beginning of the architectural shift from Georgian to Victorian styles covering exactly ten acres (hence the name!). The quiet roads are unusually wide, with a cul-de-sac, hence there is little or no traffic. As the Fulham Road has gentrified, this wholesome part of town has been filled with young families at the start of their property journey. Sitting between the King's Road and the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, the enclave has a restaurant (La Famiglia) and a church (St Andrew's) and a proper pub (The Sporting Page). These are good family homes and attract couples who are embarking on family life with primary schools and nurseries close at hand. Attracting a range of nationalities, the area has a low-key community feel and house prices are lower than the neighbouring SW3 postcode, in the Chelsea Conservation Area. All the properties are houses, with a footprint ranging from 1,800 to 3,000 sq ft. The streets of family homes means it’s a thriving year-round community, which also drives trade in the shops and restaurants along the King's Road and the Fulham Road. It is 15-minutes to the Peter Jones and three minutes to the Bluebird Cafe. There is a townhouse on the market on Hobury Street with five bedrooms and an immaculate back garden for £4,750,000. As families expand and the children outgrow the private but compact back gardens, they move on to larger homes further into Chelsea, Notting Hill or Kensington, or out to the country in search of more space, meaning there is a gentle flow of stock coming up for grabs. 

Ed Boden, Director Chelsea

Nestled in between some of the busiest and most iconic parts of central London is the wonderful antithesis of that. Connaught Village sits between Paddington, Edgware Road and Hyde Park, before the Bayswater Road reaches the rambunctious Queensway. Quiet, leafy roads and crescents offer a wide selection of options for buyers and tenants with properties ranging from modern apartment blocks to charming mews houses and palatial-sized homes. The area is dotted with square gardens, including Connaught Square, Hyde Park Square, Gloucester Square and Sussex Square, as well as the exclusive and gated community of Hyde Park Gardens, and then there’s the vast green expanse of Hyde Park right on the doorstep – the ultimate back garden. The combination of being on the very cusp of central London and the West End, and yet sheltered from it, and surrounded by green space, attracts families from all over the world. Connaught Village also has its own high street – residents do not have to venture into Mayfair for a coffee. In fact, for such a small area, and despite its central location, it is very self-sufficient. The luxury retail quarter within The Hyde Park Estate has everything from a Persian patisserie, skin care shops (such as C.Atherley and Australian Mud), a kitchen shop, a vet’s, a knitwear boutique (Duncan & Namar) and a florist (PM Flowers). There’s a cheesemonger and a traditional pub – the Duke of Kendal. This October is the Connaught Village Art Month with exhibitions and pop-ups, showcasing established and emerging talent across local galleries.  Prices start from £250,000 for a studio apartment in the northeastern corner of the patch, to houses worth in excess of £40,000,000. 

Charles Medina, Director Mayfair

The village of London Fields is made up of the roads that surround London Fields park and the lido. This is a big village versus some of the micro communities of prime central London, stretching up to Hackney Central, across east to almost touch the edge of Victoria Park, down to Cambridge Heath, and west towards Haggerston and Dalston. It is a highly sought-after neighbourhood within achingly-fashionable East London and has certainly grown in popularity. There is a constant flow of young buyers from south London and Islington who are moving here for larger footprints. London Fields is a family-focused area centred around the park and the lido with plenty of sports clubs: the London Football School provides free grassroots training for those families in financial difficulty (sponsored by Strutt & Parker) and Hackney Rugby Club. People from different backgrounds and industries move here – with tech entrepreneurs, politicians, artists, bankers, and musicians all calling it home. They come for entertainment, vibrancy and diversity. Broadway Market bubbles over with atmosphere every weekend when independent food, clothing, wine, woodcraft and flower stalls pop up. Regent’s Canal is an important feature, snaking its way through London Fields and connecting it to the Olympic Village in one direction and King’s Cross in the other. Properties range from Art Deco homes, warehouse conversions, high rise flats and Victorian terraced houses. A two-bedroom apartment in a converted townhouse could start from £700,000, whereas a three-bedroom terraced house could be closer to £1,700,000. 

Hugh Ball, Director Hackney & Islington 

Picture pretty, pastel houses in London and you are probably thinking of Hillgate Village in Kensington. To the west of Kensington Palace Gardens and Hyde Park, just below Notting Hill Gate, and to the east of Holland Park, this is one of the most photographed residential areas of the capital, attracting tourists from all over the world. And yet, the pace of life and tranquillity is a step change from the nearby areas of Bayswater or the other side of Hyde Park. One of its main selling points – besides the unique architecture of colourful houses and a wonderful sense of local spirit – is Fox Primary School, widely considered to be one of the best in Kensington and Notting Hill. This dictates the age and stage of many in the village – families who want to be in central London and yet bring their children up in a wholesome community. There’s a wine shop (Lea & Sandeman), art galleries, Blend juice and coffee shop, The Windsor Castle pub, and Eggbreak for breakfast. And that’s before the stretch of bars and restaurants along Notting Hill Gate. Hillgate Village homes sell well in all market environments. In fact, we’ve seen vendors move out and regret it, only to buy back in when the property comes up for sale again. Homes are predominantly three-bedroom terraced properties and range in price from £2,000,000 to £3,750,000 depending on condition.

James Gow, Senior Director Kensington / Head of London Residential Sales