I have visited Kentish Town in order to provide the below area guide. I cover aspects like crime, demographics and our general experience in the area.
About Kentish Town
When I first heard of Kentish Town I found the name interesting, it’s like someone is saying they live near Kent!
But after spending two days there I fell in love with the place.
With its unique blend of urban energy and a community spirit, Kentish Town offers a relaxed and inviting atmosphere that makes it a popular spot.
From its historic streets to the eclectic mix of shops, restaurants, and green spaces, this area has something for everyone.
So, sit back and let’s take a leisurely stroll through the picturesque streets and discover the hidden gems of Kentish Town.
Kentish Town Area Guide – Transport Links
Situated almost five miles north directly above Central London it is no surprise that Kentish Town is well served by public transport.
Here are some of your options;
London Overground
Kentish Town West London Overground station is located at London NW5 3ED.
It is a short walk from Kentish Town Underground Station. It is served by the Govia Thameslink Railway Overground network, which provides direct services to Highbury & Islington, Stratford, Clapham Junction, and Richmond.
These trains provide a reliable and clean service making them a real asset to the area.
London Underground (tube)
Kentish Town Underground Station is on the popular Northern Line.
This provides direct access to central London, including Charing Cross, Oxford Circus, and King’s Cross St. Pancras.
The Northern Line is also one of the busiest lines on the London Underground network, so it is important to be aware of peak travel times.
Of note is that at the time of writing (October 2023) the station is currently closed for escalator replacement works.
Kentish Town underground is expected to reopen in mid-2024.
In the meantime, passengers can use Kentish Town West as mentioned above. This is about a 10 minute walk from the high street.
Busses
As you would expect there are plenty of busses serving the area. These include the 88, 134, 214, and 393.
These buses provide connections to other parts of North London, as well as to central London.
Kentish Town Area Guide – Demographics
Like many areas in London, Kentish Town is a diverse district. According to the most recent census data, here is the breakdown for Kentish Town;
Ethnicity
White British: 53%
White Other: 15%
Asian British: 12%
Black British: 10%
Mixed race British: 6%
Other ethnic groups: 4%
Religion
Christianity: 59.1%
Islam: 14.0%
No religion: 13.5%
Other religions: 13.4%
Kentish Town has a relatively older population profile, with a mean age of 38.6 years compared to Camden’s overall 38.3 years.
The most common household type in Kentish Town is one person households, accounting for 43.6% of all households.
This is higher than the Camden average of 39.1%.
Kentish Town Area Guide – House Prices
There is no getting away from the fact that Kentish Town is a desirable area. When that magical desirability factor is in place both rent and property prices are high.
This is reflected in Rightmove’s area statistics.
They state properties in Kentish Town had an overall average price of £914,459 over the last year, which is very high.
The majority of sales in Kentish Town during the last year were flats, selling for an average price of £642,527.
Terraced properties sold for an average of £1,574,159, with semi-detached properties fetching £2,580,208.
In terms of trends, sold prices in Kentish Town over the last year were 2% up on the previous year and 6% up on the 2017 peak of £863,156.
Kentish Town Area Guide – Crime
With such a gentrified area you may imagine that crime isn’t really something to be considered.
However after reviewing statistics for the area you may be surprised at the levels.
According to Metropolitan Police figures the crimes per 1000 figure is a notibly high 120. This puts it above the neighbouring Islington with 116 and also above the London average (95).
As I mentioned in the Islington area guide, districts with popular night-time economies can be penalised by associated offending.
So to compare an area which is solely residential to somewhere with a plethora of bars and pubs isn’t comparing apples with apples.
What I would say is having spent time in Kentish Town it feels like a safe and welcoming place.
Is Kentish Town a nice area?
This is always a subjective question. But from having spent 48h in the area it is right on the top of the places I would like to spend my time.
The reasons for this are really simple, the area just oozes class and charm. You walk from street to street and are just presented with one visual delight to the next.
The high street area is well equipped with a mixture of the practical stores you need from day to day and classy pubs and bars.
When Kentish Town underground station is back open you are minutes away from Central London but there is still green and pleasantries aplenty.
Yes there may be night time rowdieness and yes property prices are high but all things considered, Kentish Town is a very appealing neighbourhood.
