By Naomi Buffery, Greene & Co

I’ve recently moved to Highgate and I must say, I do feel like I’m ‘going places’. It’s amazing how you mention you live in a particular area and immediately people think you’re posh.

All of a sudden, I’ve elevated my social standing…life is good; finally I’m getting the respect I deserve. I just love my new-found kudos from being a Highgate resident.

But jesting aside, Highgate really is a lovely place to live – let me tell you why…

1. It’s a peaceful retreat from the clamour and chaos of the City. There is something about the place that makes me feel like I’m not even in London anymore. The quiet, suburban streets are calm and still – a sharp contrast to the congested, noisy streets where I perform the daily graft.

2. On that note, the connections to the rest of the capital are great if you do need to travel a bit further for work or just to do a bit of shopping.

You can pretty much get all over the place. There are buses that run from Barnet to London Bridge; Finchley to Tottenham Court Road; Muswell Hill to Swiss Cottage…or if you take the short trip to Archway you can broaden your horizons even more.

On top of that, you’ve got Highgate tube station on the Northern Line, which can whip you from one end of town to the other.

3. You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to cafes, restaurants, and pubs right on your doorstep. I’m still working my way round all the scrummy places to eat and the pubs with cosy fires and beer gardens.

I love The Angel in the village, with its huge bar stools and board game selections – there’s always a good welcome inside this place.

Or just up the road you have the Prince of Wales, which almost feels like you’re sitting in somebody’s front room; it certainly has that small, good old fashioned charm.

Another great little place is the Wrestlers, on North Road – this pub is so chilled out you could quite easily lose a few hours without realising, and with the roaring, crackling fireplace, the friendly staff and the hearty food, you simply don’t want to move. I once saw Chris Moyles supping a pint in here too.

4. Tucked away behind Highgate Village is Waterlow Park – a hidden gem. This park is calm and serene – a fantastic alternative to any of the larger, more popular parks if you just want some quiet, reflective time on a lazy, sunny afternoon.

Everything you’d need for the perfect day out is here, including clean, free toilets and a quaint café in Lauderdale House serving cold and hot drinks and a small variety of cakes and ice cream.

5. Just round the corner from the park is Highgate Cemetery. When I first moved to Highgate, numerous people told me to visit the cemetery – I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to look at old graves.

However, curiosity got the better of me: I swallowed down the fear and trepidation and took a little venture down on Halloween afternoon. It’s actually a really beautiful, fascinating place and I highly recommend it. It’s quite gothic and spooky with its big ornate tombstones and crypts, but it’s also quite sad to see the derelict tombs from over a hundred years ago, no longer cared for, as nature takes over and engulfs them in vines and branches until they are completely hidden from sight.

6. Just up the road you have Hampstead Heath, with its picturesque surroundings – an ideal place for long walks, whether it’s crisp and frosty or bright, beaming sunshine. Then you can pop along to Hampstead with its old fashioned boozers, independent cafes and funky boutiques.

7. The architecture in Highgate is grand and striking, huge period properties are scattered about on the tree-lined avenues that hark back to a proud and affluent era, where you can imagine horses and carts, ladies with parasols and gentry with top hats promenading in the last rays of the evening sun.

8. Highgate feels like it’s steeped in history, I’ve heard lots of interesting stories about its history, which makes it a fascinating place. Among the many legends that surround Old Highgate, there is an old belief that if Whittington’s Stone is ever removed (from the original spot where Dick Whittington “turned once more” toward London) or if any harm should befall it, great change and disaster will fall upon the neighbouring area. A much “blacker” part of Highgate’s history were the events of 1665, when it was used as a mass burial ground for the victims of the plague. They were brought by the cart-load from London and buried in deep lime-filled pits in the place which is now Queens Wood.

I still feel like there is so much more to learn, see and discover about Highgate. I’m really excited about embracing my new home and making the most of everything this gorgeous little, historical village has to offer.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009 at 12:46 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.