Living in East Finchley: area guide to homes, schools and transport links

A leafy north-west London neighbourhood, with thriving community spirit, well-priced homes and plenty for kids. 
Daniel Lynch
Ruth Bloomfield21 June 2017

A leafy north-west London neighbourhood, East Finchley remains inextricably linked in the collective imagination to the late former Tory prime minister Margaret Thatcher, its longest-running MP.

But there is far more to East Finchley than being part of the Iron Lady’s old Finchley & Golders Green constituency.

It possesses all the key ingredients of a poshed-up, gentrified suburb in the shape of its excellent schools, streets of smart period houses, independent shops and great transport links — without having crossed the line into becoming a full-fledged Nappy Valley or hipster hotspot.

The fact that it is still managing to keep its feet on the ground is good news for buyers priced out of Hampstead, Highgate, Muswell Hill and Crouch End.

This is north London, after all, so East Finchley does have its share of multimillion-pound trophy homes, but a first-time buyer on an average budget of just over £400,000 could still find themselves a period conversion flat within walking distance of very decent cafés, pubs and the station.

Meanwhile, a second stepper could trade a flat in one of the posher neighbouring districts for a three-bedroom family home in East Finchley, which is brimming with activities for kids.

All you need: the High Road offers mainly independent shops, cafés, restaurants and a gastropub  
Daniel Lynch

The property scene

This classic Victorian/Edwardian suburb sprang up with the coming of the railways, so think tree-lined streets of neat semis and terraces, many converted into flats.

Towards the boundary with Hampstead are some fab detached Arts & Crafts houses, while buyers on lower budgets can check out pretty two-up two-down workers’ cottages. Newer arrivals tend to be small boutique developments of rather upscale flats.

What's new?

With no big sites available, the local new-build market is limited to boutique firms creating trophy townhouses or small, low-rise schemes that tend to be aimed more at the affluent downsizer market than at cash-strapped first-time buyers.

Savills has a two-bedroom flat at Cherry Tree Hill, a scheme of seven flats in Great North Road, for £975,000, while Martyn Gerrard has a four-bedroom detached house in a new gated development in East End Road for £1.25 million.

A great flaw of the shared-ownership system is that first-time buyers can only take advantage in areas where medium to large developments are going up.

Locations like East Finchley, with no obvious empty sites, get left out. So, there are no shared-ownership or Help to Buy London properties available in this enclave and the areas around it.

On the upside, East Finchley represents decent value for buyers who can drum up a deposit but have been priced out of better-known, trendier areas.

Think neat: this classic suburb sprang up with the coming of the railways, think tree-lined streets and terrace houses 
Daniel Lynch

A two-bedroom flat in a low-rise ex-local authority or post-war private block will cost about £300,000 to £350,000, while a two-bedroom period conversion will be between £450,000 and £550,000.

A two-bedroom cottage — some have scope to extend, subject to planning consent — would be £550,000 to £600,000. Three-bedroom terrace homes are about £750,000 to £800,000.

While nobody in their right minds would call this cheap, in the London context it is reasonable.

Renting

You could rent a studio in one of East Finchley’s scattering of post-war purpose-built blocks, mostly on former bomb sites, for just under £1,000 per month, or a one-bedroom flat for about £1,100 to £1,250 a month.

Expect to pay at the higher end of this scale for a period conversion, and homes really close to the station attract a premium.

A two-bedroom flat in a purpose-built block will be about £1,500 a month, with a two-bedroom Victorian cottage at £1,600 to £1,800. Three- and four-bedroom houses do come up for rent in this family area.

Property scene: in the London context, prices are reasonable - good news for those priced out of Highgate and Hampstead 
Daniel Lynch

Staying power

The average price of an East Finchley home is about £800,000, says Rightmove, although rock bottom transaction levels in London over the past couple of years make all price data volatile and open to distortion by the odd giant sale.

The area has certainly benefited from a ripple of buyers moving out from more central areas — five years ago average prices stood at £617,000.

Over the last year, however, prices have flatlined and possibly even fallen a percentage point or two, with the market in hibernation after stamp duty rises, Brexit and the recent general election.

None of the main commentators are predicting a recovery this year or next, but history suggests that a clean, safe-feeling, family-friendly location in commuting distance of the centre is as good a place as any to invest in a home, particularly for the risk-averse who don’t want to put their shirts on the next big regeneration zone and keep their fingers crossed.

Postcode

East Finchley shares the N2 postcode with parts of Hampstead.

Best roads

The “cheap” end of London’s original millionaires row, The Bishops Avenue, snakes into East Finchley.

Rather than the gigantic mansions that line the Hampstead Heath side of the avenue, homes at the East Finchley end are mostly original and include charming Arts & Crafts houses — but don’t expect change from £4 million for a six- or seven-bedroom pile.

East Finchley has a sought-after “village” area with its own small parade of shops and cafés and some very cute little houses. The mostly two-bedroom Victorian cottages around Church Lane sell for up to £600,000.

Transport

On the Northern line, East Finchley Tube station is in Zone 3, so an annual travelcard costs £1,548. It takes about 30 minutes to London Bridge, while it’s only one stop along the line from Highgate and the delights of historic Highgate Village, its gastropubs and Hampstead Heath.

East Finchley sits in the “elbow” between the A406 North Circular road and the A41, so road links are good, though traffic-clogged during rush hour.

Council

Barnet council is true blue, but only just. The majority 32 Conservative councillors face an opposition comprising 30 Labour representatives and one Liberal Democrat.

Band D council tax is £1,434.72 for 2017/18. Tory Mike Freer held Lady Thatcher’s old seat at the general election, with a majority of less than 1,800.

Lifestyle

Shops and restaurants

Turn left out of the Tube, and you can stroll uphill past a pretty good range of mostly independent shops, cafés, and restaurants in the High Road. The Bald Faced Stag is a gastropub with a good patio garden.

The fresh-baked Turkish and Cypriot breads and pastries from Yasar Halim are a spare tyre waiting to happen; while you can feed your mind at Black Gull Books where knowledgeable staff can help you find your next read.

There are plenty of neighbourhood restaurants, from Thai, to Italian, to Greek, which reflect the cosmopolitan local community. However, there is no major supermarket, and too many charity shops and estate agents.

Open space

Although it sounds like it should be ridiculously green and verdant, East Finchley actually lacks much in the way of parks.

It does have the 10-acre Cherry Tree Wood, which is pretty, plus the evocative and massive spread of Islington and Camden Cemetery, but that is about it.

On the upside, two of north London’s loveliest open spaces, Hampstead Heath and Alexandra Park, are no more than two miles away.

Leisure and the arts

There are a couple of private sports clubs and a tennis club, while East Finchley does boast one of London’s best independent cinemas, the Phoenix, an Art Deco treasure with a great programme of current releases and classics, plus kids’ screenings at the weekend.

You are also close to Kenwood House, high on Hampstead Heath, with its beautiful views and summer programme of music and fireworks. Muswell Hill, a great spot for people watching and shopping, is a 10-minute bus hop away.

Kids can have a whale of a time going to art classes at The Art Stables, learning circus skills at Finchley Youth Theatre — which also caters for budding Oscar winners — and even attending language and art workshops put on by The Clissold Arms while parents relax at the bar.

Schools

This is a real highlight of the area for parents.

Primary school

Martin Primary School and Holy Trinity CofE Primary both get an “outstanding” rating from Ofsted.

Comprehensive

There’s a trio of state senior schools to choose from, all rated “good” by the government education watchdog: Christ’s College Finchley (boys, with girls in the sixth form), Bishop Douglass School (RC, co-ed) and The Archer Academy (co-ed). For ambitious parents of brainy girls the outperforming, selective Henrietta Barnett School is a couple of miles away and the absolute holy grail of state education in the area.

Private

Fee-paying parents have a choice of some of the top independent schools in the UK on their doorsteps, including Highgate School and South Hampstead High School.

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