Your guide for the best things to see and do in Golders Green, including a melting pot of international cuisine featuring the most impressive restaurants, shops and delis and table topping schools, as well as our guide on the best streets to live.
Home to a thriving Jewish community as well as a large number of South East Asian and Japanese families, Golders Green is the kosher hub of the capital and benefits from a diverse selection of shops and a new crop of Kosher restaurants around the vibrant Golders Green High Street. A cluster of the capital’s top state, independent and Jewish schools make this area an attractive prospect for buyers looking for comfortable suburban living with excellent transport links to centre of town.
History
Golders Green is named after the Godyere family who lived on the land bordering the heath in the 14th century.
In the late 19th century the area around Temple Fortune began to take on a suburban identity with the emergence of the brick making industry in the area and families looking for affordable housing within easy commuting distance of central London began to put down roots.
Originally part of the Middlesex Borough of Hendon, the district grew rapidly in the early 20th century with the arrival of the tube station in 1907 and the settling of the Jewish community during the Second World War. Galician Polish immigrants also began to populate the area, giving rise to a number of synagogues dotted throughout the district.
Nowadays the heart of Golders Green radiates out from the clock tower on the High Street and the area stretching from the tube station to Finchley road past the sloping terrain of Golders Hill Park.
Shops
The prime shopping destination for residents is the bustling Golders Green Road, which runs the length of the district from the shopping hub of Brent Cross to the eclectic gathering of delis and clothing stores snaking off into Finchley Road.
There is a dizzying selection of speciality foods and fresh fruit and veg available from kosher and international supermarkets.
Speciality kosher delis sit alongside a variety of coffee shops and bric-a-brac stores, completing the world-market atmosphere of the area. Orzel Polish Deli has a loyal clientele who love their specialist cold meats counter. Temple Fortune is also home to popular fishmongers Sam Stoller & Son.
Best for a bagel… residents flock to Carmelli’s bakery, famous for its bagels and brightly coloured Jewish patisserie.
Best for book lovers… Joseph’s independent bookstore has been providing north London with top rate literary material for 24 years. The attached restaurant Café also has a constantly changing menu overseen by head chef Ali-Sersy who trained with the Roux brothers at Le Gavroche.
Restaurants, cafés and pubs
Golders Green’s excellent selection of cafés and restaurants comprise a strong Jewish influence, with plenty of top rated kosher restaurants in the area. The Hummus Bar prepares its signature hummus twice a day and its new menu is crammed with Israeli specialities. SOYO serves Mediterranean dishes using local produce with a focus on organic ingredients.
Best for a coffee… social enterprise Headroom is a café that doubles as a mental health service for the Jewish community, where visitors are encouraged to sip (coffee), shop (in the on site charity shop) and share (their thoughts).
Best for a blow out on a budget… Du Eat Chinese buffet does an all you can eat buffet lunch for just £8.50.
Best for a pint… thirsty walkers can also find a warm welcome pint and a hearty gastropub lunch after a walk on the Heath at the Old Bull and Bush in North End Way.
Goldschmidt and Howland tip… L’Artista is a local’s favourite Italian restaurant, as well as Café Japan for sushi lovers. There are many Kosher restaurants as well, with Hummus Bar a very popular choice. There is also large selection of cafes such as Costa, Starbucks and, Café Nero.
Parks and the Heath
There can be no better relaxation than a brisk stroll around Golders Hill Park, where visitors can also enjoy its tennis courts and putting green.
It’s also worth taking a walk around the lovely walled water gardens and duck ponds before a stopping off for home-made ice cream at the popular Refreshment House, where music is often performed. Further afield to the north end of the Heath is the little-known gem of the Golders Hill pergola affording breathtaking views across the Heath.
Things to do with children
Families are well catered for in this pocket of north west London, with Hoop Lane Montessori School and Modern Montessori International offering a variety of creative play sessions for children up to the age of four.
There is plenty of space to gambol around the greens of Golders Hill Park before a visit to the excellent small zoo and butterfly house – one of only two free zoos in London. Children will love watching the flamingos, kookaburras, ring-tailed lemurs and ring-tailed coatis.
Goldschmidt and Howland tip…The stunning Golders Hill Park is a favourite amongst locals, as well as others who come from further afield to enjoy its beautiful surrounds.
Primary and secondary schools
In addition to a large number of the capital’s most sought-after Jewish schools, such as the orthodox Menorah primary in Woodstock Avenue rated Outstanding by Ofsted. Golder’s Green boasts a number of top-performing state primaries including Brookland infant and junior in Top Hill, which is rated Outstanding. Garden Suburb infant and junior school on Childs Way and Wessex Gardens Primary in Wessex Gardens have both been deemed Good by Ofsted.
There is an excellent choice of table-topping secondary schools in the vicinity with the Henrietta Barnett school for girls in Hampstead Garden Suburb consistently rated one of the country’s best selective grammar schools.
The independent Kind Alfred school in North End Road is renowned for its liberal, non-uniform approach and its emphasis on creativity.
Transport
Golders Green station is in Zone 3 of the London Underground network on the Northern line and is two stops from Hampstead Heath Overground with links to central and suburban London. There are excellent bus links running via north west London to the centre of town in under 45 minutes.
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Property guide Postcode
Golders Green is situated in the London Borough of Barnet and incorporates the NW11 and NW2 postcode districts. It is in the Finchley and Golders Green parliamentary constituency.
The smallest properties in Band A would receive a council tax bill of £946.67 while the average Band D property would expect to pay £1,420.00. The most expensive properties in Band H would receive a total bill for £2,840.00.
Goldschmidt and Howland tip… Golders Green is a diverse and bustling area, packed with a variety of shops, cafes and restaurants to accommodate the cosmopolitan demographic in the area. With its excellent transport links on the northern line and bus routes, residents choose to move to the area for ease of commuting, as well as its close proximity to the many schools nearby.
Housing stock
Suburban living first started to take hold in Golders Green in the 1930s, giving rise to a number of well-proportioned gable fronted semi-detached and terraced houses in residential roads surrounding the station, while a variety of spacious Tudor inspired and arts and crafts detached properties are concentrated around the wide avenues of Wellgarth Road and Hampstead way.
Best streets
West Heath Drive
Wycombe Gardens
Armitage Road
The Ridgeway
House prices
Two-bedroom flat – £683,897
Terraced house – £884,916
Semi-detached house – £965,887
Detached house – £1,497,722
Produced in Partnership with Goldschmidt and Howland Temple Fortune
1197 Finchley Rd, Golders Green, London, NW11 0AA
020 8209 9300 / g-h.co.uk
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