The 60 most desirable places to live in London revealed: The No.1 spot is in the south

It has no Tube links, no Michelin-starred restaurants – and is south of the river.

Yet Dulwich has been revealed as the most desirable place to live in London.

The south-east area tops a ranking by estate agent Foxtons of the 60 hotspots that have seen the biggest increases in property buyer enquiries in the UK capital.

The average number of monthly enquiries for houses in leafy Dulwich is up 153 per cent versus 2023, Foxtons reports.

Hampstead ranks second in the table, with 104 per cent more buyer enquiries per month versus last year, while Ilford (third) has also seen a big increase – 101 per cent.

Dulwich (above) has been revealed by estate agent Foxtons as the most desirable place to live in London

The rest of the top 10 comprises Kingston (fourth, 93 per cent); Stoke Newington (fifth, 89 per cent); Ealing (sixth, 87 per cent); London Bridge (seventh, 78 per cent), St John’s Wood (eighth, 77 per cent); Wapping (ninth, 73 per cent) and Putney (10th, 73 per cent).

At the bottom of the table is Bromley (60th, -26 per cent); Sloane Square (59th, -9 per cent); and Richmond & Twickenham (58th, -5 per cent).

So what’s attracting property hunters to Dulwich?

Perhaps the stellar education options, from Dulwich Village Church of England Infants’ School, which received an ‘outstanding’ inspection grade from Ofsted in 2023, to grand Dulwich College, with an alumni list that includes C S Forester, Ernest Shackleton, Bob Monkhouse and actor Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Buyers-in-waiting might also be keen on beautiful Dulwich Park, Dulwich Picture Gallery, catching a game at Dulwich Hamlet F.C and the eating and drinking options, which include renowned wine bar Drop Dulwich on Melbourne Grove in East Dulwich and The Lordship Pub.

The average number of monthly enquiries for houses in leafy Dulwich is up 153 per cent versus 2023, Foxtons reports. Above – Dulwich Park

Dulwich has stellar education options, including Dulwich College (above), where C S Forester, Ernest Shackleton, Bob Monkhouse and Chiwetel Ejiofor studied

Hampstead ranks second in the table, with 104 per cent more buyer enquiries per month versus 2023

The area, where the average house price is £770,00, also has the seal of approval from several famous types. Past residents include Ronnie Corbet, Enid Blyton and Margaret Thatcher, and current inhabitants include The IT Crowd’s Richard Ayoade, Hollywood heartthrob Jason Statham and his wife Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, the BBC news presenter Ros Atkins and Game of Thrones stars Lena Headey and Iain Glen.

Director of estate agent Benham and Reeves, Marc von Grundherr, said: ‘Dulwich has grown increasingly popular of late, especially amongst younger buyers as the new “cool” place to be – a crown that was previously held by the likes of Shoreditch and Camden for quite some time.

‘The area has also benefited from the well-known ripple effect, as buyers priced out of nearby Brixton have looked for an alternative option within reaching distance, but at a more affordable price tag. However, this up-and-coming label and an increase in buyer activity has caused house prices to increase by around six per cent year on year.’

Ilford comes third in the ranking with an increase in buyer enquiries of 101 per cent

Kingston, above, comes fourth in the ranking with an increase in buyer enquiries of 93 per cent

Stoke Newington comes fifth in the ranking, with enquiries up 89 per cent compared to 2023

Second-place Hampstead is famous for its beautiful sprawling heath and its array of stunning properties, many of which are occupied by someone famous.

Well-known residents include Liam Gallagher, Helena Bonham Carter, Jonathan Ross, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Fry, Harry Styles and Benedict Cumberbatch.

The average house price in Hampstead? A mere £1.3million.

The average house price for third-place Ilford is £470,000, with Tripadvisor listing Valentines Park, the Kenneth More Theatre and Redbridge Museum & Heritage Centre as being among the area’s top attractions. 

The average house price in bottom-ranked Bromley, meanwhile, is higher – at £576,000.

Attractions in the area include the home of Charles Darwin, which is a mile or so to the south, and High Elms Country Park, to the south east.

Those preferring second-from-bottom Sloane Square will need much deeper pockets, as the average property price there is £1.3million, but that figure includes flats. The average house price is £4million. 

In similarly glamorous Mayfair (49th), the average property price is higher still – £5.3million.

Sloane Square comes second from last in the list of 60 areas, with property-buying enquiries down nine per cent compared to last year

Bromley, above, comes last in the table, with house-buying enquiries down 26 per cent

Foxtons CEO, Guy Gittins, commented: ‘It’s been an extremely positive start to the year for the London property market and we’ve already seen a notable increase in the number of buyers enquiring across all but a handful of areas.

‘This is despite the fact that mortgage rates are yet to come down and such a show of intent so early in the year only bodes well for the coming months as we head into what is traditionally the busiest time of year for market activity.

‘So if you are thinking of purchasing in 2024, now is the time to spring into action, as you’ll already be facing a higher degree of competition from other buyers and this competition is only going to intensify.’