The Northern Line brings north and south London together and makes for a convenient commute. Johnny Turner sees some fine new homes with top-quality connections.
The Northern Line, with its easy connections to both the City and West End, makes it possible to live in a number of different London locations and stay within reach of the twin epicentres of business and entertainment. Today’s new home developers know that proximity to this most swift of north/south corridors is a major attraction to buyers, and this means a good selection of high-quality homes within walking distance of the Northern Line.
Barratt, for instance, has unveiled plans for a stylish development in very cool Clapham. Altona will be built on the site of a now-demolished 1960s residential block in King’s Avenue, a short stroll from the green expanse of Clapham Common and the tube connection at Clapham North station.
Clapham is a hit with buyers because it is awash with fashionable restaurants and bars, pubs and parkland, transport connections and fantastic entertainment options. The Clapham Picture House is an excellent art house cinema, and high-quality leisure centres and gyms are just around the corner. The shops of Old Town are charming, while the more day-to-day shopping needs are catered for by a good choice of nearby supermarkets.
The Altona building boasts a striking contemporary design and will rise to four storeys. Many apartments will have spacious glass-walled balconies, while two-bedroom apartments will have the option to purchase a space in the underground car park (for approximately £12,000) which is accessed through electronically-controlled gates.
All apartments will have fully fitted kitchens with integrated appliances and fitted bathrooms, central heating and double glazing. On the top floor there will be three magnificent apartments with extensive roof terraces giving views across south London.
Prices for one-bedroom apartments start at £240,000 and two-bedroom apartments are priced from £285,000. A single three-bedroom apartment will be released later. A sales office is open at the site daily from 10am to 6pm; a fully furnished show home will follow in due course. Call 020 7737 6318.
Oak Hill Park Terrace by Regime Developments is a house-hunter's dream – a breathtaking combination of high style and plentiful, flexible space in an especially sought-after address. The location is an exclusive private estate in the heart of Old Hampstead, an area that sees very little new building and is therefore an extremely rare opportunity. Only five houses are being constructed, ranging in size from 2,271 sq ft to 2,637 sq ft.
The homes at Oak Hill Park Terrace are of a truly contemporary, open-plan design, with an abundance of natural light. Each home is individually designed, with a different kitchen and permutation of natural stone and timber in each house. Extensive Smart technology includes remote-controlled hole-in-the-wall contemporary gas fires, underfloor heating throughout, mood lighting, an audio system, a video entry phone system (even including a handset by the bed in the main bedroom) – and wiring for a monitored alarm system, also with the facility to have a keypad by the bed!
The configuration of four of the homes is such that the bedroom on the first floor adjoining the main bedroom can be transformed into a dressing room, resulting in a huge self-contained bedroom suite, comprising a bedroom, a dressing room and an en-suite bathroom with a walk in shower, twin sinks and a super luxuriating bath.
Prices at Oak Hill Park Terrace range from £1.795 million to £2.1 million. A show house is now open Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 6pm. Contact selling agents Goldschmidt & Howland on 020 7435 4404 or FPDSavills on 020 7472 5000.
Zooming up the Northern Line to Colindale, you’ll find the award-winning Adastral Village South, a new multi-million-pound village of 300 homes in a joint venture between Bellway North London and the Notting Hill Housing Group (NHHG).
The fully furnished show apartment is stylishly decorated throughout and has a unique semi-circular dimension, which reflects the ‘young’ quality of the development as a whole. The architecture follows a contemporary nautical theme, with the front of the building echoing a grand yet modern cruise liner in shape. The exterior Scandinavian wood cladding acts as the main cosmetic design feature of the building.
The development is a ten-acre site under construction on the former RAF Hendon airfield and aircraft factory at Colindale. Bellway and NHHG’s master plan includes construction of 320 homes as well as a community centre/village hall, local shop and generous open space and trees.
The mixed-tenure development includes 170 properties for private sale, 50 for shared ownership and 100 for rent. The housing mix includes two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom houses as well as one- and two-bedroom apartments.
The development has ample parking and ready access to transport, including the A41, A406 and M1. Colindale tube station provides a direct connection to both the entertainment hub of the West End and the financial centre on the Northern Line’s Bank branch.
For information about Adastral Village South call the sales centre on 020 8205 3093.
In Islington, Emblem Homes is selling a new development that boasts an excellent placement between two very convenient tube stations. The development, called A+, will feature a mix of new build flats and town houses, as well as the conversion of the former Victorian school and schoolmaster’s house into apartments.
The Grade II listed school will be converted into 35 one- and two-bedroom split-level mezzanine apartments which make use of the existing high ceilings and windows. The schoolmaster’s house is to be converted into three one-bedroom apartments. ‘A+ offers purchasers a contemporary stylish lifestyle in a great location,’ says Steve Savill of Emblem Homes. ‘The N1 shopping centre and the vibrant nightlife of Upper Street are all within walking distance, as is Angel tube with its links to the City and West End.’
Prices start at £190,000. Completions are anticipated in mid-2005. For further information contact sole selling agents FPDSavills on 020 7472 5000.