Situated where the River Thames bends, this exciting district in Greater London is a popular place for commuters and families alike to settle down and make their home. It offers good transport links, excellent entertainment and a good range of housing – but be quick, as this is an area in demand.
You want to get to the centre of London? No problem, take the Tube, the overground or bus – all three options are perfectly easy. Hammersmith Tube, in Zone 2, is linked with the Piccadilly, Hammersmith & City, Circle and District lines, offering direct services to Victoria, Holborn and White City, to name but a few. The closest overground station is Kensington and you’re minutes away from the M4, for the M25. Hammersmith is also situated in close proximity to Heathrow airport – accessed either by tube or road.
According to sources, there are over 100 cafés, restaurants and bars in Hammersmith, including the famous River Café, the highly-recommended Malina Restaurant and Saigon Saigon for the best Vietnamese dishes in town. As there are so many restaurants, there’s something to suit all budgets, such as the amazing Kerbisher and Malt, which tempts you with so much more than just fish and chips, and Knaypa which serves up the most delicious Polish food.
Shopping and food cross swords at the weekly farmer’s market, where you can find foods from every corner of the world. For the essentials, you can rely on the usual high street supermarket chains. For ‘proper’ shopping, there are two choices: the Kings Mall and the Broadway Shopping Centre, so all your bases are covered.
Naturally, there are many schools in the borough of Hammersmith & Fulham; a mixture of state and independent establishments. The ARK academies – Burlington Danes and Conway Primary – both received OFTED outstanding ratings, as did Brackenbury, John Betts and West London Free primary schools.
The lbhf.gov.uk website provides information about each school, with a link to its most recent OFSTED report, so it's a great resource for you to check out.
Hammersmith is known for being an entertainment hub which reflects and fuses the cultures of its diverse residents. Whether it’s watching a play at the Lyric Theatre, enjoying a pint in the tiny Dove Pub or dancing the night away at Mare Moto, there’s something to satisfy all sensibilities. There’s live music and comedy at the Hammersmith Apollo which attracts some big names acts, and cocktail making classes at Be At One.
For daytime entertainment / exercise, you could take a walk along the river’s edge, which can take you as far as Richmond. Or there’s the lovely Ravenscourt Park, with its children’s play area and bird-spotting opportunities at the London Wetlands Centre. There’s also a children’s farmyard and discovery centre there – plenty to occupy the little ones. Alternatively, you could pop to the leisure centre for a swim and/or sauna. It’s up to you.
Hammersmith, arguably the best connected place in London, really offers the best of both worlds; it’s easy to get about, there’s a lot to do and – best of all – you can just about avoid those central London prices.
