Best known for the quaint village atop the hill and one of the country's finest boarding schools, it's fair to say Harrow is a unique part of London.

With

no fewer than four Prime Ministers educated at prestigious Harrow

School, Harrow-on-the-Hill has played a key part in British history -

not least because Winston Churchill was one of those aforementioned

alumni.

Harrow is one of north London's most vibrant communities,

with single professionals taking advantage of great flats and modern

developments, as well as transport links into central London, and

families flocking to the area for its large detached homes and great

schools.

Living in Harrow

Thirteen miles north west of

central London, Harrow is flanked by Stanmore to the north, Hendon to

the east, Wembley to the south and Ruislip to the west.

Houses for sale in Harrow

Three

new developments in recent years have added a regenerated feel to

Harrow town centre, as well as providing new homes for eager

professional buyers.

Lexicon, Lyon Square and Harrow Square properties range from studio flats to larger one, two and three-bedroom apartments.

Away

from the new, Harrow's traditional streets of 1930s semi and detached

family homes offer space and tradition, as do the Victorian and

Edwardian terraces that fill areas of the town.

Harrow properties

range in value from large family detached homes, mainly 1930s style, at

£769,741 and semi-detached houses at £529,248 to those Victorian and

Edwardian terraces at £465,626 and flats around £300,000.

Those

prices place Harrow well below the Greater London averages, although

considerably higher than the UK averages as you would expect from a

sought-after London Town.

Average property price: £412,150*

Flats for rent in Harrow

Property

investors pick up many of Harrow's newer and period conversion flats,

with 71% of properties let in the area over the past 12 months to May

2019 being apartments and flats.

And with 39% of tenants sitting

in the 18-29 age bracket, it's proof if proof were needed that Harrow

has much to appeal to the young professional as well as growing

families.

Harrow flats command a monthly rent of £1,160 on average, considerably lower than the £1,468 Greater London average.

Those

renting larger family homes can expect to pay £1,485 for a terraced

home, £1,480 for a semi and £1,511 for a detached house - well below the

Greater London averages.

Harrow transport links

One of Harrow's best selling points is its transport links.

Thanks to the Metropolitan Line, Underground trains fro Harrow-on-the-Hill go direct to Baker Street and the City in 30 minutes.

North Harrow, West Harrow and Rayners Lane are also on the Met Line and all stations are in zone five.

Keton

and South Kenton are on the Bakerloo Line in zone four with trains into

the West End, while South Harrow and Sudbury Hill are on the Piccadilly

Line.

Schools in Harrow

Away from the grandeur of Harrow School, the town's state primaries and secondaries fare well in the Ofsted stakes.

Outstanding

primary schools include St Anselm's RC, Marlborough, Belmont, Byron

Court, St Joseph's RC, Mount Stewart Junior, Alexandra, Newton Farm,

Heathland, Glebe and St Bernadette's RC.

Most other primaries are rated 'Good'.

Among

the 'Outstanding' secondary comprehensives are Whitmore High, Sacred

Heart Language College, Nower Hill High, Claremont High and Bentley Wood

High.

Shopping in Harrow

While temptation to

take advantage of Harrow's great train links into central London is

high, the town itself boasts two undercover shopping centres of its own.

St Anns and St Georges together have branches of H&M, Boots, M&S, Clarks and Monsoon, as well as a host of eateries.

Eating out in Harrow

We'll start with breakfast and for a real taste of Hill life, head to the Doll's House for a something to eat and a cup of tea.

For

lunch or dinner, you're probably expecting a taste explosion thanks to

Harrow's genuinely multi-cultural locals - and you'd be right.

Try

Shobha's Rasoi on the High Street at Wealdstone for a traditional

Indian dish with an East African twist, or if you prefer your food from

the sea, The Fat Crab on Alexandra Avenue, close to Rayners Lane, offers

everything from prawns, calamari, oysters and, predictably, crab.

Things to do in Harrow

If

you're going to be living in Harrow then you'll need to know a bit

about its prestigious history - and that means a visit to Harrow School.

Take a tour around and see where the likes of Churchill and, more recently, Benedict Cumberbatch, toiled over school work.

If

you love your sport but can't get tickets for the likes of North London

giants Tottenham and Arsenal, take in a Barnet FC game at the Hive

Stadium, home of National League side Barnet FC and located between

Harrow and Edgware.

Things to do with the kids

If

the kids need to let off some steam but the weather is not playing

ball, try Picazzo Arts in Wealdstone where they can let their creative

juices flow while you enjoy a well-earned coffee.

From pottery painting to canvases, it's a great place for the little ones to get messy and have fun.

* Statistics from DataLoft Inform