Hampstead is pretty irresistable. It's not right in the centre of London but it's a real oasis to come back to at the end of a day of hectic sightseeing and there's plenty to explore here in its own right. Your neighbours will be a mix of affluent intellectual types: London's top psychiatrists, book publishers, writers etc. They are attracted by Hampstead's village atmosphere, vast array of characterful period houses, independent shops and restaurants and, last but by no means least, the delights of the vast green expanses of Hampstead Heath, with its much-loved wild swimming ponds.