Anyone who has ever found themselves rooted in place post-Wembley gig – good luck, Taylor Swift ticketholders – will surely extoll the virtues of living near a venue.
And with London’s live music scene under constant threat from landlord disputes, energy costs and NIMBY noise complaints, our arenas, halls and pub back rooms are more precious than ever.
It pays to be a neighbour, even if visits are few and far between. Venues tend to create their own ecosystem, from pubs sustained by pre-giggers to a healthy street food scene buoyed by the late crowds.
Like the idea of a smug stroll home? We’ve found ten of the best properties for sale in London’s music hotspots, where much-loved venues big and small would be on your doorstep.
Kentish Town, NW5
£300,000
A chain-free one-bedroom flat with a freshly renewed lease. Sandwiched between The Dome in Tufnell Park and O2 Forum Kentish Town, it’s particularly well-placed for the north London music scene.
020 3872 3674, Keatons
Canonbury, N1
£850,000
Facing onto a smart garden square, this spacious two-bedroom flat is close to a cluster of venues on Upper Street and Highbury Corner, including Union Chapel, The Garage and Islington Assembly Hall.
Hamptons, 020 3835 5298
Brixton, SW4
£1.05 million
A charming terrace with a manageable garden on the border with Clapham – and close to The Windmill, Hootenanny and Electric Brixton. There’s a fourth bedroom, bathroom and study (or walk-in wardrobe) on the top floor.
Foxtons, 020 3834 7864
Hackney, E8
£835,000
This split-level garden flat near Moth Club and Oslo comes with its own entrance and a share of the freehold. There are three bedrooms, an airy extended kitchen diner and a low-maintenance garden.
Love Living, 020 3893 2910
Shepherd’s Bush, W12
£375,000
This one-bedroom flat in a distinctive former public baths is well-placed for Shepherd’s Bush Empire and Bush Hall, as well as two Tube stations. It’s probably in need of some cosmetic changes.
Winkworth, 020 3870 5557
Camden, NW1
£850,000
A more than 1,000 square feet maisonette with two bedrooms, a private entrance and a share of freehold. On the border with Mornington Crescent, it’s five minutes from Koko, with the Jazz Cafe and Roundhouse also close by.
Chestertons, 020 3835 3623
New Cross, SE14
£500,000
A two-bedroom flat on the first floor of a gated Victorian warehouse conversion. Within walking distance of the New Cross Inn, the Amersham Arms and Old Library Bar, it’s ideally placed for up-and-coming acts.
Winkworth, 020 3959 7453
Dalston, E8
£400,000
This well-proportioned one-bedroom apartment is located on the sixth floor of a modern block near EartH, The Shacklewell Arms and Cafe Oto. Handy for both Overground stations, it’s on the market without a chain.
Stirling Ackroyd, 020 3840 3919
Angel, N1
£870,000
On the top floors of an appealing Georgian townhouse, this almost 900 square foot flat comes with two bedrooms, access to a shared garden and no onward chain. From here, it’s a short walk to Scala and the Lexington.
Hamptons, 020 3835 5298
Soho
£675,000
A heart-of-the-action one-bedroom flat close to myriad venues, from Ronnie Scott’s to HERE at Outernet. Perks include high ceilings, solid wood flooring and an extra room that could be used as a home office.
