I’ve lived in Parsons Green since 1997. Right now, I live in a flat I’ve owned for almost 10 years. The area has come on leaps and bounds in the time I’ve been here.
There’s everything you need: butcher, baker and candlestick-maker. It’s very family orientated, so if you’re after bars and nightlife, then this isn’t the place for you.
There’s nothing here which reminds me of my native Sweden; this is definitely home.
Eating and drinking
Hally’s on New Kings Road is a great spot for a coffee and where I often go for breakfast. I like sitting outside on the little bistro tables as I usually have Zenon, my whippet, with me. I’ll order a cafe latte and usually something sweet, probably a pastry.
For Nonna-style cooking, I love Emilia’s on New Kings Road. It’s been there the whole time I’ve lived here and is a classic Italian deli.
They sell delicious ingredients, but the beauty of it is that you can buy their beautifully made ready meals. The people behind the counter are personalities, so there’s always a lot of fun chat.
My favourite thing to eat in the evening is a cheese board, so I stock up on charcuterie, Pecorino, fat olives and a really good quality balsamic vinegar to go alongside fresh bread.
Where I work out
I have a membership at the David Lloyd on Fulham Broadway, where I do weight training.
To commune with nature
I’m a stone’s throw from Hurlingham Park, so I always head there for Zenon’s early evening walk.
It’s a huge green space with lots of other dogs and smells, so he gets really excited running around there. I like it for the people-watching — there’s a real mix of ages: young couples playing tennis, families pushing prams and the older generation using it as a byway in between running errands.
The tree-lined avenue is always beautiful at this time of year as the leaves start to turn.
For a culture fix
Fulham Palace is just around the corner and so rich in history: the Bishops of London lived there for over 1,000 years.
There’s a botanic garden and they have spent years restoring the walled garden, which has a vinery and an orchard.
I like to sit there and if you close your ears to the traffic and the aeroplanes going over, you could be anywhere in the countryside.
It’s a bit of refuge, and so important — especially during the pandemic.
For catching a film, there’s the Vue cinema at Fulham Broadway.
Grocery shopping
There’s a Co-op and Waitrose near the Tube station, but I get a lot of supplies from Bayley & Sage.
I often pick up ginger nuts on the way back from my studio. At Christmas there is always a great selection of German lebkuchen, which always feels nostalgic to me. I have a real sweet tooth, so I can’t resist something like that.
Fulham Greens is a fantastic grocery shop — it has every vegetable you could ever want and fruits I’ve never seen in the UK before. If you need something that you can’t find in the supermarket, you’ll find it there.
Getting around
I can walk to Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, where my studio is, in about 20 minutes.
But as I’m often running late, I tend to hop in the car and it only takes me five minutes.
Something you only see in Parson's Green
There are lots of fancy, expensive cars pulling up late at night outside the takeaway Kebab Kid.
Apparently it’s the place to grab food after a night out, but not having tried it, I honestly wouldn’t know!
Dream street
Parsons Green itself is very beautiful: the buildings that surround it are fine examples of Georgian and Victorian architecture.
That has always felt special — it’s a little green haven.
What's the catch?
The traffic on New Kings Road, definitely. Whenever Wandsworth Bridge is closed, cars come to a standstill.
In three words
Convenient, comfortable and cosy.
Martin Brudnizki’s new boutique devoted to homewares, And Objects, is open Monday to Saturday at Newson’s Yard, 57 Pimlico Road, SW1W
Schools
State primary schools including Langford, Ormiston Courtyard Academy and the London Oratory School are all rated outstanding by Ofsted.
Good religious options include Holy Cross RC and St John’s Walham Green Church of England. Private options include Kensington Prep, and for Francophiles, L’Ecole des Petits School is rated outstanding.
What it costs
Buying in Parsons Green
Average flat price: £714,310
Average house price: £2,162,410
Renting in Parsons Green
Average flat price, pcm: £2,040
Average house price, pcm: £6,610
