A thriving London borough with a growing population and a strong economy
The London Borough of Camden, with the famous Camden Town at its heart, covers just under 8.5 square miles and was formed from the amalgamation of the former boroughs of Hampstead, Holborn and St. Pancras. Neighbouring areas are the City of Westminster and the City of London to the south, Brent to the west, Barnet and Haringey to the north and Islington to the east.
Camden has the second highest number of businesses in London and has a high proportion of employees working in the creative and cultural industries. These consist of film production, radio and television, performing and visual arts, software and electronic publishing, fashion and music. Camden also houses half the jewellers in inner London. Over half of the jobs within the borough are with small and medium enterprises.
The population of the region is currently around 230,000 and is forecast to rise at around 7.3% over the next ten years. With a lower than an average number of inhabitants of pensionable age (10% against the national average of 17%), there is naturally a demand for housing for younger professionals and families.
That means Camden property investment is perfect for you if you're looking for an area in London with a growing population and a high proportion of employees working in the creative and cultural industries.
Read more about this North London borough with a full Camden Property Investment Guide.
Economy & Employment
Tourism generates around 16,500 jobs in the borough.
Camden has lower unemployment figures than the rest of London. New business survival rates are among the highest in central London and Camden now has in the region of 13% more jobs than four years ago.
With a workforce of predominantly highly-skilled labour, the largest employers are in professional, scientific and technical sectors. Growth in business administration services sector seeing the highest rises, followed by health services, food and accommodation services, also seeing increases are the information/communication sector and finance. Santander UK and Atlantic Books both have their head office in the borough.
Investment
Camden’s retail sector is booming and housing construction is following.
Housing is a priority for land use in the borough, with an estimated 12,250 new homes between 2011 and 2015, with a significant number from privately owned sites.
The first phase of the 15 year Community Investment Programme includes over 60 projects most of which involve new housing. 1,400 new homes are due to be completed by 2018. £3.5m of Housing Community grant funding is also being supported in the development of 300 additional new homes in the Chester Road, Balmore Street and Holly Lodge areas, to mention just a few.
The Maiden Lane and Alexandra Road areas are also earmarked for regeneration, with the provision of a new multi-storey car park and various new retail, health and community facilities.
With an additional 24,000 new jobs forecast in the borough up to 2021, and property prices currently rising at a rate of around 21%, there has never been a better time to invest in this locality.
Transport
Camden is served by both the London Underground and two overground rail lines. Major expansion works to link more places in east and southern England are due for completion by the end of 2016.
The following underground tube stations serve the district; Euston, King’s Cross/St. Pancras, Mornington Crescent, Chalk Farm, Kentish Town and Camden Town
Camden is connected to the overground railway by two Northern Line stations; Camden Road and Kentish Town West, and one, Euston, on the Watford DC line. This provides efficient service to and from both the east and west of the capital.
Education
There are 44 primary, 10 secondary and 28 independent schools together with 4 further education colleges.
The Camden School for Girls (Ofsted 5* rated) is noted for its special status as a Music College and has long been associated with advances in the education of women. Famous pupils have included Gordon Brown’s wife Sarah, actresses Emma Thompson, Charlotte Coleman and Tamsin Greig.
further education: La Swap is one of the largest sixth-forms in the Greater London area, being a consortium of sixth-forms of four schools in north London. Namely Parliament Hill, Acland Burghley, La Sainte Union and William Ellis.
Higher Education: The prestigious University College, London, based in Gower Street, currently ranks 5th best in the world alongside Oxford University.
Shops & Leisure
Shopping: In addition to Camden Market is The Brunswick Shopping Centre The Camden Centre, offering high street big name brands.
Sport & Culture: The UK’s most popular attraction The British Museum is based in the borough and has an annual footfall of nearly 7 million visitors. It’s also home to the British Library which ranks 16th most popular based on data collated by Visit England.
There are many things to see and do in Camden including Highgate Cemetery, Bloomsbury & Dominion theatres, Kenwood House, London Zoo, The Roundhouse, the Foundling Museum, Wellcome Collection, Dickens’ house and the BT Tower.
Green Spaces: Camden also boasts some lovely parks including Camley Street Natural Park Hampstead Heath and Primrose Hill. It also has part of Regent’s Park within its boundary.
