The 2022 instalment of Rightmove’s Happy at Home survey is out, and if you’re familiar with the study, you won’t be surprised which area ranked number 1 in London, for the 8th year in a row.
What makes a happy place?
Community spirit, green spaces and cultural activities tend to factor highly in responses to this survey. It’s been an intense year, and as they say, humans are social creatures. When times get tougher, we seem to prioritise the sense of togetherness that living in a good community affords us, which is a theme we’ve seen crop up multiple times in our Local Stories series. Rightmove said that, in this year’s survey, a “sense of belonging to your local area is the most important contributor.”
The happiest place to live in London…again
Richmond upon Thames has been crowned the number one happiest place to live in London.
Richmond’s town centre has a great selection of brand names and upscale boutiques, cosy pubs down pretty string light-strewn alleys, gourmet food wherever you turn and a large green where residents sit with treats from the ice cream van and pints from the adjacent pubs to watch cricket. Richmond’s community is friendly and active, with plenty of local events on throughout the year. And if you want to venture out, Richmond has excellent transport links. The station serves South Western Rail, the Overground and the District line.
For entertainment, you have a cinema, two theatres (the Orange Tree Theatre and Richmond Theatre), Landmark Arts Centre for art and community and Kew Gardens a world-famous botanical garden and the most biodiverse place on the planet. There are a few historical and royal homes in the borough worth a visit; Ham House, Hampton Court Palace, York House, Orleans House and Marble Hill House are all remarkable. Biking, golfing and boating are all popular around here, and the borough is also home to Twickenham Rugby Stadium – the home stadium for our national team.
Richmond upon Thames is the only London borough on both sides of the River Thames, and it also contains the largest of all London’s Royal Parks, Richmond Park. The wealth of riverfront views and lush nature scenes are used to its full advantage. Enjoy a beautiful walk along the river and stop in a restaurant or pub to watch the colourful boats pass by. Climb up Richmond Hill to breathe in the remarkable sweeps of leafy colour spreading out as far as you can see, with the river winding through it. Living in the area makes it easy to find your perfect Sunday afternoon walk.
The homes in Richmond proper are highly desirable for their location as well as their style. Streets are lined with large, elegant period properties and you’ll spot a few remarkable wisteria displays around here when London’s in bloom in the spring. The homes here are upscale, and they go very quickly on the market – you’ll definitely need to register with an agent to get notified of properties coming to the market early if you want to live in Richmond. The borough is full of friendly, historic and entertaining areas, like Twickenham and Teddington, which tend to have some more affordable options for young families and first-time buyers.
Want to know more? You can learn about Richmond’s schools and up-to-date information on the local market or check out our Local Life guide. You could also get in touch with our Richmond and Twickenham office for more information.
Browse our available homes if you want to rent or buy in the area. Or if you want to sell or let a home in the happiest borough, book a no-obligation home valuation with one of our local experts.
