Kensington Green, W8

This development is a hidden gem in Kensington, as it is an usual gated community in the heart of Kensington. I don’t think the planning authorities favour gated communities any longer, which makes Kensington Green a rare find. There are security gates at the front which work on a fob for pedestrians or number plate recognition, and the rear gate also has a security fob, which provides security after dark. During daylight there is a public footpath through the development, but this is little known and not used a great deal, so it’s a very quiet spot. The development is large, with several large blocks of apartments and a collection of townhouses too. It’s around 30 years old, which means it is less dense than more modern developments, but also has less of the modern facilities which new developments might have. So, you don’t get air con, or a swimming pool, and in our block the lift only went to the ground floor, not to the basement car park (which is surprisingly annoying with shopping or luggage, but these are first world issues, to say the least. There is a solid gym and the manager there, Cliff, is really nice. The upside is well designed blocks and apartments, in a nice community feel, where security is all but guaranteed. It was ideal for our toddler who could play out on the lawns or learn to scoot without fear of traffic, mostly. It’s the sort of development where people decide to stay for a very long time, although this wasn’t true of us, as our family outgrew our budget for a larger flat. We were very sad to leave. One small downside is that the porters have very strict rules for the grounds; these ensure a very orderly but almost sterile environment. Kids can’t play with balls, and you can’t have friends for drinks on the lawns etc, which can seem a little officious. One final thing - I hope they’re listening - but there are a couple of residents with noisy super cars that they like to drive in circles. They should take note: nobody thinks you’re cool.