Taste for the area: Nick Jones with wife, Kirsty Young, chose to open his latest restaurant in Balham
The Weekender

Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for exclusive competitions, offers and theatre ticket deals

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

The London suburb once mocked for being ugly is enjoying a surprising property boom.

Balham was long thought to be the naffest place to live in South London, damned for ever as the 'Gateway to the South' by Peter Sellers, and described by Swallows And Amazons author Arthur Ransome as 'the ugliest and most abominable of London's unpleasing suburbs'.

Local estate agents, naturally, take a contrary view, having described it as up-and-coming for the past decade.

Now, Balham is the only destination south of the river for the in-crowd, who go to trendy bars such as the Exhibit and the latest Soho House venture, the Balham Kitchen.

Then there's fashionable Persian restaurant Dish Dash and The Bedford Arms is a well known comedy venue frequented by Ewan McGregor.

Celebrity residents include comedian Jack Dee and supermodel Jacquetta Wheeler, television presenters Brian Dowling and Sarah Beeny, and ¸ber-cool band Turin Brakes, who play in the local pubs.

Nick Jones, husband of newsreader Kirsty Young and owner of Soho House in London and New York - as well as the media country retreat Babington House in Somerset and the Electric Cinema Brasserie in Notting Hill - chose to launch his latest restaurant in the suburb. He and his wife are often seen dining at the Balham Kitchen.

'I love Balham - it reminds me of how Notting Hill was in the old days,' he says. 'There is a brilliant sense of community here with really interesting people. The transport is good and there are some beautiful houses.

'Property prices are still reasonable and you can get more for your money than you would anywhere else so close to central London. But when I decided to set up the restaurant everyone stared at me in disbelief and said, "Why Balham?" We have been packed from the first day and are doing phenomenally well.'

Sarah Beeny, Property on Sunday columnist and presenter of Channel 4's Property Ladder, has lived in Balham for ten years and renovated many properties in the area.

'Balham has come full circle,' she says. 'After the War it was a lively place. But by the time we arrived it was completely dead and all the shops were boarded up.

'Now they have been opened again as coffee shops and trendy boutiques. The downside is that there aren't many bargains left, unless you go to what was the redlight district in Bedford Hill.'

Jerry Monaghan, sales manager of estate agent Bushells, says prices in the area have rocketed in the past five years and are continuing to rise, despite the market faltering elsewhere in London.

'Balham has something for everyone - great schools and green spaces for kids, and a lively nightlife. There are family areas such as the Nightingale Triangle and trendier areas such as the Heaver Estate.

'The Art Deco Du Cane Court by Balham Tube station is popular, especially with single women, because of the security it offers. It is a Thirties portered block with almost 700 flats, and studios cost from £110,000 while two-bedroom flats go for around £250,000.

'A lot of couples move here if one is working in the City and the other out of London, as SW12 has transport links to both. While other markets, such as Clapham, seem sluggish, Balham is booming.'

Hugh Crossley, 31, son of Lord Somerleyton and subject of last year's television documentary To The Manor Born, owns Persian restaurant Dish Dash, beloved of celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Gail Porter and Jamie Oliver.

It has just relocated from the West End to Balham and, although Crossley spends much of his time at his 300-room stately home in Suffolk, he spends several days a week in South London.

'Times are changing in London restaurant circles,' he says. 'People no longer want to go all the way to the West End for an expensive meal. They want to go out to a local restaurant with the minimum of hassle. The best restaurants in London will all be in the suburbs soon.

'Balham has a great mixture of single people and young families so we get the best of both worlds with a really buzzy crowd.'

Nick Reeves, 28, an advertising executive and first-time buyer, bought a two-bedroom flat in Balham last summer when he found he couldn't afford to buy in Battersea.

'I was worried Balham might be a bit grotty but in fact there are some stunning houses around here. My parents quoted " Gateway to the South" at me, but Balham has moved on.'

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in