I moved to London five years ago from New York, where I was living in the East Village. It was hectic and crazy, with NYU students throwing up on the street.
I chose Notting Hill because I’ve got some family friends here, so I thought “well if something goes wrong, I’ve got my substitute parents”. It’s much calmer in comparison – bustling, but with that villagey neighbourhood feel, which I love.
Everything you need is right here. I work in food, so for me it’s things like the farmers’ market, but you’ve also got the hardware shops, the pound shops, the antiques markets. I’m currently renting an apartment on a quiet road, with my studio area on the lower floor and living space above.
Best eating and drinking
Just down the street is a coffee place called Lift. I’m a tea person, but my boyfriend loves coffee and we’ll go together. The sun hits the side of the building, so the bench outside is a great spot. People throw the word “community” around, but I always see the same faces.
I’m Chinese and Korean, and I always have different Asian flavour cravings. Sichuan Popo is amazing, and people don’t seem to know about Med Salleh. It has a Vietnamese place in Westbourne Grove and a Malaysian place in Bayswater. I also like Normah’s Malaysian in Queensway Arcade.
Orasay, Jackson Boxer’s place, is great. And everyone knows The Cow and The Pelican. Down in Kensington I love a Polish restaurant called Daquise. It’s incredible; very traditional, with a dumb waiter to bring the food up.
Where I work out
Love Supreme Projects is good for yoga. I like to have a glass of wine at the Goldborne Deli afterwards. It feels like you’ve done something good for yourself and then you can hang out. I also play tennis at the public courts in Holland Park; you can text a coach if you want a lesson.
To commune with nature
We’re right by both Hyde Park and Holland Park. When you’re walking through Notting Hill you smell a lot of plants like jasmine, which is part of what makes the area really charming.
For a culture fix
I’ve been to Ladbroke Hall a few times for book launches and openings. It’s owned by Carpenter’s Workshop Gallery and it’s a nice big space that holds a lot of people. I’m always going east or into central, so it was exciting when it opened.
Flow Gallery is really sweet. It does ceramics and has a glass artist that I really like called Celia Dowson.
I can walk through Hyde Park to the Serpentine, and the Design Museum is really solid. It had the Enzo Mari show recently, which I adored. I want to go again before it closes. I go to The Gate Picturehouse every few weeks.
Grocery shopping
Tawana is a great small Asian supermarket. I also like Bens and Green Valley. I’m in the Lea & Sandeman wine store once a week; its house white is really solid.
Kuro Bakery around the corner from me does great bread and pastries. C Lidgate is an old-school butcher which has pies that you can heat up and have with a salad.
I go to the Notting Hill Farmers’ Market on a Saturday and the Queen’s Park Farmers’ Market on a Sunday. There’s a great fish guy — often I’ll buy a crab and make crab linguine.
I’m also next to an M&S that I go to all the time, and there’s a big Waitrose in Bayswater.
Getting around
I can’t ride a bike and I don’t drive, so that means I walk, take a bus or ride the Tube. I’m near Notting Hill Gate station for the Central line. Going up to Paddington for the Elizabeth line is also easy.
Dream street
Holland Park Road, and specifically Leighton House. There’s a beautiful room that’s all mosaic with these water features – very calming.
Something you only see in Notting Hill
Peacocks in Holland Park.
What's the catch?
I’m not much of a pub person and I’d love a relaxed cocktail or wine bar, like P Franco or Hector’s. We’re still lacking something that isn’t a traditional pub but isn’t super fancy either.
In three words…
Sweet life loop. It’s how I describe the routines of my day-to-day loops around my area where I have everything I need within a 15-minute walk.
Schools
Colville, Fox and Thomas Jones are a trio of primary schools rated outstanding by Ofsted. Kensington Aldridge Academy, near Latimer Road, is the area’s outstanding secondary.
What it costs
Buying in Notting Hill
Average flat price: £1,372,340
Average house price: £4,540,340
Renting in Notting Hill
Average flat rent, pcm: £3,900
Average house rent, pcm: £9,540
