London has a number of destination streets. Some are long-established while others are relative new-comers. What they all have in common, though, is an allure felt by locals and outsiders equally. They're the places to shop, eat, drink, see an exhibition, or just hang out. They’re also the roads where people buying or renting look to be within walking distance of. Here is a selection of London's favourite go-to streets:

King’s Road, Chelsea

A classic destination street and loved by all ages: this is the place to be for teens and their mothers alike. Running through Chelsea down to Fulham, the King's Road might lack the designer names of nearby Sloane Street but the majority of its retailers are still high-end brands, with the iconic Peter Jones presiding over its Sloane Square end. By day, this is a shopping destination, punctuated with coffee and a macaron in Paul’s. By night, a host of restaurants and bars attract the crowds, from Bluebird to 151 for the more energetic partygoers. The residential properties on the road itself are mainly flats above commercial premises, but some of the streets that connect to it are among the most highly sought after in the area.

Northcote Road, Battersea

In the heart of ‘nappy valley’, Northcote Road plays host to a variety of restaurants and bars, as well as a selection of independent and high-street boutiques. At weekends a number of stalls transform the road into a bustling and vibrant market. Start the day with fresh croissants from Breadstall or grab a table at Brew for brunch (the blueberry pancakes come recommended). Plenty of other options could feed a hungry family for the entire weekend. Properties on Northcote Road itself are predominantly flats, while the streets off it comprise what's known as ‘Between the Commons’, with pretty Victorian houses and flat conversions.

Columbia Road, Shoreditch

Columbia Road is famous for transforming into the colourful oasis that is the flower market each Sunday, welcoming up to 4,000 visitors a morning during the height of the gardening season. For the rest of the week the road is an eclectic mix of independent shops, art galleries and delis with not a chain store in sight, proving that a street really can flourish without them. Columbia Road borders the Jesus Green conservation area (a popular filming location), one of the most highly sought after residential areas in Hackney, with predominantly two-storey Victorian terraces.

Bermondsey Street, London Bridge

Bermondsey Street is home to the White Cube Gallery, a weekly farmers’ market and the London Fashion and Textile Museum, as well as enough bars and restaurants to satisfy even the pickiest of visitors. Once a valuable part of London’s river trade, Bermondsey Street lay derelict for decades until the wharves were renovated in the 1980s. Now, the road is a hive of activity, particularly at its southern end where Bermondsey Square’s Shortwave Cinema, the Antiques Market and the Vitrine Gallery attract the crowds. This is where old industrial London meets shiny new warehouse-conversion London, with properties alluding to the road’s industrial history of leather, wool, glue and hat production.

Highgate Road, Kentish Town

Highgate Road runs north to south from the family oriented Hampstead Heath down into the hipster enclave of Kentish Town. Soho House opened a Pizza East and a Chicken Shop here in 2012; since then two more outlets have followed, with the most recent, House Kitchen, opening late last year. This area is one to watch, with its more affordable properties attracting some of the younger generation from neighbouring Hampstead and Highgate. Just off Highgate Road, Little Green Street is one of the few remaining intact Georgian streets in London and houses here are much sought after.

Pitshanger Lane, Ealing

Crowned Best London High Street in 2015, Pitshanger Lane is a thriving community seven days a week. Home to more than 50 independent shops and restaurants, the road also has a successful children’s dance studio and a learning centre. The surrounding area is largely populated by families living in the Edwardian and Victorian houses, who hotly anticipate the Pitshanger Party in the Park each year, with an open-air stage showcasing dance and music, an impressively competitive dog show and Gastrodome, a fabulous food and beer tent.

Brick Lane, Tower Hamlets

Infamous for being the location of Jack the Ripper’s murders, the Brick Lane of today has become a vibrant art and fashion area, with a multitude of galleries and exhibition spaces. 93 Feet East at 150 Brick Lane is an East End institution, well known for its live music and intimate atmosphere, built on the site of The Old Truman Brewery, which once was the industrial centre of the area. Adding to the mix are the iconic Sunday market, warehouse art exhibitions and the many authentic Bengali restaurants which have made the road the curry capital of the UK. With a mixture of new build flats, historic warehouse conversions and loft apartments, the property choices in the area are as eclectic as the road itself.

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