Overview of the area

Notting Hill is an area in West London, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The area was most well-known for Portobello Market (on Portobello Road, unsurprisingly), which runs every day except Sundays, and the Notting Hill carnival, held every year on the last weekend in August.

Of course, we couldn't talk about Notting Hill without mentioning the film. Released in 1999 and starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts, the film did much to promote and raise interest in the area. The late 1990s, after all, was still a time when much of Notting Hill was undergoing changes and gentrification. Some say that this has now gone too far - much of the area is incredibly expensive in terms of house prices and rents, as well as rents for shopkeepers - and some of the unique soul the area previously held has been lost.

Nevertheless, Notting Hill is still a great place to visit, from its cafes and restaurants, its market and boutique shops, to its many pubs and bars. It holds much in the way of entertainment, whatever your interest - be it shopping, dining, film, drinking, clubbing or more!

Even better, the area has always had a relatively large number of accommodation options, whatever your budget! You can stay right in the heart of the area if you choose to...of course, even if you stay elsewhere in London, Notting Hill is very easily reached by Underground or bus from elsewhere in London.

Links
Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea website
"Notting Hill" film from IMDB
"Notting Hill" film official website