What it's like to live in Colindale

Barnet is mostly a borough of owners and private renters. Across the council area, 52.7% of homes are owner-occupied and 32.7% privately rented, with 13.5% social rented, split evenly between council and housing association. That is below the England average of 17.1%, so social homes here are relatively scarce and worth holding on to.

The London Borough of Barnet is the largest social landlord with 9,115 homes, followed by Notting Hill Genesis with 2,854, Peabody Trust with 1,718, Metropolitan Housing Trust with 1,001 and London & Quadrant with 791. Colindale has a broad mix, from older estate housing to newer flats built as part of the area's regeneration.

Average weekly social rents in Barnet for 2024/25 were about £120 for a one bed, £139 for two beds and £157 for three. The council's housing register held 3,485 households at the end of March 2025, and 925 social homes were let through the council in 2024-25. A register is not a simple queue, which is one reason a mutual exchange can be a faster route.

There is a good spread of schools within a mile and a half. Blessed Dominic Catholic Primary School and Colindale Primary School are both about 0.5 miles away, with Goldbeaters Primary School and Barnfield Primary School at 0.7 miles and The Annunciation Catholic Infant School the same distance.

For older children, St. James' Catholic High School and North London Grammar School are around 0.5 miles, Saracens High School 0.6 miles, The Village School 0.8 miles and Hasmonean High School for Girls 0.9 miles. That is an unusually wide choice for one small area, including faith and independent options, so it is worth looking at each one's admissions rules rather than assuming distance alone decides it.

For younger children outside school hours there is plenty of open space. Colindale Park is the nearest, with Montrose Playing Fields, Grahame Park Open Space, Rushgrove Park and Grove Park all within about half a mile or so. Grahame Park Community Centre and Unitas Youth Zone give teenagers and families somewhere to go indoors too.

Colindale station is the big one. It is roughly 0.1 miles from the centre of the area, so for most people it is a short walk, and it puts central London within straightforward reach. Burnt Oak is about 0.8 miles away if you want another option, and Hendon Central is around 1.3 miles.

For mainline journeys, Mill Hill Broadway and Hendon stations are both about 1.2 miles away. Neither is a walk everyone would fancy daily, but they are useful for trips further afield and are reachable by bus or car.

On foot, Colindale works well. The shops, library, park and station are clustered close together, so a lot of daily life can be done without getting into a car or waiting at a bus stop. If you do drive, you are near the main north-west London road network, though traffic and parking around the newer developments can be a headache at busy times. It is worth checking parking arrangements carefully before you commit to any particular block or street.

Colindale is not a nightlife destination, but there is enough going on locally. The Beaufort and the Chandos Arms are both around 0.3 miles away, with Hind and Hart, Rossi's Bar and The Moon Under Water a little further. They cover most moods, from a quick pint to somewhere to eat with the family.

If you exercise, you are spoilt. PureGym Colindale is practically next door at 0.1 miles, Park View healthclubs is 0.2 miles and The Gym 0.4 miles, with Fitness Pod and Old Master Gym also within walking or short travelling distance. Between those and the playing fields, keeping active here costs less effort than in a lot of London.

Colindale Library, 0.2 miles away, is the obvious free option for rainy days, with Hendon, Kingsbury and Mill Hill libraries all within about a mile and a half. Community life runs through places like The Old Library, Canon Smyth Parish Centre and Acorn Pantry, which are worth knowing about when you first arrive.

Across the Barnet council area, 60.2% of adults are in work, a bit above the England figure of 57.4%. Unemployment sits at 4.4% compared with 3.5% nationally, and in August 2026 around 5% of 16 to 64 year olds were claiming unemployment-related benefits, against 4% across England. So employment is reasonably strong, but it is not without pressure.

Colindale's biggest work advantage is its Tube connection. Many residents commute into central London or to jobs elsewhere across the capital rather than working on their doorstep, and the station being so close makes that realistic without a car.

Locally, the shops, supermarkets, schools, gyms and health services provide jobs too, and there is healthcare work in the area with BMI Hendon Hospital about 1.1 miles away and Edgware Community Hospital 1.2 miles. If your work involves early or late shifts, being minutes from the station rather than reliant on a bus is a genuine practical benefit worth weighing up.