Comment: 'Hampstead versus Dulwich is London's new North-South neighbourhood competition'

Londoners can be pretty territorial when it comes to neighbourhood rivalries.

On the east versus west axis there’s a simmering tension between trendy Walthamstow, where the smug marrieds scrap for an E17 postcode, and leafy Richmond, which consistently tops the polls for the happiest place to live in the whole country.

But nothing has the Drake versus Kendrick-level beef of the North-South divide. An inversion of England’s macro wealth disparity, north of the river has traditionally held the keys.

An upstart area on the other side of the Thames, however, could be about to upend this all.

Dulwich has seen a 153 per cent rise in buyer enquiries this year, reports Foxtons, drawing younger buyers with its cultural capital and green spaces.

Younger is of course relative here — the average London first-time buyer is now well into their 30s, coupled up and the beneficiary of a boost of family money. So, family-friendly areas replete with cafes and good schools are hot property.

Estate agents have taken to calling Dulwich ‘Hampstead of the South’, but the OG still has pulling power. With prime property prices drooping, Hampstead seems to be back on the menu for some.

As the former property editor of the Hampstead & Highgate Express, I’m potentially a little biased towards my old patch.

But there’s no denying that many young families I know seem inexorably drawn to Dulwich. I have made my peace with wrestling the bus and overground timetables to visit them.

Besides, as a renter I ultimately have no postcode loyalty — I’ll go wherever the rent is cheaper.