Queen's Park - the north London neighbourhood home to celebs

But when it was newly founded in the 1880s the area was a modest Victorian suburb - named in honour of Queen Victoria, who visited in 1879 when it hosted the Royal Agricultural Society’s International Exhibition.

Queen's Park station was built to serve visitors to the show, and when the Queen arrived she was driven along a specially constructed road lined with cheering crowds.

The bandstand in Queen's Park was installed in 1891 (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

The 30 acre park at the heart of the area was laid out on the showground site by Major Alexander Mackenzie, with funds from the Corporation of London and a bequest from philanthropist William Ward.

The park opened in 1887, the year of Queen Victoria's golden jubilee, but its original name of Kilburn Recreation Ground didn't last long. It was soon changed to Queen's Park and a grand bandstand added in 1891.

The streets of Victorian terraces, pubs and schools being laid out happened to house the founding players from the merger of north London youth clubs St Jude's Institute and Christchurch Rangers.

The plaque on St Jude's Hall in Ilbert Street where QPR was founded. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

They called their new football club Queens Park Rangers, after their neighbourhood, and for the first three decades it was nomadic, playing at 20 different grounds before settling at Loftus Road in 1917.

The master builder for the area was Russian-born Solomon Barnett, who ensured there was a synagogue in Chevening Road which opened in 1905 but closed in 1974 and is now a Shi'a mosque.

Queen's Park was under threat of bombs during both world wars with a barrage balloon installed in the centre of the park in the 1940s along with air raid shelters and army huts.

Queen's Park cafe is slated to be taken over by Aussie cafe chain Daisy Green. (Image: Hoxton Beach)

Since the noughties this conservation area of Edwardian and Victorian streets has become ever more gentrified.

The main drag of Salusbury Road boasts an art gallery, Planet Organic, the recently refurbished Salusbury pub, a Gail's and upscale Italian restaurant Casa Felicia.

Queen's Park Community School, Ark Franklin Primary, Malorees Primary and Salusbury Primary School are all rated 'good'.

The latter hosts an award-winning farmers market every Sunday where you can buy everything from veggies, to meat, fish and bakery goods.

The Salusbury pub in Queen's Park has recently changed hands and been refurbished. (Image: Wikimedia commons)

While around the corner is semi-pedestrianised Lonsdale Road complete with The Wolf Pack micro-brewery, restaurants such as Carmel, brunch hot spot Milk Beach, and award-winning bakery and restaurant Don't Tell Dad.

Past and present film stars who love the area include Bond star Daniel Craig, Mark Strong, Thandiwe Newton, and Jason Isaacs - aka Lucius Malfoy.

DJ Annie Mac, football legend Ian Wright and novelist Zadie Smith who grew up in nearby Willesden, now call Queen's Park home.

Don't Tell Dad in Queen's Park is a new entry in The Good Food Guide's top 50 UK bakeries. (Image: Freya Llewellyn-Smith)

The park is still run by the City of London Corporation and is a place for the community to come together. It has an adventure playground, a cafe that's slated to be part of Aussie cafe chain Daisy Green, a pitch and putt, and soon a splash park.

The annual community-run book festival regularly draws top names and Queen's Park Day sees the whole neighbourhood turn out on a September day to browse the stalls, and enjoy entertainment and a dog show.