I've lived in Notting Hill for more than 10 years.
It's quite hard to believe that what is currently London's most fashionable area was described as "a massive slum, full of multi-occupied houses, crawling with rats and rubbish" only 40 years ago - definitely a no-go area. Such an area would not have warranted a second glance by London's hip and famous, let alone have inspired a film starring a bumbling Englishman and a starry American actress (if they did indeed make such films 40 years ago). The area had always been though of as the bad part of the borough of Kensington and Chelsea, yet in the past 30 or so years it has seen a massive transformation to the status it holds today.
Two centuries ago, the area was little more than wasteland. It was only in 1840 that the area came to become a residential one with the construction of the Ladbroke and Norland{my first school was Norland Place} estates. At that time, Notting Hill was either known as the Potteries (because of the nearby pottery works) or the Piggeries (after the three-to-one ratio of pigs to people). These large houses were carved up into multiple dwellings, and after World War II the area worsened to become slums.
Notting Hill became home to a large number of Afro-Caribbean immigrants, causing some racial tension in the past. Britain's first race riots occurred in August 1958. However, the next year the Notting Hill Carnival emerged as a reply to the riots in an unofficial manner; by 1965 it took to the streets and has grown ever since. Its presence in the last weekend of August sees around one million people joining the party, backing up the claim that it is the world's biggest street festival outside Rio. Although the carnival has seen some trouble in the past, it is a relatively safe event now.
Aside from the carnival weekend, Notting Hill is a rather quiet area for most of the year. The exception is on Saturdays when Portobello Market is jam-packed.
The recent trend that has seen people flocking to buy property in Notting Hill and house prices spiralling started in about 1994. The highest amount paid for a house so far is £4.5 million - but this will surely go even higher. For those interested, the trendiest area to go for is that with a W11 postcode, although W10 and W2 are also pretty good. For a sure sign that Notting Hill is no longer the place it once was - there's a Gap now.
From www.thehill.co.uk, edited by me
Now my opinions:
Well, I didn't know that W11 (my postcode) was supposed to be the trendiest in the area, but there are a few multimillion pound houses around the corner from us. I'm not sure why iaian describes it as over-rated, although overpriced is certainly a fact when it comes to houses. The shops on Notting Hill gate are good for basics, but Kensington High Street is near, as is Oxford Street.
I always seem to be away during the carnival, and when I have been at home it's just seemed big and noisy. For a resident of the area it's a big hassle, as you can't use your car for a whole weekend, and the streets are packed with people, sometimes drunk. I've never had any unfortunate experiences at night, so Notting Hill would seem to be quite a safe area. However, I wouldn't reccomend it to tourists, as there really isn't all that much for them apart from the market.