I just read a very nice article about Hampstead in Spiegel-Online: Posh place, spectacular views/scenery, nice pubs .....
Do I have to 'earmark' this place for my next London trip?

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In der Amtssprache nüchtern "NW3" genannt, gilt Hampstead als eine der besten Adressen Londons. Nur 15 Minuten von der City entfernt, verbindet das "Village" dörfliche Atmosphäre mit dem Luxusleben der Metropole, kombiniert Kontraste lebendiger Kultur mit unverfälschter Natur.

Rings um den höchsten Berg der Hauptstadt - dem 150 Meter hohen Whitestone Pond - reihen sich die Residenzen gut betuchter Bürger, von Liberalen, Intellektuellen und zahlreichen Politikern. Bürgermeisterin des Viertels ist Glenda Jackson, vielen besser bekannt als Schauspielerin.
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On-line 'translation' with Babelfish:

High feelings in Hampstead In the office language soberly "NW3" mentioned, is
considered to Hampstead as one of the best addresses of London. Far away from the
town center, the " Village " village atmosphere connects, combines only 15 minutes
with the luxury life of the metropolis contrasts of alive culture with genuine nature.
Ring around the highest mountain of the capital - that 150 meters high Whitestone
Pond - the residences well betuchter citizen, from liberals, line up intellectual ones
and numerous politicians. Citizen buergermeisterin of the quarter is Glenda Jackson,
many better well-known than actress. Preferential daily paper is the " Guardian ".
Something zerlesen, but carefully folded up, he hangs on the clothes hook of Louis
P'tisserie. Who holds something itself, has breakfast here - in the small interior or at
the few desks. The window front of the Traditionscafés, 1963 of emigrants from
Hungary based, is only one seduction: centimeter-high cake dreams with almonds
and marzipan, fruit bread, fruit cake, Petit Fours and Pralinés, perfectly presents
between mountains of brezeln and Bagels, Croissants and Cornish Pasties, to salty
filled paste bags. Calories, which a classical author destroys leave: the walk over
Hampstead Heath. Uphill and downhill washed sand ways wind themselves over the
325 hectares large heath -, forest and meadow surface. Knorrige old oaks seams the
way, then form an avenue for beeches. Lonely ways change themselves off with
animated slopes and hills. At prime rose the Hill knits an older lady in a bank. Now and
then it looks from its needles highly and lets the view curve. London is appropriate for
it to feet - of the office towers of the Canary Wharf in the east, past at the dome of
Saint Paul's Cathedral, the pointed tower of Saint Martin in the Fields, further towards
west min westminster, to the Big Ben and the Themse bridge with Putney, which
disappears in the vapor. The King William Pub to the Hampstead High Street
Towards the north radiating a white building of splendors dominates the park
landscape since 1765: Kenwood House. In its concert shell at the lake the summer
concerts are ordered: Jazz, classical period and operas in the open air. Surrounded
by rem Brandt and Vermeer, Gainsborough and Guardi, looks lady Hamilton in the
Iveagh Bequest of Kenwood House on the visitors: the loving by admiral Nelson. John
Keats, which moved with its poet colleagues Coleridge and Wordsworth over the
Heath, found his loving in the adjoining house. The romantic poet fell in love 1818 with
the Mieterin from next door, Fanny Brawne. In the common garden its famous dear
poem, the Ode " to of A Nightingale " developed. A plum tree replaces today the tree,
under which Keats created once the verses. Still original received is all furniture of
Keats - live -, sheep rooms and kitchen forms today a small, fine museum. The
former house of Sigmund Freud, which had fled 1938 before the national socialists
from Vienna to London, is likewise worth seeing. In the mansion of Maresfield
Gardens spent the Psychoanalytiker his last lebensjahr. Freud its late work " Moses
and Monotheismus " completed here, received visitors such as Herbert George Wells
and Salvador DalÃ. and sat for hours in the loggia in the garden. The famous analysis
couch, artful draped with Turkish carpets, is located in the ground floor. A Cembalo,
on which George Friedrich Haendel played, forms a highlight of the Benton Fletcher
Collection. The collection in former times key instruments is issued in the Fenton
House - and in the summer to hear. Every two weeks are presented Klavichord and
Clavicimbel, mirror-image-nicely or to board piano with baroque concerts. When that
acquired national trust also the messuage 2 Willow Road, many regarded it as a
courageous act: The architecture, which the native ungar Ern Goldfinger in its house
transferred exemplarily, was hated for example 007-Autor Ian Fleming in such a way,
it one its bond criminal after it designated. Today the building of pioneers of the
modern trend is considered as the best example of gold finger philosophy " structural rationalism ". A-hour guidance one betrayed, one used as in the entire building
workstation extremely economically - from the beds to the bath. At all do not decay,
but the quiet roads and steep lanes, which pull Hampstead through between the two
geschaeftigen life veins Heath Street and Hill Street, offer best Bilderbuch Britannien.
Church Row, a high house line with rich front decoration and wrought-iron lattices, is
considered as the best example of a georgianischen road. Also The Mount hardly
changed, since Ford Madox Brown painted her before approximately hundred years.
Louder fine, small Shops with Tand and Troedel, Lifestyle and way of life seams the
Flask mill, which at the popular Pub of the same name to wave mill opens. Only a
branching well reminds here of the fact that Hampstead in 18. Century a short
wedding as therapeutic bath experienced. Pope and Gay refreshed themselves to the
welfare landing on water - during in the swampy Vale OF Health, which valley of the
health, malaria humans dahinraffte. Thackeray and thickening however swore on
sueffigen barley juice. Like Shelley, Byron, Keats and other artists they caroused in
Spaniard's Inn, whose bar is received from 1585 in sections still. More originally than
Jack's Straw Castle, whose " historical " mechanism originates from the sixties, is the
Pub Holly Bush. The pale light of a gaslaterne lights up the input. Five rooms, darkly
and low, group themselves around ancient bar from wood. Likewise the time
entrueckt seems so some contemporary, who enjoys best beer in the banknote of the
lamps on simple wood desks and deep beams: Benskins, Burton's and Tetley's. As in
all British Pubs religion and politics at the tresen are taboo. And the love? It made the
Magdala Pub famous. Outside before the door Ruth Ellis shot its earlier life partner.
The capital invested holes of 1955 are still today received.
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