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I live in Notting Hill, a London neighborhood popular with tourists and movie fans, and the reality isn't as romantic as you'd expect

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I'm lucky enough to live on Portobello Road, one of the most famous streets in the world</li><li>Living here is dreamy, but there are always <keyword id="6356297" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tourists">tourists</keyword> posing for photos outside my front door.</li><li>The best time to be here is the Notting Hill Carnival since I can watch the parade from my windows.</li></ul><p>Portobello Road is one of the most magical streets <a href="https://www.insider.com/staying-at-the-standard-hotel-london-tour">in London,</a> and somehow I ended up living on it. </p><p>With its pastel houses, renowned front doors featured in movies, and a <a href="https://www.insider.com/most-popular-flower-spot-to-see-in-london-tour-covent-garden-market">market that draws people from all over</a>, this road is a famous piece of the tourist-favorite Notting Hill area.</p><p>I moved there a few years ago, and now I wouldn't live anywhere else on the planet, even though it has its downsides. </p><h2><strong>I ended up living in West <keyword id="6354968" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="london">London</keyword> after moving in with a friend a few years ago</strong></h2><div type="image" title="porotbello road" height="3024" width="4032" msid="81486227" hostid="261"></div><p>Although I was initially doubtful about residing in such a well-known area, I was completely smitten after just a few days. </p><p>The community feel and atmosphere of Notting Hill, combined with the charm of the neighborhood and the great shops, restaurants, and hangout spots right on my doorstep won me over. </p><div type="image" title="porotbello road" height="3024" width="4032" msid="81486229" hostid="261"></div><p>It truly feels like a village in the middle of the city.</p><p>Residents who were born here and grew up here are rightfully proud of where they're from, and there is a strong sense of place and history which is less obvious in <a href="https://www.insider.com/trip-from-london-to-paris-by-train-review-photos">other well-known parts of London. </a></p><h2><strong>There's also something fun about telling people where I live and seeing them recognizing the name</strong></h2><p><strong><div type="image" title="porotbello road" height="3024" width="4032" msid="81486232" hostid="261"></div></strong></p><p>It's also an <a href="https://www.insider.com/london-best-places-instagram-photos-2020-2">undeniably cool place to live.</a></p><p>To me, Notting Hill is the name of the place I stand up for when it's announced on the tube, but to others, it's something they've heard in movies and TV shows. </p><p>Of course, many know it from the classic '90s rom-com "Notting Hill," led by Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant. The colorful district is also featured on tons of postcards and all over Instagram. </p><h2><strong>But having such a famous address has its downsides</strong></h2><div type="image" title="porotbello road" height="3024" width="4032" msid="81486233" hostid="261"></div><p>Sometimes people judge me for living somewhere so popular.</p><p>A lot of people comment that this must be a pricey place to live in, but I haven't found it to be more expensive <a href="https://www.insider.com/unique-things-to-do-in-london-not-tourist">than the rest of London</a> (this isn't saying much, as anyone paying London rent prices knows). </p><p>Plus Notting Hill, in general, and Portobello Road, in particular, are some of the <a href="https://www.insider.com/famous-movie-and-tv-locations-ruined-by-tourism-2020-2">most touristy areas</a> of London.</p><p>On market days and during high season, the streets are thronged with people desperate to experience Portobello for themselves. </p><p>Portobello can <a href="https://www.insider.com/mistakes-american-tourists-make-2018-3">become as crowded as the standing area of a concert</a>, with visitors packed shoulder to shoulder snapping photos of everything from the falafel stalls to the dog park. </p><p>I used to be lucky enough to live inside one of the neighborhood's famous pastel houses and was often woken up early on the weekends <a href="https://www.insider.com/mistakes-tourists-make-in-london-2018-4">by tourists posing for photos outside of my front door. </a></p><p>It can get a bit tiring to have to constantly ask the wide-eyed tourists eating containers of street food while sitting in the entrance to my house to vacate their picnic spot so I can open my front door.</p><p>I can't tell you the number of times I've unwittingly walked into someone's selfie when I'm just trying to sign for a package.</p><p>It can also feel like an intrusion of privacy to know hundreds of people are photographing the place where you live every day. I've also gotten used to picking up the trash left behind by tourists.</p><p>Still, I <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-tourist-traps-locals-actually-love-2019-3">don't get too annoyed with tourists</a> - as someone who loves traveling, both being a <keyword id="6377475" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tourist">tourist</keyword> and dealing with tourists are just part of existing in the world and being lucky enough to visit new places. </p><p>And it feels like if people are lined up outside of your house to pose for a photo you've picked a pretty cool place to live. </p><div type="image" title="porotbello road" height="2274" width="3024" msid="81486234" hostid="261"></div><p>Sometimes I take advantage of the photo opportunities, too, during rare moments when the streets are pretty empty. </p><h2>I see why tourists like the area so much - it has a lot of great places to shop and grab food</h2><p><strong><div type="image" title="porotbello road" height="2274" width="3024" msid="81486235" hostid="261"></div></strong></p><p>One of the undeniable pros of living on Portobello Road is the number of interesting people, shops, and places that surround me. </p><p>There really is everything on my doorstep, from antique shops and <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-places-to-eat-in-london-according-to-chef-2019-7">incredible eateries</a> to cool bars and bookstores. </p><div type="image" title="porotbello road" height="3024" width="4032" msid="81486236" hostid="261"></div><p>Since living here, I've also become friends with antique dealers, stallholders, and locals who've never lived anywhere but here. </p><h2><strong>One of my favorite things about living on Portobello Road is the proximity to the famous market and carnival </strong></h2><p>On my doorstep is a market that's so famous it <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYBECKl0zFo&amp;ab_channel=jcy2k032k03">has a song written about it</a>.</p><p>It has world-class produce, antiques so expensive they could take your breath away, vintage clothes, every kind of street food you could ever dream of, gorgeous bunches of flowers, and plenty of stuff that could be worthless or a priceless gem.</p><div type="image" title="porotbello road" height="3024" width="4032" msid="81486239" hostid="261"></div><p>And at the end of every summer, the whole area explodes into a party as the Notting Hill Carnival arrives.</p><p>It's the biggest street party in Europe and living here during the August Bank holiday is like having a VIP ticket to the hottest club in town. </p><div type="image" title="porotbello road" height="735" width="736" msid="81486240" hostid="261"></div><p>A lot of my neighbors who don't like the busyness, noise, and inability to use the tube or drive a car within the Carnival boundaries try to plan their vacations for this weekend.</p><p>For me, it's one of the best times of the year.</p><p>The whole of London descends on my little patch of the world and I get to show my friends the best spots to hang out and hear music, and head to the places to see the parade that only true locals know. </p><p>Even better, when the crowded streets become too much I can retreat to my well-placed flat and enjoy the incredible views over the parade and the partying masses. Plus I'm guaranteed to have access to a working toilet without a line, a premium on Carnival weekend. </p><p>It's a privilege to get to live in the middle of a cultural experience so important to the Notting Hill community.</p><h2><strong>Even though it has its downsides, I feel so lucky to love where I live</strong></h2><p><strong><div type="image" title="porotbello road" height="2268" width="3023" msid="81486241" hostid="261"></div></strong></p><p>Every day I step outside my flat and feel grateful that I get to live here and experience an area of London that many people only see in photographs. </p><p>It's totally worth the price, even if I have to dodge tourists to get to my front door.</p>

Portobello Road is one of the most famous streets in the world, but living there isn't as magical as it looks

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6422869" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="kate-middleton">Kate Middleton</keyword> and <keyword id="2959098" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Meghan-Markle">Meghan Markle</keyword> are spearheading <keyword id="6" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="fashion">fashion</keyword>'s latest trend, and an expert says it could be a strategic move. </li><li>The duchesses have worn cheap earrings with designer dresses on several occasions, such as Markle's $6 pair worn with a <a href="https://www.insider.com/meghan-markle-misha-nonoo-wedding-earrings-valentino-dress-2019-9">$10,000 Valentino dress to Misha Nonoo's wedding.</a></li><li>This is a strategy used to appeal to "a wide socio-economical range of people," assistant accessories designer Cécile Duclos told Insider.</li><li>Duclos said that the royals' popularity in the fashion world is an "asset for their diplomatic and political endeavors."</li><li>However, by adding high street jewelry to the mix, this appeals to fans who can't afford luxury items, she added.</li><li>Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told Insider it makes the duchesses "more relatable" to their fans. </li></ul><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/category/meghan-markle">Meghan Markle</a> and <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/kate-middleton">Kate Middleton</a> keep wearing cheap earrings with designer dresses — and there could be a strategic reason behind it, according to experts.</p><p>The new royal fashion phenomenon first garnered attention back in June, when <a href="https://www.marieclaire.com/fashion/a28526995/kate-middleton-10-dollar-earrings-shop/">Middleton wore a $10 pair of petal drop earrings from Accessorize</a> (shown above) with a $222 Sandro Paris dress.</p><p>She stepped things up a notch in September, wearing a $6 pair from Accessorize with a <a href="https://www.insider.com/kate-middleton-back-to-nature-emilia-wickstead-floral-dress-019-9">$2,000 Emilia Wickstead dress</a> to the Back to Nature Garden in London.</p><p><div type="image" title="Kate Middleton earrings" height="3000" width="2317" msid="76281422" hostid="261"></div></p><p>More recently, the duchess wore an <a href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/fashion/royal-style/2020060591055/kate-middleton-accessorize-earrings-new-appearance/">$8 pair of hoops</a> — also from Accessorize — with a <a href="https://www.mih-jeans.com/mabel-shirt-white.html">$284 M.I.H Jeans Mabel Shirt</a> to video call with volunteers across the UK in celebration of Volunteers Week. </p><p>Markle is also a fan of this trend. Back in September, she opted for a $6 pair, reportedly borrowed from a friend who bought them from Portobello Road Market in London. </p><p>She wore them with a <a href="https://www.insider.com/meghan-markle-misha-nonoo-wedding-earrings-valentino-dress-2019-9">$10,000 Valentino dress to her friend Misha Nonoo's wedding.</a></p><p><div type="image" title="FILE PHOTO - The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan arrive to attend the wedding of fashion designer Misha Nonoo at Villa Aurelia in Rome, Italy, September 20, 2019. REUTERS/Remo Casilli" height="1875" width="2500" msid="76281426" hostid="261"></div></p><p>Also last year, she donned a <a href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/fashion/royal-style/2019100778725/meghan-markle-red-tassel-earrings-madewell-royal-tour/">$30 pair of Madewell red tassel earrings</a> while also honoring local Cape Town designer Hannah Lavery during a tour of Africa.</p><p>Markle wore <a href="https://www.meghansfashion.com/hannah-lavery-tencel-shirt-dress.html">Lavery's white Tencel shirt dress.</a></p><p><div type="image" title="Harry and Meghan Johannesburg" height="2667" width="3556" msid="76281432" hostid="261"></div></p><p>This is a strategy used to appeal to "a wide socio-economical range of people," fashion expert Cécile Duclos told Insider.</p><p>"The choice of mixing luxury pieces with items from affordable mainstream retailers is a strategic one," said Duclos, an assistant accessories designer at a major UK-based fashion house that chose to remain anonymous.</p><p>"The clothes that showcase established high-end brands or up-and-coming designers appeal to the fashion world. Carefully selected, they show knowledge and support of the fashion industry."</p><p>Duclos added that this knowledge "can influence popularity favorably, popularity which in turn becomes an asset for their diplomatic and political endeavors."</p><p><div type="image" title="kate middleton cheap earrings" height="3081" width="2076" msid="76281438" hostid="261"></div></p><p>"The affordable pieces, on the other hand, are used to appeal to a different audience. This is the general public, who can also enjoy fashion, but can't necessarily afford designer pieces.</p><p>"The use of popular brands cleverly demonstrates a down-to-earth personality, one of a royal who still shops in the same places than the rest of the population," she added.</p><p>"This mix of influences is therefore carefully crafted in order to appeal to a wide socio-economical range of people and influence opinion, which is, in the royal world just like in everyday life, one of the essential aims of fashion."</p><p>Meanwhile, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said that even though it's unclear whether this was an intentional move made by the royals, it certainly makes them "more relatable" to fans.</p><p>"We are told how much the outfits royals wear cost. Because they lift the profile of the designers involved, who knows what they bought them for," Fitzwilliams told Insider.</p><p>"This mix is more relatable, they know it will be analyzed," he said, before adding, "the end result is what really matters."</p><p><strong>Read more:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/sophie-countess-of-wessex-interview-megxit-children-royal-titles-2020-6">The Queen's daughter-in-law Sophie Wessex spoke about 'Megxit' and why her children don't have royal titles in a rare interview</a></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-make-meghan-markle-favorite-chicken-recipe-at-home-2020-6">How to make Meghan Markle's favorite chicken recipe at home</a></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/kate-middleton-denies-meghan-markle-feud-over-bridesmaids-tights-2020-5">Kate Middleton is shutting down rumors that she and Meghan Markle fought over bridesmaids' tights before the royal wedding</a></p>

Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton keep wearing cheap earrings with designer dresses, and a fashion expert says there's a strategic reason

You Searched For "portobello road market" and got 3 results

I live in Notting Hill, a London neighborhood popular with tourists and movie fans, and the reality isn't as romantic as you'd expect

Maria Noyen

Portobello Road is one of the most famous streets in the world, but living there isn't as magical as it looks

Alice Johnston

Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton keep wearing cheap earrings with designer dresses, and a fashion expert says there's a strategic reason

Mikhaila Friel

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