Area Guide news and reviews
A grand and tranquil village in the heart of London, St John’s Wood is one of the city’s most upmarket residential locations. With elegant villa style family housing that sweeps along the side of Regent’s Park, and an attractive high street filled with boutiques, it’s a neighbourhood professionals flock to; there is also the added bonus that it is one of the capital’s property hotspots, where house prices regularly hit new highs.
Very smart, desirable and attractively clustered, Primrose Hill is known for one of the best views in London. Its celebrity residents have also given the area an artistic and bohemian edge. With Regent’s Canal to the south, Euston to the east and northern sides, and by Primrose Hill itself on the west, the area has become increasingly sought-after and affluent since the 1960s which is reflected in the upmarket restaurants, pubs, bars and boutiques that have popped up alongside its residential streets. Its exclusivity is reflected with minimal development and its residents valuing comfortable living spaces, privacy, peace and quiet, and quality food and drink within a few minutes’ walk of their front door.
Home to the London Zoo and many social events throughout the calendar, Regent’s Park is one of London’s leading royal parks. Designed by John Nash, the park is a secluded haven in the centre of London. The park is part of the Crown Estate and is home to some of London’s most beautiful stylish white stucco terraced homes and famously the John Nash villas
Just minutes away from Oxford Street but miles away in ambience, Marylebone is a surprising pocket of calm located in the very heart of London, close to the trendy East End, glitzy Primrose Hill and cultural sights of the Southbank which are all a short bus or Tube ride away. With leafy streets and a mix of stately period homes and stylish boutiques, Marylebone is a truly urban village complete with colourful local characters and a weekly farmers’ market. Life centres on the busy high street, full of quaint cafes, independent stores and high end design retailer and don’t miss The Conran Shop – great for design enthusiasts. Marylebone attracts a mixed bunch of celebrities, City professionals and up and coming young couples as well as its long term residents who live as well as shop here giving a strong community vibe. Cafes and restaurants spill on to pavements and you’re unlikely to have a coffee without bumping into a friendly neighbour.
Most people think of Maida Vale and connect it to the famous Abbey Road studios which also borders along St John’s Wood. But, look further than the tourists posing for photos on the zebra crossing made famous by that Beatles cover, and you’ll see much more including the stunning array of properties in the area. The wide winding streets of Little Venice are full of stucco fronted homes set back from the pavements and boasting views over the canals and wonderfully secret communal gardens, while Maida Vale’s beautiful leafy avenues are lined with impressive and iconic period homes and mansion flats.
Hampstead, commonly called Hampstead Village, is extremely well known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath with its vast open, wild green spaces as well as offering some of the most expensive housing in the London area – it has more millionaires within its boundaries than any other area of the United Kingdom.
Found in between the sophistication of Hampstead and the youthful energy of Camden, Belsize Park is a haven for professional couples, young families and celebrities alike. Many of the buildings, whether Victorian, Queen Anne or Arts and Crafts in heritage, are acknowledged as the finest of their kind, and tree lined streets and wide pavements make walking here a pleasure. A good thing, because Belsize Park is minutes from some of London’s most stunning green spaces, offering a welcome escape from the bustle of the Capital. A short stroll south to the top of Primrose Hill is rewarded with a stunning panorama of the city, not to mention the delights of its village high street, and to the north the open space of Hampstead Heath awaits. But it’s central too, so whether you prefer to freewheel downhill on a bike all the way to Oxford Street or hop on the Tube, you can be in the heart of London in less than 20 minutes. There’s a real community feel here centred around picturesque England’s Lane, which is lined with cafes and independent boutiques.
Mayfair is an affluent area in the West End of London bordering Hyde Park, in the City of Westminster, between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane. It is one of the most expensive districts in London and the world. The area is synonymous with luxury brands and is home to some of the finest hotels and restaurants in the world. Mayfair offers a mixture of sought after commercial and residential real estate popular with both domestic and international residents.
