The names of prestigious, central London districts are well known to everyone – Covent Garden, Soho, Bloomsbury and Mayfair. Those who want to immerse themselves in the authentic atmosphere of one of the world's oldest megacities choose accommodation here.
Covent Garden is bounded by Charing Cross Road, Strand, Oxford Street and Kingsway. This area of theaters, restaurants and trendy shops is located around the square of the same name. Nearby is the famous English Royal Opera, which is also called Covent Garden. Recently, it has become fashionable in this area to rebuild former office and warehouse premises, as well as old factories, into spacious, simple apartments – the so-called lofts.
To the north of Covent Garden metro station is the Seven Dials shopping district with many boutiques, where the upper floors have been converted into apartments. It is believed that it is here that you can find the real English atmosphere of antiquity, but due to the narrowness of the streets and the close location of the houses, the apartments here are usually dark.
To the west of Covent Garden is the fashionable and bohemian Soho, famous for its nightclubs, where life boils 24 hours a day. In the quieter Bloomsbury, located to the north, there is another London landmark – the British Museum.
Respectable Southwest
Having paid tribute to the central districts, let's move on to others, more calm, peaceful and respectable, which are traditionally considered residential. These are primarily Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Chelsea, located southwest of the center. Real estate in them is actively bought up by foreigners, including Russians.
The Belgravia district is located near the historical center of the city. Its heart is considered to be Eaton Square, where the most expensive real estate in London is located. By the way, it was here that Roman Abramovich acquired his London residence. Prices are slightly decreasing to the north-east of the district, in the direction of Buckingham Palace, as offices are mainly located here, and cafes, restaurants and shops are very few. Many people prefer to settle closer to Sloane Street and Elizabeth Street in the south of Belgravia - these are neighborhoods with the atmosphere of a cozy cottage village.
Belgravia is very convenient for metro trips – there are four stations in walking distance at once, giving the opportunity to get to four different directions of the subway.
The small Knightsbridge area is sandwiched between Belgravia and Chelsea. It is bordered by Hyde Park to the north, Lowndes Street to the east, Pont Street to the south, and Egerton Streets to the west. The center of attraction in Knightsbridge is the legendary Harrods department store, which is attacked by crowds of tourists. Sloane Street is no less lively, with its countless shops. It is much quieter to live in the vicinity of Montpellier Square - these are quiet and charming places for walking, very close to Hyde Park. The western part of Knightsbridge – Egerton Street – is one of the most expensive sections of London. Those whose names can often be found on the pages of the Financial Times live here. Wealthy immigrants from Asia and the Middle East prefer to settle in the Sloane Street area.
Areas with good pedigree
The Chelsea area is located to the west of Knightsbridge. It has not gone out of fashion for a hundred and fifty years, ever since in the second half of the XIX century. He was favored by the bohemian public – artists, poets, musicians who inhabited Tite Street. Chelsea retained the glory of the bohemian district in the twentieth century, becoming the center of musical London in the 60s. Today Chelsea is an area of respectable and affluent public, few artists can afford to buy a house in this expensive area.
The main street of the area is Kings Road, a shopping paradise, a cluster of countless boutiques of all kinds, from Prada and Gucci to strange and bizarre shops selling cowboy boots. The only inconvenience of the area is the constant congestion of Kings Road and Fulham Road, which are the main transport arteries leading to the western suburbs. Two metro stations save the situation.
To the west, Chelsea borders South Kensington, an aristocratic neighborhood known through Prince Albert's efforts as the museum and college district. The most famous sights of the area are the Victoria and Albert Museum of Applied Arts and the Albert Hall Concert Hall. The main part of the offers are apartments, but here, on Thurloe Square and Pelham Crescent, there are also the most luxurious private houses in London. Residential areas are located mainly south of Cromwell Road, the best of them are located in the area of Onslow Garden Street. The prices are lower in the Stanhope Gardens area, where it is quite noisy and dusty.
Romance in action
Immortalized in Roger Mitchell's romantic comedy of the same name, Notting Hill was once a slum where poor immigrants settled, and now it is one of the most fashionable and bohemian areas of London, known for its liberality and eclecticism in all possible manifestations. Second hand shops and Mc'Donalds eateries are adjacent to Kensington Gardens; movie stars dress up at the flea market in Portobello. Despite the fact that over the past 15 years, American bankers have chosen this area, which is why real estate prices have skyrocketed, there are still a lot of "creative rabble" here. Every last weekend in August, there is a carnival with absolutely legal smoking of marijuana, which for residents of the area can cause a short inconvenience.
The houses in Notting Hill are grouped around a small garden, one side of the house faces the street, the other faces the garden. Thus, a kind of enclosed private space is formed, inaccessible to a casual passerby.
Bayswater's Prospects
To the east of Notting Hill is the Bayswater area, which could be more prestigious than it actually is. This is hindered by the huge number of cheap hotels, which means a lot of cheap restaurants and shops. The proximity to Paddington Railway Station also causes problems.
Nevertheless, Bayswater is quite a pleasant area, with green, quiet squares, where prices are gradually being pulled up to the level of Chelsea. It borders Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park to the south, and the area is in no way inferior to Kensington in terms of architecture. This is one of the most cosmopolitan areas in London, where you can find a restaurant of almost any national cuisine. In the future, the district expects a large-scale modernization, there are plans for the construction of residential and business centers.
Not a single center
The middle class of England prefers to settle in the suburbs of London, where the rhythms of the bustling city do not interfere with sleeping at night. Suburbs are a rather arbitrary name, since many of them can be reached by metro.
One of the most attractive suburbs of the north is Hampstead, until recently the habitat of scientists, artists and writers. For some time now, bankers, lawyers, and industrialists have joined them, as a result of which real estate prices have increased significantly. The district is based on Georgian and Victorian style houses, which are considered especially beautiful here.
Belsize Park is located next to Hampstead. Ten years ago, this area was 20-25% cheaper, but after celebrities settled here, including the Gallagher brothers from the Oasis group and television comedian David Badiel, Belsize Park became as prestigious an area as Hampstead.
The architecture of Belsize Park is mainly white Victorian houses, some of them have been converted into apartments. There is a good selection of restaurants, gastronomic and wine shops in the area. One of the main advantages of Belsize Park is its convenient connection to the center of London, which can be reached by car during rush hours by 20 minutes. faster than from Hampstead.
To the east of Hampstead is the Islington area, which has a very convenient connection with the City, so those who have to travel to the business center of the city prefer to settle here. It was here that Prime Minister Tony Blair used to live - until he moved to Downing Street.
Islington is a prosperous area with Georgian houses with their own gardens and a lively infrastructure. There are plenty of cafes, restaurants, cinemas, boutiques, as well as famous theaters such as Almedia and Little Angel Marionette Theatre, and the Camden Passage Antiques Market.
Western districts
Holland Park is a western suburb of London, one of the most expensive, where houses are more expensive than $19 million - by no means uncommon. It's hard to believe that just 40 years ago this area was a territory of beggarly flophouses. The highlight of the area is a unique natural woodland, which has no analogues in London.
Holland Park is characterized by detached houses of post-war construction on Ilchester Place, there are fewer of them on Abbotsbury Road and Woodsford Square, where prices are lower. Some of the most spacious houses, with an area of more than 1000 square meters, with their own garden, are located on Edison Road. Holland Park has convenient transport links tothe center of London – the direct route from Holland Park Avenue goes to Bayswater Street, and then to Oxford Street. This is another reason why the area is chosen mainly by people working in the City.
Richmond is a small picturesque Georgian–style town in south-west London, between the Thames and Richmond Park. Its center is surrounded by elegant Georgian houses, and the main center of shops is located here. The property is for sale at a price of $3-10 million. If we walk up Richmond Hill to the park, we see mostly Victorian houses with beautiful views of the river. You can buy both a detached house and apartments here.
A significant disadvantage of Richmond is its proximity to Heathrow Airport and traffic jams on the main roads to London. But you can always get to the center by commuter train – 25 minutes from here. to Waterloo Station.
