A person visiting London for the first time, the largest city in Europe, expects to see skyscrapers like Lloyd's of London or the Mary Axe Tower, 30, Norman Foster mixed with postcard attractions - Big Ben and the Tower. However, it suddenly turns out that a very significant part of London is small houses (often for two families) and classic townhouses of the XIX century. Even in the central part of London, there are almost no high-rise apartment buildings, mostly historical buildings from four to six floors.
The city has a relatively low density of buildings and population: about the same number of people live here as in Moscow, despite the fact that the area of London is twice as large.
There are names, there are no borders
In Russia, the most prestigious London districts are known – Chelsea and Belgravia, leading the headlines about purchases by Russian oligarchs. Those who are a little more familiar with the real estate map of Russian London will also remember Knightsbridge and Mayfair and, possibly, Marylebone. Interestingly, the borders of many districts are very conditional and sometimes overlap – these are not administrative units, but rather informal names of various parts of the city. The exception is the business center City, which has not only clear boundaries, but also its own government, which is not formally subordinate to the mayor's office. There are a quarter of a million white-collar workers per Square mile, as the area is also called, but the City is empty at night.
It seems that rich Russians have long ago become the leading force in the London luxury real estate market. But in fact, the so-called Russian expansion began only five years ago. After the high-profile deals of Roman Abramovich and Oleg Deripaska for the purchase of luxury housing, real estate in a prestigious area of London has become a must-have attribute of rich Russians. Nevertheless, today the geography of shopping in London is not limited to a few blocks.
Chelsea and South Kensington
Chelsea is one of the most fashionable and famous central parts of London outside the UK. Unlike most megacities, living in the center of London is very comfortable, although not cheap. It is believed that it is foreign buyers who have inflated prices here in recent years.
The area attracts with its special atmosphere, abundance of shops and restaurants. Here, in particular, is the famous Sloane Street boutique street, from which the Kings Road departs, which was originally built as a private royal road. However, there are no such sights in this area that flash on postcards with views of the British capital. The main thing in Chelsea is the very atmosphere of chic and comfort at the same time.
Chelsea is bordered by South Kensington, where not only wealthy but also aristocratic families live. Kensington is located between the fashionable areas of Notting Hill, Knightsbridge, Chelsea and Hammersmith, there are diplomatic missions and museums, excellent schools, and the area itself is surrounded by greenery. Wealthy buyers can purchase beautiful old mansions here in the traditional London style (made of red brick or with white facades with characteristic stucco). There are also several expensive modern residential complexes in Kensington, apartments in which are in high demand among foreigners.
Belgravia and Knightsbridge
From the north, Chelsea borders the Belgravia district, which is considered the most expensive and prestigious. London is generally a very well-groomed city, but everything just shines here. The main thing for which it is worth choosing Belgravia for life is a sense of peace and prosperity, the architecture of the XIX century, large terraces, white stucco, wrought–iron fences... and the silence and clean air are almost incredible for the city center. Belgravia is located next to Hyde Park, but there is a lot of greenery and little traffic on the streets: there are no traffic jams even during rush hour.
Vigilant police vigilantly protect the privacy of wealthy residents. The author of the article had to be convinced of this by his own experience, whom the police asked for forty minutes (!) with impenetrable politeness why he would take video of local houses. Although, as it turned out, this is not prohibited, I had to give detailed explanations why this or that story was filmed away from the traditional city attractions. It turned out that the reason was the proximity of Belgrave Square, in the vicinity of which the residences of the ambassadors are located.
To the south of Hyde Park is Knightsbridge, with a number of properties for sale at exorbitant prices. In addition, the area is famous for its exquisite architecture and Harrod's department store. The small shop appeared in 1834, now it is one of the largest shopping centers in Britain with 90,000 square meters. m of commercial space.
Mayfair and Marylebone
Continuing to move through the center of London from the Thames to the north, the guest of the British capital will get to Mayfair, which is sometimes called the heart of London. This respectable area is adjacent to the central streets of Regent Street and Oxford Street, Hyde Park and Green Park (and living near the park is considered very prestigious).
The aura of aristocracy hovered over Mayfair back in the XVIII century. Today, there are many luxurious residences and expensive offices in numerous houses of the Georgian and Victorian eras, including the main office of the Sotheby's auction on New Bond Street. It is this street and the surrounding neighborhoods that are the main magnet for those who like to go shopping for world brands. Here, in Mayfair, there is also a street of art salons and galleries – Cork Street.
Real estate prices in this area are much lower than in Belgravia, and there are many attractive houses, especially those belonging to the Victorian era.
If you cross the bustling shopping Oxford Street, you can find yourself in a quiet area of Marylebone, one of the most sought after by foreign buyers. There is a beautiful Regent's Park nearby, and the High Street in Marylebone has been repeatedly recognized as the best street in England! The main advantage of the area is considered not the pomposity of architecture, but its almost suburban charm and the atmosphere of peaceful comfort.
Docklands – reconstruction in London
Perhaps this would be the end of the review of the most prestigious areas of London – but this is only the tip of the iceberg. There are quite a few attractive places in the city for those whose budget does not allow them to settle in the places of Oscar Wilde and Princess Diana. For example, in recent years, interest has begun to arouse in the East End - the part of the city east of the famous Tower Bridge. Previously, workers lived here and there was a port, at one time the largest in the world. But times were changing, and huge container ships could no longer fit in the Thames. This dealt a fatal blow to the Docklands area. At the end of the last century, the authorities began a large-scale reconstruction of this territory, and their goal was to turn the area from industrial to residential and commercial. So, now a large business and shopping center Canary Wharf is being built here, already competing with the City. Architecturally, it resembles Manhattan, which is not surprising, since the concept was developed by Americans. Not far from here is a small London airport, which is becoming increasingly popular with businessmen and politicians.
Lofts in the former docks, on the embankment opposite the Tower (not far from the new city Hall building, created by the same Norman Foster), are of interest to foreign buyers here.
A buyer with a more modest budget can purchase apartments in Docklands in one of the former "social houses", which were actively privatized under Margaret Thatcher and are now on the market. And, of course, the buyer should not discount the peripheral areas of London (with the exception of the poorly developed east), where you can buy a cozy private house or townhouse.
In the future, it will be possible to buy housing in the Olympic Village, which is being built for the 2012 Olympics in Docklands, next to Canary Wharf and the huge shopping, sports and exhibition complex The O2, which was originally called The Millennium Dome, and now has received a second life thanks to a foreign investor – this time, alas, not from Russia.
