Pimlico- Excellent West London District just south of Westminster & Belgravia running along the Thames

Pimlico is known for its garden squares and distinctive Regency architecture (a subset of Georgian architecture most popular in the first half of the 19th centry). At its heart is a grid of residential streets laid down by the planner Thomas Cubitt (a highly influential West London builder) beginning in 1825 and now protected as the Pimlico Conservation Area. By the 19th century as a result of an increase in demand for property, Pimlico become ripe for development. In order to be able to build in Pimlico excavated land from the St. Katharine’s Docks had to fill in the naturally marshy land running along the Thames. The largest and most opulent houses in the White Stucco Terrace style were built along St George’s Drive and Belgrave Road. Pilmico became a fashionable district in the 19th century yet by the late 19th century pockets of slums popped up. This led to the construction of the urban renewal project of Dolphin Square in the 1930s. Fortunately Pimlico survived the war mostly intact, although parts were bombed (especially near the river) had to be rebuilt (i.e. Churchill Gardens, Lillington and Longmoore Gardens estates). Most of the larger Victorian houses were converted to hotels and other uses in the Post War era as well as Pimlico decline a bit. However the district’s decline was brief thanks to Pimlico’s connection to the London Underground in 1972 and the creation of a large conservation district in the neighborhood in 1968. Since this era, Pimlico has steadily improved, but fortunately due to its large number of post War Housing the area has a decent social mix.

From an urban perspective this is a solid, walkable district. While not the most convenient to West and Central London, Pimlico still posts attractive mixed-use districts just east of Victoria Station along Upper Tachbrook, Warwick Way, Churton, and Wilton Streets. Pimlico also has attractive, mostly 19th century terrace/rowhouse styles, better bike lane infrastructure and tree canopy than most Central/West London districts, pretty economically diverse population for West London and very high density at around 45K residents per square mile. This biggest area for improvement is creating more accessible park space, as most of them are private.

Click here to view my Pimlico Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

Several nice pedestrian/narrow road biz districts including Upper Tachbrook, Warwick Way, Churton, Wilton (which connects with the busy Victoria Station node). Also wider streets with a decent amount of mixed-use fabric including Vauxhall Bridge and Lupus.
Incredible 19th century terrace homes. Brick or white rowhouses.
Decent bike lane system (at least for London) including two east to west dedicated lanes.
Pretty good public transit access including 2 subway station connected to 3 subway lines.
Tree Canopy throughout Pimlico is decent thanks to all the greens, squares, and public housing sites spreadsheet throughout Pimlico.
Good cultural amenities but concentrated close to Victoria Station along Churton, Wilton, & Warwick. This includes plenty of restaurants, bars & cafes. Across the district there are a handful of smaller art galleries, and a handful of performing arts theaters.
Pretty good array of retail amenities as well with the more creative boutiques, clothing stores, and gift stores concentrated near Victoria Station.
Very dense population for London standards at around 45K residents per square mile.
For West London standards Pimlico is a pretty economically diverse district thanks to several large multi-block apartment buildings built in the mid 20th century.

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Major post WWII/urban renewal sub district in Church Hill Gardens done in the Garden City style with tall towers sticking up as islands in a park space and parking lot. But could be a lot worse esp. considering how these look in the US.
* Plenty of quality squares and gardens throughout Pimlico but sadly most of them of private spaces along available to adjacent residents. Nice park space along the river however.

Belgravia- One of London’s most Exclusive Neighborhoods centered on Belgrave Square

Belgravia was developed in the first half of the 19th century largely by London’s well known developer Richard Grosvenor. He built in the popular West London style of surrounding small parks (aka Squares) by creamed color stucco grand terraced housing. But the district retains a nice mixture of 19th century styles including the colorful and cozy Mew houses, stunning neo Gothic Architecture and a good mix of several other late 19th century styles. Much of Belgravia to this day is owned by the Grosvenor Estate and other than its border with Victoria Station to the east and Knightsbridge road to the north, the neighborhood has preserved its historic architecture. After World War II many of the larger homes in Belgravia transitioned from townhouses for the aristocracy, to embassies, charity headquarters, professional institutions and other businesses. But Belgravia never lost its luster and more recently has regained its status for hosting a large number of London’s super rich.

Modern day Belgravia has become a relatively quiet and lower density district in the heart of London yet with solid urban walkable amenities. The district hosts several excellent public park spaces (along with convenient access to Hyde Park) has several attractive pedestrian scale commercial districts, excellent access to several metro lines, solid cultural amenities and great shopping access including a handful of medium sized malls. I would love to see this exclusive Belgravia neighborhood densify given its increasable walkable infrastructure and preferably with more affordable housing options. But that would require aa loosening of the district’s tightly controlled historic preservation districts. One can dream!

Click here to view my Belgravia Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Several great green spaces including convenient access to the expansive Hyde Park and several smaller plazas including (Hyde Park Corner, Sloan Square, Ebury Square, and Grosvenor Gardens).
* Great White Stucco and red bricked terraces along with more modern in-fill especially surrounding Victorian Station. Also a fair number of more intimate rowhouses along several mews.
* Attractive pedestrian scaled commercial districts along Elizabeth St., Eccleston St & Pl., Motcomb St, and Sloan Square. Other solid commercial districts but wider and less pedestrian arterials (i.e. Sloan St., Knightsbridge.) Decent # of mixed-use street but not on the scale of Central London neighborhoods.
* Excellent metro access including 4 stations and 3 metro lines.
* Great cultural amenities including tons of restaurants, bars, & cafes, several ornate theaters, a couple live music venues, and several art galleries.
* Solid retail amenities as well including several shopping malls (Victoria Place, Fountain Square, Eccleston Yards), plenty of high end clothing stores, and much more.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

Bike lanes are pretty limited and what do existin are in small segments.
Better tree canopy that most Central London Districts.
Missing any major museums.
Very affluent district with limited income diversity.
Low density for such a centrally located neighborhood of only around 10K per square mile.
Many attractive green spaces are privatized (i.e. Buckingham Palace Garden, Belgrave Square Garden, Easton Sq Garden, Chester Square, Cadogan Place South Garden, Wilton Crescent Park and Lowndes Square Garden).
Many attractive green spaces are privatized (i.e. Buckingham Palace Garden, Belgrave Square Garden, Easton Sq Garden, Chester Square, Cadogan Place South Garden, Wilton Crescent Park and Lowndes Square Garden).

Westminster- Home to Several World Famous Landmarks but also a solid London District

This evaluation includes the much smaller Westminster neighborhood which is part of the larger Westminster Borough. The neighborhood runs along the southern end of St. James Park from Trafalgar Square to Vauxhall Bridge. Development of the area began with the establishment of Westminster Abbey in 1066. The abbey became the traditional venue of the coronations of the kings and queens of England since its beginning. Starting in 1200 the Palace of Westminster, next to the abbey, became the principal royal residence. Gradually the neighborhood started to fill in with the servants of the palace and abbey and homes from the Aristocracy popped up from their desire to be close to the Palace. Development of Westminster really started to pick up after the Great Fire of 1666 connecting to London City via the urban ribbon development running along the Strand. By the mid-18th century the neighborhood was built out. A wide array of architectural styles, however, are present in Westminster, even those built after the mid-18th century. This is due to several small urban renewal/slum clearance projects of the late 19th century (i.e. Devil Acre) and many areas rebuilt in the post War Period due to the destruction of the Blitz. The medieval Westminster Palace was rebuilt in the mid 19th century after a devastation fire leaving us with the gorgeous Neo-Gothic structure which houses the British Parliament to this today.

I would divide the Westminster neighborhood into 3 parts. There is the very tourist sector filled with monumental and government building stretching from Trafalgar Square to Westminster Abbey. The CBD section running along Victoria Avenue from Westminster Abbey to Victoria Station. And finally the mostly residential section comprising about the southern half of the neighborhood with an eclectic mix of housing from the 1800s to the present day. From an urban perspective Westminster is a solid neighborhood from all measures but not one of my favorite London Districts due to a lack of exciting commercial districts, over tourism in certain sectors, and a bit lackluster architecture stock, including a significant amount of rather bland modern and post WWII housing. All that said the neighborhood still boasts excellent subway access, lies on the southern end of one of London’s best parks (St. James) and includes some vibrant urban nodes (i.e. Victoria Station, and Strutton Ground) and hosts several great museums, theaters, and historic sites.

Click here to view my Westminster Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

Several quality green spaces (i.e. Green Smith Square, Victoria Tower Gardens South, Victorian Embankment Ecclestone Square Park, Warwick Square, St. George’s Square, Parliament Square Garden, St, John’s Garden, Grosvenor Garden).
Great historic sites: Big Ben, Westminster, Westminster (Catholic) Cathedral, Admiralty House, Royal Horse Guards, Sinfonia Smith Square, Admiralty Arch, Downing Street, Banqueting House, Scotland Yard (historic and new), Tate Britain, The Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace, Victoria Palace Theater
Strutton Ground hosts an attractive pedestrian only block.
Mix of excellent historic architecture and some good urban in-fill.
Major modern Office corridor along Victoria St culminating at the Victoria St Subway node.
Solid cultural amenities including plenty of food & beverage venues, several theaters, performing arts & event venues, several museums. Good retail amenities as well.
Great metro access including 6 metro stations and 5 lines.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Very touristy district.
* Really no consistent business corridor and premiere shopping street in Westminster. But there is decent Mixed-use development throughout and a couple of solid nodes (i.e. Strutton Ground and Victoria Station which includes a shopping mall (Cardinal Place).
* Bike lanes are pretty limited and what do existin are in small segments.
* Better tree canopy that most Central London Districts.
* Outside of the major landmarks architecture is a bit lackluster with a lot of bland post War buildings mixed into more ornate late 19th century terraces and flats.

London’s Paddington Station Neighborhood

From the tenth century, Paddington was owned by Westminster Abbey and functioned as an ancient village for many years. Starting in 1801, Paddington began to transition to a bustling London district blustered by England’s industrialization. It was at this time that the local Anglican Bishop leased the land to the Grand Junction Canal, which formed a direct trade link between London and the Midlands. This led to the major industrialization of the neighborhood. Construction and building projects took place across the parish throughout the 19th century rapidly increasing its population. The neighborhood’s population increased from 1,881 to 46,305 between 1801 and 1851 with development concentrated on the eastern half of the neighborhood surrounding Paddington Basin and Paddington station. The architectural style of this era is mostly Georgian Brick rowhouses housing mostly the working and middle class. Paddington station first opened in 1838 connecting to London’s first underground line in 1863 (the Metropolitan). Paddington was one of the few districts in London that had a migrant majority population with a thriving Greek and Jewish community in the mid-19th century. Paddington continued to fill in the second half of the 19th century adding 10,000 new inhabitants every decade thereafter. Development in the second half of the 19th century was focused in the western half of the district with mostly regal Terrace Housing and a development style more in character with Notting Hill. Sadly by the late 19th century the immigrant community surrounding Paddington Station became overcrowded and one of London’s most notorious slums. In response, the City embarked on a massive rebuilding campaign starting in the 1930s with select redevelopment continuing in the 1960s. By the 1980s the majority of the Paddington neighborhood was stabilized and once more a desirable community. Yet the Paddington Basin remained dilapidated through the 90s resulting from the de-industrialization of the area. In response, the City passed an ambitious redevelopment plan for Paddington Basin leading to the creation of a dynamic mixed-use center with improved connectivity, excellent park space along the waterfront (including a Floating Pocket Park), a major hub for office space, and a couple thousand units of residential.

This is a dynamic urban district that feels more like the heart of Central London with street vibrancy generated from Paddington station and the major mixed-use developments. Paddington also boasts excellent subway and regional train connections thanks to Paddington station, several attractive smaller park and plaza spaces. The district also hosts a great array of restaurants, bars and retail amenities (including a modest shopping mall) and interesting mix of architectural styles: both new and old. For Paddington to be an even better district it first and foremost needs better bike lane infrastructure and could use more cultural amenities (music venues, theaters, etc.) that are very common in surrounding West End districts. I also would like to see the population density increase to more like 50K-100K residents per square mile. An urban density of 35K residents isn’t bad but a bit low for a major European district surrounding a major train station.

Click here to view my Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Craven/Praed Rd is the main Biz District
* Westbourne Terrace, Talbot Square, Norfolk Square, and Sussex Gardens all have gorgeous historic terraces and gardens. Several interesting Mews in the Paddington District.
* Paddington Station is massive and interesting. Major modern mixed-use and office development surrounding Paddington Station and Paddington Basin.
* Some attractive publicly accessible greenspaces (i.e. Paddington Basin, Talbot, and Norfolk Square Garden).
* Large number of office jobs surrounding Paddington Station making this a very vibrant district even with a population density of btwn 25-30K residents per square mile.
* While there are only 2 metro stations serving the district Paddington Station connects with 5 metro lines providing excellent access across London.
* Tons of food & beverage businesses but limited number of live music venues, museums, and art galleries. Solid retail amenities as well including a modest shopping mall located in Paddington Station.
* Good diversity of architecture including more modest Georgian Brick rowhouses, Regal Terrace Housing, modest mew rowhouses, and modern office and mixed-use buildings.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

Tree Canopy is pretty limited.
Bike lanes are pretty limited and what do existin are in small segments.
Green space are pretty limited although residents can walk to Hyde Park pretty easily and Regent Park is about a 1 mile walk.
Hyde Park lacks the theaters, live music venues, and museums of the Westend of London.

Hyde Park Estate- Paddington Station adjacent London Neighborhood with Interesting History of Urban Renewal & Conservation-Oriented Revitalization

The Paddington Estate was developed at a somewhat slower pace than that of Marylebone on the other side of the Edgware Road. Development really started to come to Paddington Estate in the early 1800s, after the Tyburn Gallows were removed with Connaught Square being one of the first terrace/park housing developed. This was on land owned by the Bishop of London and originally known as the Paddington Estate. It took about 60 years for the neighborhood to fill in with high end stuccoed housing. Interestingly the area north of Hyde Park Estate (where Paddington Station and Basin are located) filled in by the 1830s even though its further from Central London due to the rapid rise of industry and accompanying worker housing. At the turn of the century, Paddington Estates was next to one of London’s most populated slums surrounding Paddington Stations leading to a period of slow decline for the Hyde Park Estates. In the post War Era many of the large stucco terraces had either become damaged in the war or had become subdivided into smaller apartments. In an effort to restore the neighborhood many of these historic complexes were redeveloped as high density flats with underground parking (i.e. Hyde Park Estate and Hyde Park Square) and filled up with higher income residents. By the 1960s Hyde Park Estate’s revitalization was in full swing with the 70s using conservation as a tool for redevelopment instead of urban renewal policies. Thanks to this much of the historic stucco terraces were saved in the neighborhood.

Modern day Hyde Park Estate is a very affluent area and home to several embassies and celebrities. While the post War urban renewal era created new high rise buildings out of character with the historic urban form of the neighborhood, this was not a mortal wound to the urbanity of the district. With a solid urban density of around 35K residents per square mile, a couple walkable commercial districts, decent mixed-use blocks, solid retail, cultural & park amenities, and convenient access to Paddington Station and the Marble Arch & Lancaster Station, this is a quality urban district situated just outside of London’s West end. The biggest issues is that there is very limited Social Housing here and the beautiful Squares are off limits to the public. Bike infrastructure could also be expanded significantly.

Click here to view my Hyde Park Estate Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Craven/Praed Rd is the main Biz District
* Westbourne Terrace and Sussex Gardens has gorgeous historic terraces and gardens. Several interesting Mews in the Paddington District.
* Paddington Station is massive and interesting
* Some attractive publically accessible greenspaces (i.e. Paddington Basin, Talbot, and Nolfolk Square Garden).
* Largest number of office jobs surrounding Paddington Station making this a very vibrant district even with a more average population density of btwn 25-30K residents per square mile.
* While there are only 2 metro stations serving the district Paddington Station connections with 5 metro lines providing excellent access across London.
* Tons of food & beverage businesses but limited number of live music venues, museums, and art galleries. Solid retail amenities as well including a modest shopping mall located in Paddington Station.
* Good diversity of architecture incluing more modest Georgain Brick rowhouses, Regal Terrace Housing, modest New rowhouses, and modern office and mixed-use buildings.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Bike lanes are pretty limited and what do existin are in small segments.
* Tree Canopy is pretty limited.
* Green space are pretty limited although residents can walk to Hyde Park pretty easily and Regent Park is about a 1 mile walk.
* Hyde Park lacks the theaters, live music venues, and museums of the Westend of London.

St. Jame’s- the Heart of London’s Historic Aristocracy and Home to some of London’s Best Landmarks

Saint Jame’s namesake came from the area’s dedication of a 12th-century leper hospital to Saint James the Less.The hospital site was eventually rebuilt as St James’s Palace and it gardens and parks. Even to this day much of the neighborhood is still owned by the Crown Estate and due to its proximity to Buckingham Palace, St. James place remained one of London’s most important addresses for the British Aristocracy through WWII. Development came to St James place at the turn of the 17th century, filling in by the middle of the 1700s. Regal homes for the aristocracy were built and the neighborhood became the home to many of 19th century London’s famous gentlemen’s clubs. Not surprisingly the Saint James Neighborhood holds many of London’s greatest landmark buildings and parks and is still a home to the wealthy.

Given its proximity to the West end and Central London and wealth of parks and cultural amenities, this is an outstanding urban district, if you can afford it. Several coroporate headquarters (i.e. BP and Rio Tinto) are also located here giving the district a very vibrant daytime population to augment its solid population density. St. James hosts solid retail amenities (especially clothing & department stores and several shopping malls) but its retail amenities tend to cater to the rich and are less diverse than other Central London neighborhoods.

Click here to view my St. Jame’s Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Great landmarks including the Admiralty Arch, St. James Square, St. James Palace, St. James Picadilly, Marlborough House Gardens, Buckingham Palace, Burlington Arcade, Picadilly Circus, His Majesty’s Theatre, Haymarket Theatre, the Riz, and St. James Park to name a few.
* Several grand Blvds and roads including St. James Street, Pall Mall, the Mall, and my favorite regal street Saint James lined with incredible ornate bldgs w/ several elegant monuments in the center.
* Picadilly and Haymarket are the main commercial streets but are also very touristy and busy.
* Jermyn Street is a much more intimate biz district located just a block from Picadilly St with upmarket retail best known for shirtmakers and shops offering the finest gentlemen’s attire. Crown Passage is a really interesting narrow pedestiran street off of Pall Mall and is home to the Red Lion, one of the oldest pubs.
* Incredible regal historic architecture throughout and lots of high end stores.
* Great concentration of museums, gardens, and Historic Houses. Also plenty of restaurants, bars, cafes, private art galleries, theaters, and cinemas.
* Well served by the expansive Green Park and St. James Park but sadly St. James Square is private and is lined by many walled gardens that are either private or part of a museum or historic house.
* This small district is well served by public transit including 3 subways stations and 3 metro lines.
* Solid density at around 40K per square mile.
* The St. James’s has a large daytime population due to it hosting the corporate headquarters of BP, Rio Tinto and many private members’ clubs.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Very expensive place to live and very touristy.
* St. James lacks many intimate biz districts but still manages to be pretty mixed-use throughout.
* Outside of the parkspace and wall gardens the tree canopy is pretty limited in St. James.
* Bike lane infrastructure is basically non-existent in St. James.
* Decent retail amenites but not as good other most central London neighborhoods. Good array of Department & clothing stores, tons of book stores, several arcade shopping malls along Picadilly, lots of dessert joints & bakeries, but only a handful of grocery options & pharmacies.

Soho- London’s main Theater District and Historic Hub of London’s Nightlife

Soho’s development really got started in the late 17th century by the Earls of Leicester and Portland who hoped that Soho would become an upper-class estate comparable to Bloomsbury, Marylebone and Mayfair. This started with the construction of terraces around Soho Square in the 1680s. However the neighborhood quickly became a hub of immigrants, especially the French Huguenots, who arrived mainly after the late 1680s giving London its first French quarter. Really only two squares surrounded by terraced housing were constructed and the aristocracy mostly moved away by the mid-19th century, with a cholera outbreak in the district being the last straw. By 20th century Soho had become the centre of London’s nightlife and a major hub for the higherend sex industry thanks to Soho’s’ proximity to wealthy west end London districts. But after WWII Soho had a particularly seedy character as a place filled with petty criminals and brothels/strip clubs. Simultaneously, Soho became the hub of London’s counter-cultural movement in the 1960s with Carnaby Street becoming a hub for hippie fashion and London’s underground music scene. But as with most of Central London, Soho become popular and gentrification really took off in the 1980s. Modern day Soho very much feels like London’s Version of time square with its plethora of theaters, Broadway shows, high end shops, and swarms of tourist. Sadly Soho has become a victim of its own success and its popularity has let it to become overrun by Air BnBs. Soho’s current fulltime population hovers around 2K residents down from its historic high of 30K.

London’s Chinatown is located just south of Soho filling the blocks between Shaftesbury and Leister Square. Chinatown’s emergence didn’t occur until the early 20th century and the bombings during WWII really prevented it from expanding. Leister Square was developed in 1670s as high-end residence, but as with Soho it lost its aristocratic luster and was converted into shopping with theaters emerging in the early 1800s. Trafalgar Square was created in the 1840s as a redevelopment of the Kings Mew’s (royal stables) and built in commemoration of the Naval Battle of Trafalgar of 1805. The square hosts many celebrations but also protests and demonstrations.

Because Soho did not become a district of the rich historically, it has a much more compact feel with more stripped down Georgian architecture more akin to Marylebone or the older districts in East London (i.e. Farrington, Spitalfields). Even with its over tourism, loud nightlife, and low permanent residential population, Soho is still a great urban district thanks to its walkability, cultural and retail amenities, and assess to Central London. Hopefully with better regulation, the Air BnB problem can be held in check and Soho can once again become a district with a strong permanent community again.

Click here to view my Soho album and Chinatown

URBAN STRENGTHS:

Several very famous landmarks here including Leicester Square, the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, and Oxford Circus.
Several famous commercial streets as well (i.e. Carnaby St, Oxford St, Regent St, and Shaftesbury)
Soho Gardens and Golden Square are a pair of lovely gardens and thankfully open to the public.
Great historic regal architecture throughout.
Most of the district hosts a great mixed-use fabric and several narrow pedestrian scale streets stand out (i.e. Argyll St, Ganton, Kingley, Newburgh, Foubert’s Pl, Wardour).
Better bike infrastructure than most central neighborhoods but still not great.
Great public transit access including 6 metro stops and 6 lines.
Wonderful array of historic architecture even outside of the historic landmarks from the 18th-20th centuries.
Excellent Pedestrian streets around Leister Square
The sub district of Chinatown is small but packs a strong punch and is very pedestrian friendly.
This is the heart of the Westend Theater district, esp. concentrated along Shaftesbury Ave. Also many Cinemas in SoHo, likely the highest concentration in central London. Other cultural amenities include tons of restaurants & bars, many live music venues & art galleries.
Solid retail amenities including plenty of department stores even though the fulltime population is small.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

Better bike infrastructure than most central neighborhoods but still not great.
Tree canopy is very limited
Population has drastically declined since WWII when the SoHo district had about 30K. It is now down to 2K due to lots of noise from the neighborhood’s raucous nightlife and more and more Air BnB units coming into the district.

Mayfair- Longtime home to England’s Aristocracy Thanks to its Proximity to the Court of St. James

The Mayfair neighborhood was originally part of the manor of Eia and remained largely rural until the early 18th century. Development first came to the district in the 1660s at modern day Piccadilly Circus and progressed along the north side of that street. The neighborhood got its name from the annual Mayfair that took place from 1686 to 1764 in what is now Shepherd Market. The Grosvenor family (who became Dukes of Westminster) became the main developers of Mayfair in the turn of the 18th century and developed grand terrace housing around private squares (i.e. Hanover Square, Berkeley Square and Grosvenor Square). By the end of the 18th century, most of Mayfair had been developed as housing for the upper class, a status the district has never lost. The rise of Mayfair moved upper-class Londoners away from areas such as Covent Garden and Soho, which were in decline by the 18th century. Part of its staying power for the wealthy was its proximity to the Court of St James, excellent park access, and the well-designed layout. The decline of the British aristocracy in the early 20th century led to the area becoming more commercial, with many houses converted into offices for corporate headquarters and various embassies. Yet even with these 20th century changes, Mayfair retained a substantial quantity of high-end residential property, upmarket shops and restaurants, and luxury hotels along Piccadilly and Park Lane, which yes is the namesake for the most expensive property on the Monopoly Board.

Mayfair from an urban perspective is a wonderful mixed-use district filled with lots of high end shopping districts, delicious regal architecture from the 18th and early 19th centuries, excellent subway access, and great parks with Hyde Park & James Park forming its western & eastern borders and historic squares which are actually open the public. But the district is still very exclusive and out of reach for most to reside here. Mayfair can also feel pretty tourist at points (i.e. Oxford & Regent St, and Picadilly Circle) and really lacks a dedicated bike lane and a strong tree canopy.

Click here to view my Mayfair Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Several major touristy streets including Oxford St, Regent St., and Picadilly
* Several wonderful historic squares (Grosvenor Sq, Berkely Sq, Mount St Gardens, & Hanover) and all are open to the public. Excellent access to green space as Hyde Park forms the district’s western border and Green Park/Buckingham Palace Garden its southern.
* Mount street is a lovely biz district with incredible historic buildings. New Bond and Dover are also really nice and Molton & Shepard’s Market are great pedestrian Streets.
* Spectacular regal British architecture from the 18th & 19th centuries.
* Excellent subway connection including 6 metro stations connected to 6 metro lines.
* Even with a low permanent population, Mayfair remains very vibrant with an influx of 85K residents during the day.
* Solid cultural amenities with a great array of restaurants, bars, cafes and a decent array of museums of live music venues. While there are limited theaters here, Mayfair has great access to nearby SoHo.
* Plenty of retail options as well especially department stores and arcades filled with smaller stores.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

Some tree canopy, certainly better than most of Central London but not great.
Pretty poor system of dedicated bike lanes in Mayfair. Just a handful of small disconnected segments.
Population density is pretty unimpressive for a central European neighborhood at just 11K residents per square mile.
Very expensive place to live and at times very touristy.

Marylebone- In Demand London Westend District and Historic Home to many famous (real and fictitious) Celebrities

Development began in Marylebone in the early 18th century as the Dukes of the Portland Family, realizing the need for fashionable housing north of the Oxford St (near Oxford Circus) created Cavendish Square within a rational grid system of streets and laid down high end terraced housing of the era. Marylebone developed slowly moving from its southeastern corner (Oxford Circus) with much more ornate stone & terra cotta terraced homes to more modest bricked terraces and rowhouses moving northwest to Regent’s Canal and filling in by the mid-19th century with the Lisson Grove subdistrict being the last area to develop. Much of modern day Marylebone remains owned by aristocratic antecedents who first developed them. Many people of note have lived in Marylebone over the years from Charles Dickens, to J.M.W. turner to the fictional Sherlock Homes Character living at 221 B Baker Street to even Paul McCartney for a brief time.

Present day Marylebone is a bustling and in demand West London District sitting between arguably London’s two best urban parks (Hyde Park & Regent’s Park) and hosting a mix of heavily touristy streets filled with high end shopping (Oxford and Regent St). balanced by many more intimate business districts and mixed-use area. Marylebone also has incredible connection with the London Tube including 8 metro stations and access to 10 subway lines, excellent cultural amenities, and plenty of retail amenities suitable for year round residents as well. The district host a large number of London’s infamous Mew Streets housing more modest rowhouses sitting behind grand terraced housing. My biggest complaint with the district is that many of its wonderful historic squares are private and inaccessible to the general public (likely a vestige of exclusive land covenants) along with limited connected bike lanes.

Click here to view my Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Nice mix of upper middle class and more modest middle class terraces ranging from the late 18th century to the early 20th century. Lisson Grove in the NW section of the district is more smaller scale rowhouses with a mix of historic and modern.
* Nice boulevard along Portland while Marylebone Rd (while technically a Blvd) feels more like a Stroad.
* Oxford St is London’s most famous shopping district. This is on the Southern edge of the district. Regent St is a great shopping street as well. More continental historic architecture. Other business commercial district run along Edgware Rd, Baker St. But I prefer the more intimate biz districts running along Thayer/Marylebone High St, James St., Wigmore St., and Paddington St/Crawford St.
* Significant amount of mix uses areas outside of these commercial streets which a bar/restaurant or retail use will occupancy the corner of a residential street.
* Lots of interesting Mew Streets which is a row or courtyard of stables and carriage houses with living quarters above them, built behind large city houses typically in affluent neighborhoods.
* Lots of great historic square with grand terraces and flats around them (Portman Sq., Manchester Sq., Montagu Square, Montagu, Bryanston, Paddington Street Gardens, Park Square, and Dorset Square) but many of them are sadly private. Great access to large park space as Marylebone is located between both Hyde Park and Regent’s Park.
* Excellent access to public transit including 8 metro stations and 10 subway lines.
* Great cultural amenities including a ton of restaurants, bars & cafes, several indie theaters, a couple performing art theaters, and several smaller museums.
* Solid retail amenities thanks to a concentration of clothing and department stores running along Oxford St. and wonderful concentration of high end boutiques along Marylebone. Also plenty of bakeries, supermarkets and other standard amenities.
* Solid density at around 31K residents per square mile which is slightly above average for central London. But the district feels much more vibrant than this due to its large day time population.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

Tree canopy isn’t great but better than most London Inner city districts due to all the small squares and newer apartments in Lisson Grove that have a decent amount of open space.
Bike lane infrastructure is limited to a couple of small disconnected segments.
Can get crowded and touristy in spots.

Covet Garden- London’s first “Suburb” developed outside of the Historic Roman Walls and one of the City’s Most Bustling Districts

By 1200 part of it had been walled off by the Abbot of Westminster Abbey for use as arable land and orchards, helping eventually give the neighborhood the name “the Convent Garden”. Covet Garden and parts of Holborn were the first London “suburbs” built outside of the original Roman Walls of what is mostly the City of London. The neighborhood was mostly built up by the mid 16th century but likely densified after the Great Fire of 1666, which did not touch the district. The Covent Garden Pizza was laid out in 1630, creating London’s first modern square surrounding by many private residents of note. But this honeymoon for the wealthy and powerful did not last long and by 1654, a small open-air fruit-and-vegetable market had developed on the south side of the fashionable square. Gradually, both the market and the surrounding area fell into disrepute, as taverns, theatres, coffee houses and brothels opened up. By the 18th century Covet Garden had become notorious slum with a concentration of brothels. But by the 1800s urban renewal efforts were afoot first with the creation the modern day neo-classical market building. The market grew and buildings were added: the Floral Hall, Charter Market, and in 1904 the Jubilee Market. The central neo-classical market building re-opened as a shopping centre in 1980 and became a major tourist destination in Central London.

The district is divided by the main thoroughfare of Long Acre, north of which is given over to independent shops centered on Neal’s Yard and Seven Dials, while the south contains the central square with its street performers and most of the historical buildings, theatres and entertainment facilities. From an urban perspective, while Covet Garden is very touristy, it still has managed to retain a large residential base and is one of Central London’s most dense districts. This convergence helps create an incredibly mixed-use environment filled with wonderful narrow streets with lots of small business activity outside of the central Covet Garden Market. Covet Garden is also the site of many of London’s top historic sites, numerous theaters considered part of the Westend and great cultural scene. The major downsides of the district is a real lack of tree canopy limited park spaces, and fragmented bike infrastructure.

Click here to view my Covet Garden Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Gorgeous historic landmark properties (i.e. National Gallery, Caring Cross Station, St. Martin in the Fields, St Giles in the Fields, St Paul’s Church Covent Garden, Covet Garden, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the Royal Ballet & Opera ) and many historic theaters comprising many theaters considered part of the Westend. In additional to many museums, historic sites and theaters also a great array of live music venues, bars & restaurants.
* Also great retail amenities including Covent Garden Market, great array of clothing stores, plenty of supermarkets and grocerias, and plenty of neighborhood serving stores.
* The famous Leicester and Trafalgar Squares are here.
* Whitehall Gardens & Victoria Garden Embankments are very nice and run along the Thames
* Other famous sites like 17 Downing Street and Admiralty Gate are hear.
* Major biz districts include Charing Cross, New Oxford, and the Strand but are very busy and touristy.
* The entire neighborhood of Covet Garden is mixed use and there are some wonderful narrow streets with lots of biz activity (i.e. St. Martin’s Ln, New row, King St., Maiden Ln, Tavistock, Floral, Long Acre, Short’s Garden, Neal St & Neal’s Yard, Endel, James St and a couple really interesting historic nodes like the Seven Dials and where Martin’s Lane & Cranbourn St come together).
* Lots of very narrow pedestrian Lanes without any storefronts. This is a classic feature of old London where buildings where historically built right to the lot lines.
* Population density is one of the highest for London at around 40K residents per sq mile.
* Well served by public transit with 6 metros on 6 lines.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Very touristy district.
* Bike lane infrastructure is limited and what does exist is very fragmented.
* Other than the Victoria Garden Embankments, there are only a handful of parks in Covet Garden. A couple good ones however (i.e. Diamond Jubilee Garden, the Phoenix Garden, & Drury Lane Gardens). Tree canopy is very limited in Covent Garden.