Neighborhoods like Kensington, Mayfair, and Belgravia have long been favored by global buyers looking for a base in London, but now, a selection of emerging destinations across the capital are increasingly rivaling these more established golden postcodes – with growing dining, lifestyle, and cultural scenes helping to really put them on the map.
There might have been much talk of the London exodus, however, new data from Halifax highlights that the city remains in high demand. In fact, the number of people moving house in London has risen 165 percent over the course of the pandemic, a figure only second to the southeast.
Over in east London, the recently-opened Design District – London’s first permanent, purpose-built hub for the creative industries – at Greenwich Peninsula has cemented the Zone 2 neighborhood as a true cultural and creative hotspot.
Sitting at the heart of the 150-acre regeneration project, it is set to become an inspiring, thriving new creative district home to some of the capital’s most innovative minds across fashion, art, tech, music, craft, and social enterprise.
Wrapped in 1.6 miles of the River Thames, the almost island of Greenwich Peninsula is fast becoming the capital’s boldest modern landscape, offering – alongside the new Design District – distinctive offerings including The Tide, London’s first-ever cultural linear park, major event space Magazine London and artistic hub, NOW Gallery.
Residents of Upper Riverside – the latest design-led address to complete on Greenwich Peninsula – are positioned in a prime location bordering the Design District, putting these new creatives as next-door neighbors. With Design District to one side and the River Thames to the other, the range of studio, one, two, and three-bedroom apartments in Upper Riverside sits on the tip of the Peninsula with far-reaching views across the water, city skyline, and beyond. Prices at No. 5 Upper Riverside, start from £487,500 (www.upperriverside.co.uk).
Spread across Upper Riverside’s five buildings is The Upper Riverside Club, a host of modern and convenient amenities and services including a residents’ co-working space, entertainment room, cinema room, gym, and swimming pool, and sauna as well as multiple sun terraces.
Another area to watch is Brentford. This west London riverside spot has historically been a little overlooked in favor of its more polished neighbors like Richmond, Chiswick, and Kew. But now, Brentford is seeing a real renaissance with Ballymore’s major regeneration project, The Brentford Project, breathing fresh life into the town.
Located in a unique position where the River Brent meets the River Thames, The Brentford Project spans 11.8 acres and will bring 876 residential apartments, alongside a varied mix of retail, leisure, commercial, cultural and community spaces to the area.
With a new town center for Brentford in the pipeline, including a wholly rejuvenated high street with a unique dining, entertaining, residential, and retail scene, The Brentford Project will also reconnect the high street to the waterfront via a series of pedestrianized yards and lanes which nod to Brentford’s industrial past. There’ll also be open space in abundance, like Waterfront Square – a dedicated space for outdoor markets, performances, and events – and Workhouse Dock, which will be rejuvenated with 24-hour moorings, and lined with restaurants, pubs, and cafés.
For those wanting to invest early in the neighborhood, apartments at The Brentford Project range from suites to three-bedrooms, all with contemporary open-plan layouts and floor-to-ceiling windows and many with cantilevered terraces and beautiful views across the water (prices from £445,000, www.thebrentfordproject.com). Alongside the town’s wider lifestyle, residents also have exclusive access to ‘The Wick’, a unique wellness offering, including a state-of-the-art gym, spa, and treatment rooms.
Meanwhile, Clarendon is a new city village connecting the north London neighborhoods of Alexandra Palace, Hornsey, and Wood Green. There are already more than 700 homes either completed or under construction, in addition to the new one-acre Hornsey Park which opened to local residents last year. Once complete, this new 12-acre city village will provide more than 1,700 new homes, 125,000 sq. ft of commercial space, and five acres of green open space.
The latest chapter of Clarendon, Moselle Gardens – named after the Moselle River, which runs through Clarendon – offers 288 new homes alongside a new Co-op food store, new squares and gardens, and a new community center. Residents of Moselle Gardens will benefit from direct access to The Park Club, Clarendon’s extensive resident facilities which feature a 16-meter swimming pool, sauna, steam room, spin cycle studio, yoga room, a state-of-the-art gym, and treatment room.
Alongside the new homes and The Park Club, Moselle Gardens, where prices start at £467,500 (www.clarendonn8.co.uk) also introduces a range of new, tranquil green spaces and pathways throughout Clarendon that create new connections to key surrounding areas.
Surprisingly, there are also several hidden hotspots in the very heart of London – including Postmark, Taylor Wimpey Central London’s scheme which is transforming the landmark Post Office Mount Pleasant sorting office. With 681 apartments across 6.25 acres, Postmark is uniquely located at the meeting point of WC1 and EC1, making it the most central new neighborhood in the city.
The latest phase at Postmark, Signature Place, incorporates 109 apartments across two striking buildings, alongside an impressive Wellness Centre with a swimming pool, sauna, steam room, treatment room, and experience shower, alongside a state-of-the-art gym (prices start from £965,000, www.postmarklondon.co.uk, 020 8003 0976).
Farringdon also boasts superb connections throughout the city and beyond, with five London Underground stations within a short walking distance of Postmark, with the imminent opening of Crossrail set to further bolster connectivity.
