Victoria
Hugh Street Victoria London
A beautiful quaint charming neighborhood in Southern London. You can search the database on this site to find a flat.
 |
26985 | Total listings |
 |
4256 | Posted or relisted today |
 |
0 | Rentals Just in |
 |
4874 | Rentals with photos |
 |
2194 | Multiple photos and virtual tours |
 |
6183 | Pet friendly rentals |
 |
1689 | Open House listings |
April 16, 2006
April 15, 2006
The City
ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD: City refers to "The City of London", the financial district, built over the original Roman city, across the river from Bankside and Southwark with its theatres, London Eye, Tate Modern and markets. The City is about a square mile in area and is well served by five Underground lines, 10 buses and taxi service is excellent as you might imagine given the businesses in the area. It's a great neighborhood to rent an aparmtent and from which to visit many of London's top attractions.
IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD: St. Paul's Cathedral, Christopher Wren's masterpiece, and historic attractions and buildings including the Tower of London, Mansion House and Old Bailey.
St James
St. James's is an area of west central London, England. It is bounded to the north by Piccadilly, to the west by Green Park, to the south by The Mall and St. James's Park and to the east by The Haymarket.
Lazy Afternoon in St. James Square
St. James's was once part of the same royal park as Green Park, St. James's Park and Buckingham Palace Garden. In the 1660s, Charles II gave the right to develop the area to Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of St Albans, who proceeded to develop it as a predominantly aristocratic residential area with a grid of streets centred on St. James's Square.
Until the Second World War, St. James's remained one of the most exclusive residential enclaves in London. Famous residences in St. James's include St. James's Palace, Clarence House, Marlborough House, Lancaster House, Spencer House, Schomberg House and Bridgewater House. It is now a predominantly commercial area with some of the highest rents in London and, consequently, the world. Corporate offices in St. James's include the global headquarters of BP and Rio Tinto Group. The auction house Christie's is based in King Street, and the surrounding streets contain a great many upmarket art and antique dealers. St. James's is also the home of many of the best known gentlemen's clubs in London, and is sometimes, though not as often as formerly, referred to as "Clubland". The "clubs" found here are organisations of English high society. A variety of groups congregate here, such as: royals, military officers, motoring enthusiasts, and other groups. In 1990, the Carlton Club, traditional meeting place for members of the Conservative Party, was struck by an IRA bomb. See List of London's gentlemen's clubs.
Famous streets in St. James's include:
* St. James's Square, which retains many of its original houses, but mostly in office use. The London Library is located here.
* Jermyn Street, an upmarket retail street best known for fine shirts.
* Pall Mall, which contains many of London's gentlemen's clubs.
* The Haymarket, once the best known centre of prostitution in London, but no trace of this remains now. Contains two of London's most historic theatres, the Haymarket Theatre and Her Majesty's Theatre.
* Carlton House Terrace, a pair of grand terraces of houses designed by John Nash overlooking St. James's Park.
* St. James's Street which runs down from Piccadilly to St. James's Palace.
Spitalfields
Spitalfields, an area in Tower Hamlets, east London near to Liverpool Street station and Brick Lane which gets its name from a contraction of 'hospital fields', as there used to be a major hospital in the area. Today, Spitalfields is home to a vibrant Jewish community. The area is home to the historic Old Spitalfields market. The market, which receives 20,000 visitors every Sunday, was founded here in the 17th century.
The area is well known for its arts scene. Whitechapel Gallery is located at the bottom of Brick Lane, and amongst the many well known artists living in Spitalfields are Gilbert and George, Tracey Emin, and Stuart Brisley.
Spitalfields was long associated with the silk industry, established by French Protestant (Huguenot) refugees who settled in the area after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1685).
Southwark
The Borough or Southwark is an area of the London Borough of Southwark situated 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east south-east of Charing Cross in London, England. From 1550 to 1899 it formed part of the City of London as the Ward of Bridge Without.
Southwark Cathedral
South Kensington
South Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is a built-up area located 2.4 miles (3.9 km) west south-west of Charing Cross.
It is hard to define notional boundaries for South Kensington, but when people talk about it, they are generally talking about the commercial area around the tube station and the adjacent graceful garden squares and streets (such as Thurloe Square, opposite the Victoria and Albert Museum). The smaller neighborhood around Gloucester Road tube station can also be considered part of South Kensington, as well as the institution area around Exhibition Road, which includes such famous names as the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Royal Albert Hall, Imperial College, Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Royal College of Music, although this part is officially part of the small area known as Knightsbridge. Although the postcode SW7 stands for South Kensington, some parts of Kensington also fall under this postcode. Only the area south of Cromwell Road is regarded as South Kensington.
Sandwiched between the extremely affluent centres of Knightsbridge and Chelsea, South Kensington is harder to characterise. Although a wealthy area overall, it also caters for large tourist and student populations; the former is reflected by the type of shops and eateries around South Kensington station, whilst the latter is evident by both the halls of residence for Imperial College and the large number of language schools in the area, which attract a sizeable number of foreign students.
The foreign students at both these language schools and at Imperial College, and the large numbers of tourists contribute to an international (predominantly European) atmosphere to the area. Large numbers of French, Spanish and Italian citizens live in the area. A significant French presence is evidenced by the location of the consulate, the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle - a large French secondary school opposite the Natural History Museum - and the French Institute, home to a French cinema. There are also several French bookshops in the area.
The nearest Tube stations are South Kensington and Gloucester Road.
South Bank
Situated in Central London on the south bank of the Thames River (hence the name). Southbank is not only a great place to rent an apartment, it is also a lively part of the city. (Especially if you are attending Southbank University.) And you can find an flat for rent in southbank for considerably cheaper than Chelsea or Belgravia.
Soho
Soho - London
Equally cool, but not to be confused with New York City's Soho. Soho London is indubitably the coolest place to rent a flat. Soho is an area of London's West End in the City of Westminster. It is roughly the area bounded by Oxford Street to the north, Regent Street to the west, Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square to the south, and Charing Cross Road in the east. The area to the west is known as Mayfair.
Shoreditch
Shoreditch is a place in the London Borough of Hackney. It is a built-up district located 2.3 miles (3.7 km) north east of Charing Cross and is situated at the point where five postal districts converge.
Shoreditch Town Hall
From 1899 until 1965 it was the core district of the Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch, the town hall of which can still be seen on Old Street. The Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch was made up of three main districts in all: Shoreditch, Hoxton and Haggerston. The whole Metropolitan Borough was incorporated into the much larger London Borough of Hackney in 1965.
Shoreditch has become something of a moveable feast in the modern world. It is generally conflated with nearby Hoxton, leading to constructions such as 'Shoho' or 'Hoxditch'. Postwar naming decisions have not helped - for example Shoreditch Park was established, postwar, in Hoxton west of the market, while Haggerston Park occupies the site of the old Shoreditch gasworks.
Piccadilly
Local Restaurants
Piccadilly an Epicenter Nightlife and Dining out in Central london. A lively place to let a flat if you don't mind a little noise and commotion.
Piccadilly Circus connects to Piccadilly, a thoroughfare whose name first appeared in 1626 as Pickadilly Hall, named after a house belonging to one Robert Baker, a tailor famous for selling piccadills or piccadillies, a term used for various kinds of collars. The street was known as Portugal Street in 1692 in honour of Catherine of Braganza, the queen consort of King Charles II of England, but was known as Piccadilly by 1743. Piccadilly Circus was created in 1819, at the junction with Regent Street, which was then being built under the planning of John Nash on the site of a house and garden belonging to a Lady Hutton. The circus lost its circular form in 1886 with the construction of Shaftesbury Avenue.
The junction has been a very busy traffic interchange since construction, as it lies at the centre of Theatreland and handles exit traffic from Piccadilly, which Charles C. B. Dickens, son of Charles Dickens, described as "the great thoroughfare leading from the Haymarket and Regent-street westward to Hyde Park-corner" and "the nearest approach to the Parisian boulevard of which London can boast."
The Piccadilly Circus tube station was opened 10 March 1906 on the Bakerloo Line, and on the Piccadilly Line in December of that year. In 1928, the station was extensively rebuilt to handle an increase in traffic.
Because of its proximity to Soho, the Circus was a significant meeting point in the underground history of homosexuals in Britain, especially as a focus for prostitution and informal encounters. When Alfred Kinsey visited London to study English sexual attitudes, he immediately asked to be taken on a sexual tour of Soho. The world around Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square astounded him. Comparing London to the Hispanic sexual cultures of central America, Kinsey claimed that he had never seen so much street prostitution, except in Havana.
The intersection's first electric advertisements appeared in 1910, and from 1923 electric billboards were set up on the facade of the London Pavilion. Traffic lights were first installed in August 3, 1926 at the junction.
The Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain in Piccadilly Circus was erected in 1893, to commemorate the philanthropic works of Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury. During the Second World War, the statue atop the Shaftesbury memorial fountain, The Angel of Christian Charity, was removed, and was replaced by advertising hoardings. It was returned in 1948. When the circus underwent reconstruction work in the late 1980s, the entire fountain was moved from the centre of the junction at the beginning of Shaftesbury Avenue to its present position at the southwestern corner.
Paddington
Paddington is a place in the City of Westminster. It is a London district situated 2.2 miles (3.5 km) west north-west of Charing Cross.
Limestone Townhouses adorn this street in Norfolk Square, Paddington
Places of note
Important places in Paddington include St Mary's Hospital (and nurse-training centre) and Paddington Green police station (high-security police station). The IRA bombed the telephone box outside the police station one morning in 1991 as a demonstration to the British security services.
The Paddington arm of the Grand Union Canal terminates at Paddington Basin (this canal links Manchester and London).
Famous people
Paddington has several famous sons, notably Alexander Fleming — the scientist who discovered Penicillin (a plaque commemorating this is placed outside his laboratory at St Mary's Hospital on Praed Street) — and Alan Turing (mathematician; there is a plaque on the Hotel where he was born: The Colonnade in Warrington Crescent). More recent natives of Paddington include the musicians Seal, Courtney Pine and Elvis Costello, the footballer Les Ferdinand the actresses Emma Thompson and Rhona Mitra.
An early nineteenth century political rhyme comparing the stature of two politicians goes "London is to Paddington as Pitt is to Addington".
The National Rail station at Paddington is the London terminus for long distance trains to the West Country, Bristol, Bath and South Wales , and for commuter services to West London and the Thames Valley, operated by First Great Western. The station is one of seventeen UK railway stations managed by Network Rail.
The Heathrow Express travels non-stop between Paddington and Heathrow Airport, and the Heathrow Connect service runs along the same route but calling at intermediate stations. Chiltern Railways operates a vestigial service into Paddington via a branch line that runs alongside the Central Line. It is proposed that Crossrail line 1 will serve Paddington station.
History
The first station to open in the Paddington area was a temporary terminus for the Great Western Railway on the west side of Bishop's Bridge Road. The first GWR services from London to Taplow, near Maidenhead, ran from here in 1838. After the opening of the main station in 1854, this became the site of the goods yard. After years of dereliction, it is now being redeveloped as a mixed residential and business area called Paddington Waterside.
Statue of Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Enlarge
Statue of Isambard Kingdom Brunel
The main Paddington station between Bishops Bridge Road and Praed Street was opened in 1854. It was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, later commemorated by a statue on the station concourse, though much of the architectural detailing was by his associate Matthew Digby Wyatt. The glazed roof is supported by wrought iron arches in three spans, respectively spanning 20.70 m (68 ft), 31.20 m (102 ft) and 21.30 m (70 ft). The roof is 213 m (699 ft) long.
The station was substantially enlarged in 1906–15 and a fourth span of 33 m (109 ft) was added on the north side, parallel to the others.
A very early construction by Brunel was recently discovered immediately to the north of the station; a cast iron bridge carrying the Bishop's Bridge Road over the railway lines was exposed during removal of the more recent brick outer covering in late 2004, in the run-up to the bridge's complete replacement.
The Great Western Hotel was built on Praed Street in front of the station in 1851–54 by architect Philip Charles Hardwick, son of Philip Hardwick (designer of the Euston Arch).
April 09, 2006
North London
ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD: North London refers to Hampstead Heath and Regents Park area north of London. Its not as pricey as city center but still quite charming, and convenient place to rent an apartment. Stay in Hampstead and you're really out of London in what amounts to a Georgian Village. Hampstead is served by the Hamsptead Tube stop (Nothern line). Regent's Park is served by Tube stations at St. John's Wood, Marylebone and Baker Street.
IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD: Hampstead Heath, Hampstead Village, Highgate Cemetary, Freud Museum, Keats House in Hampstead. The London Zoo, Queen Mary's Garden, Madame Tussaud's, Planetarium, Regent's Park, Sherlock Holmes Museum in Regent's Park.
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area inWestminster London. It was named after a festival that took place in the haymarket throughout 17th and 18th century called the "May Fair".
View from a Park Bench in Grosvenor Square, Mayfair
Mayfair is approximately bordered by Hyde Park, Oxford Street, Green Park and Regent Street. Most of the area was first developed between the mid 17th century and the mid 18th century as a fashionably elite residential district, by a number of landlords, the most important of them being the Grosvenor family. The freehold of a large section of Mayfair still belongs to the current Duke of Westminster.
The district is now mainly commercial, with many offices in converted houses and new buildings, including major corporate headquarters and a concentration of financial hedge funds. Rents are among the highest in London. There is still a substantial amount of residential property, as well as some exclusive shopping, London's largest concentration of luxury hotels and many fine restaurants. Buildings in Mayfair include the U.S. embassy in Grosvenor Square, the Royal Academy of Arts, the Grosvenor House Hotel and Claridge's.
Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge is the name of both the street and district in the City of Westminster, London. Knightsbridge apartments are home to the elite. The area is known for its expensive shops, including Harrods, and as a prime residential area with some of the highest property prices in London.
Tube Station at Knightsbridge
The district was named after a crossing of the River Westbourne, which is now an underground river due to extensive building over. It is recorded that the citizens of London met Queen Matilda at the Knight's Bridge in 1141.
Kensington
Kensington is a prime place to rent a flat or let an apartment in central london. It is a densely populated built-up area located 4 kilometers west of Charing Cross.
Apartments along Kensington Road
Notable places in Kensington (or South Kensington) include: Kensington Gardens and Holland Park, the Royal Albert Hall, the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Royal College of Art, and Imperial College London.
Hyde Park
If your thinking of renting a flat in Hyde park you should know it is one of London's finest historic landscapes covering approximately 350 acres. There is something for everyone in Hyde Park. With over 4,100 trees, a lake, a meadow, horse rides and more it is easy to forget you'r in the middle of a big city like London.
When King Henry VIII and his court were rampaging across Hyde Park in the year 1536 chasing deer and wild boar, it would have been difficult to imagine that centuries later the noble art of tai chi would be peacefully performed among the trees in the early morning, and the tenor of Pavarotti would echo across the park, applauded by the masses
Euston
Euston is situated a major railway station to the north of central London and in the Borough of Camden. It is convenient place to rent a flat if you like to buy magic mushrooms on the street in Camden or need a short route to the train to Glasgow. It is connected to Euston tube station and near to Euston Square tube station of the London Underground. All stations are in Travelcard Zone 1.
Earl's Court
ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD: Earls Court is a premium neighborhood for apartment rentals. The area has numerous restaurants and books stores. It's a busy "convention area" with all that that implies. You can get around to and from there easily by Tube, Earls Court station is served by both the District and Piccadilly lines and is four stations from Westminster and Royal London.
Earls Court/South Kensington is one of the more desirable of London neighborhoods with embassies and consulates dotted about, premium shopping in Knightsbridge and museums. This, as you would expect, means expensive hotels. Served by the Circle, Piccadilly and District lines.
Earls Court Exhibition Center
April 02, 2006
Chelsea
Chelsea
Chelsea is a district of London south of the River Thames. You can find affordable apartments in Chelsea London quite easily on this site. Around Chelsea you can find sites such as The National Army Museum, and
Chelsea once sported the reputation of London's bohemian quarter. Back then, you didn't need to look hard to find artists, radicals, painters poets, posers and wannabes. Little of this seems to survive now: the comfortable squares off the King's Road are homes to Elizabeth Hurley, Mick Jagger, Kylie Minogue, and other iconic figures.
Belgravia
Belgravia
If you are thinking about finding a flat to let in Belgravia, be prepared to part with a handsome sum of quid. Belgravia is a district in Westminster to the south-west of Buckingham Palace. "Belgravia" is not and has never been an administrative area. The official boundaries of Belgravia have never been outlined, they are north of Knightsbridge (the street of that name, not the district); Grosvenor Place and a tad bit east of Buckingham Palace Road; Pimlico Road to the south; and Sloane Street to the west. The "unofficial" westernmost streets within this area are in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and can alternatively be considered to be in Knightsbridge and Chelsea, London.
Belgravia is characterised by grand terraces of white stucco houses, and is focused on the Belgrave Square and Eaton Square. It was one of London's most fashionable residential districts from the beginning, and remains so to this day. Belgravia has been the home to notorious characters such as Sir Stanley Baldwin, Mary Shelley, Alfred Tennyson, and Joan Collins. It is a relatively quiet district in the heart of London, contrasting with neighbouring districts which have far more busy shops, large modern office buildings, hotels, and entertainment venues. You will find many embassies located in the area, especially in Belgrave Square.
After World War II some of the largest houses ceased to be used as residences, but the new uses were restricted to certain categories, including embassies, charity headquarters and professional institutes. In the early 21st century some of these houses are being reconverted to residential use, as offices in old houses are no longer as desirable as they were in the post-war decades, while the number of super-rich in London is at a level not seen since at least 1939. Large houses in Belgravia are among the most expensive anywhere in the world, often costing more than £10 million (approximately $19 million in 2005).
Bayswater
If you are thinking about renting a flat in Bayswater, here are some cool facts about the neighborhood: Bayswater is West London, sometimes people confuse it with the West End theatre district just west of The City. Bayswater is located to the north of Bayswater Road and Notting Hill Gate, Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. It is a very nice residential area, with stately homes and foreign embassies. The Bayswater (District Line) and Queensway (Central Line) Tube stations and are just a quite nice short ride to many of London's top attractions including the "iconic" Buckingham Palace, Westminster and Royal London and shopping at Harrods in Knightsbridge. Of course, traveling by the Tube will require you to change lines and master the mysteries of the London Underground.
Cool SItes in the neighborhood: Kensington Palace, Albert Memorial, Royal Albert Hall, the London Toy and Model Museum and the Saturday market at Portobello Road.
March 16, 2006
Westminster
The City of Westminster is located in the heart of London and is home to the Monarchy , the Government and many tourist attractions. Westminster is the focus of London's Tourism offer. It has the largest concentration of visitor attractions in London - including prestigious landmarks such as Buckingham Palace , Westminster Abbey and Trafalgar Square, as well as most of the West End theatres and cinemas, and world famous shopping areas of Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street. It also contains 40% of London's hotels and guest houses.
Westminster is a district within the City of Westminster in London. It is the location of the Palace of Westminster and the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Westminster is situated south west of the City of London and half a mile (0.8 km) south west of Charing Cross.