PROPERTY
PROPERTY The In-Demand London Locations To Bookmark For Rentals As offices across London fill up and international audiences return, the capital is roaring back to its brilliant best. Summer in the city means park life, open-air dining and vibrant culture: London is buzzing once more. As the city shakes off its lockdown lethargy, rental markets are buoyant. Average rental values in prime central London registered a 4.2% rise in the three months to October 2021, the highest quarterly figure since March 2011, with low supply and increasing demand adding a further 3.5% increase in the first three months of this year according to Knight Frank’s Prime London Rental Index. We take a look at the super six areas of London where we have registered the strongest rental growth to understand their enduring appeal.
King’s Cross
A Regeneration Success Story In The City Centre Welcome to one of central London’s most transformed areas where substantial investment has added new buildings and renovated historic warehouses to create a regenerated, diverse neighbourhood. Camden and Islington are near neighbours, Marylebone is to the west and Oxford Street is a level walk away. Excellent transport links - five tube lines and fourteen bus routes - make getting to every corner of the city a breeze, and there’s the bonus of wonderful WWW.THEAMERICANHOUR.COM
rail connections with trains from St Pancras Station ready to whisk you to Kent, and even across to Europe on the magnificent Eurostar. Heathrow and Gatwick airports are around one hour away. Cultural highlights within touching distance include the British Museum and British Library with Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks among its haul of 14 million books, while revamped restaurants and cafés make King’s Cross a perfect evening out. Don’t miss those on the cobbles of Coal Drops Yard, a “shopping and lifestyle district”. There’s a bustling student population – one reason why the nightlife is especially stirring and why rent demand is high – with Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design and the Central School of Ballet adding distinct artistic flair. Schools include King’s Cross Academy, Camden School for Girls and Queen’s College London, and for further family entertainment consider a stroll along Regents Canal or dodge the jet fountains on Granary Square. Shops, boutiques, culture, nightlife and fun: there’s a reason why Google and Meta have moved into King’s Cross. This is London at its most exciting, still with a touch of its edgy past, but totally swinging.
Bayswater
A Cosmopolitan Neighbourhood With Genuine Community Spirit Leafy garden squares, glorious Royal Parks, spacious apartments and some notable
high-end developments: Bayswater offers a front row seat in central London with a decidedly green edge. This W2 postcode is centred around 350-acres of world-famous Hyde Park, established as a 16th Century hunting ground for King Henry VIII, and today a venue for summer picnics and spectacular music events. Row across the Serpentine, view the contemporary art in the Serpentine Galleries, watch the horses canter along Rotten Row or go for a jog. Elegant property options include classic white-stucco houses, apartments in 1930 mansion blocks, mews homes and superprime penthouses. There are fine dining and designer shopping options nearby with Mayfair, Kensington and Knightsbridge all encircling Hyde Park, and the bright lights of Oxford Street are on hand. Excellent transport connections include access to Heathrow airport, the Cotswolds and the West Country by road or by rail from nearby Paddington, and the long awaited Elizabeth Line should provide a real spur, connecting to Liverpool Street in the City in 10 minutes and Canary Wharf in 17 minutes. Bayswater is a favourite with international families and the range of schools is pleasingly wide. Look at Weatherby Prep, Connaught House and Pembridge Hall for younger children, and for senior schools, International Community School and a little further afield, St Paul’s Boys and Girls Schools. WWW.AMERICANINBRITAIN.CO.UK
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