Located in West London, Maida Vale is certainly one of the prettiest and most picturesque areas of the British capital, and one of the best connected areas in terms of transport.
The name Maida Vale comes from the Hero of Maida, a pub in Edgware Road, which opened in 1810 a few years after the British defeated the army of Napoleon at the battle of Maida, a village in Calabria, southern Italy in 1806.
Geographically, Maida Vale is surrounded by St John’s Wood to the East, Kilburn to the North, Kensal Green to the West and Bayswater/Paddington to the South.
One of the biggest assets of the area is the Regent’s Canal and its elegant neoclassical stucco mansions with wide tree-lined avenues. The surrounding of the canal is known locally as “Little Venice”.
It offers large communal gardens and red-brick mansion blocks from the late Victoria and Edwardian eras.
In comparison to its rival area, Notting Hill, which offers plenty of charm and pricey “trophy homes”, more affordable properties are available to rent, for example in period conversions or in Victorian mansion blocks.
Like Notting Hill, Maida Vale is well known for its independent cafés, shops and restaurants which give the area a lovely “Villagey” feel. In Clifton Villas, Clifton Nurseries is one of London’s loveliest garden centers with its own café, The Quince Tree. Worth mentioning as well, two canal side restaurants: The Waterway, with a large outdoor terrace on Formosa Street, and The Summerhouse on Bloomfield Road.
On the green side, the Paddington Recreation Ground is the local park with tennis courts, and Regent’s Park is close by. There are also plenty of canal-side walks and cycle rides to do.
Maida Vale can be a place of great contrasts regarding its property market, but in average, a good three bed to rent will cost you from 3,000 £/month upwards.
For a splendid 3 bed flat in a stucco mansion close to the canal, the budget will be more likely around the 6,000£ /month price tag.
Prices April 2017