Marylebone is an area that I know well as it was where I first lived when I moved to London 12 years ago.
I wanted to find an area that was central, lively and near a park. Situated near the West End, between Regent’s Park and Oxford Street, Marylebone fulfils all these criteria.
In the space of a few years, the main area, Marylebone Village, has transformed itself into one of the trendiest areas of the Briitsh capital, with shops such as Skandium, J.Crew, Malene Birger, Anthropology, Aesop and Diptyque popping up.
Food-wise, it hosts one of the best cheesemonger’s in London, la Fromagerie, as well as the renowned butcher’s, The Ginger Pig.
It also boasts a myriad of the most prominent restaurants in London such as Locanda Locatelli by Giorgio Locatelli in Seymour Street, Orrery which is above Conran Shop, The Providores by the New-Zealand chef, Peter Gordon’s, Texture in Portman Street and the famous Chiltern Firehouse by chef Nuno Mendes.
But this transformation hasn’t happened accidentally: it is the work of Howard de Walden Estate, which owns three quarters of the Marylebone area. Over time, Howard de Walden estate have carefully picked restaurants, coffee shops and boutiques which enhance the area and their vision.
Thanks to this commercial success, Marylebone has become one of the nicest and most sought-after areas to live in.
There are 6 times the number of apartments on the market than houses due to its centrality to the city. In the Village, costs are a minimum of £3,200 per month for three bedrooms. In order to buy a house, a minimum budget of a £1.2 million is suggested.