areas within Central London
Even though the immensity of Central London makes it hard to embrace as a whole, the people and culture matter as much as the buildings. To most residents, the city is a collection of communities or villages, once independent but long since swallowed up, along with much of the surrounding countryside, by the expanding metropolis. Like many big cosmopolitan cities, property prices in Central London continue to increase in a competitive seller's market. Whether you are searching for a property in an area that has London's culture on the doorstep, or whether you prefer loft living and are looking for a fashionable area in which to buy property in London, or you maybe searching for a pied-à-terre - you will find it all, and more, in Central London. Marylebone is a lovely area of London benefiting from good transport links, a good selection of schools and a high street boasting smaller retail outlets and specialist shops, as well as banks, building societies and supermarkets. Property for sale in Marylebone varies, from period houses, to large mansion blocks, to Georgian houses and mews cottages. People searching for houses for sale in Marylebone will find that substantial properties can command prices of £2.5m+. Central London is an area where older properties rub shoulders comfortably with new properties, so if you are searching for new homes in London you will be able to find a good selection on the market. Clerkenwell and Finsbury are good examples of where old and new properties sit side by side. Clerkenwell property consists of regency and early Victorian, especially in northern Clerkenwell. New homes in Clerkenwell can be found in loft conversions of commercial warehouses, and in new build luxury apartment blocks. Clerkenwell is located close to the Barbican (cinema, concert hall and exhibition centre) and is convenient for commuting into the City and the Docklands. South Kensington is an area that has benefited from recent development and improvement, with further redevelopment around South Kensington Station in the pipeline. The rental market in Central London is buoyant, so, if you are relocating to London, you might prefer to rent whilst familiarising yourself with London's different areas. You will find a good selection of houses to rent in London and flats to rent in London advertised by London estate agents. The type of property for sale across Central London is varied, and includes developments of brand new flats, apartments in period buildings, terraced houses, Georgian houses, Victorian townhouses, Edwardian houses, mews properties and flats in modern purpose built blocks.
Living in Central London
At the centre of this patchwork city is a common area of shared London, a London of work and play. London is an ancient city, dating back to Roman times. Foreign forces have not occupied the city since the Normans arrived in 1066 and, although it was relentlessly bombed during World War II, most of its iconic buildings survived.
London is Europe's richest city and a key financial centre. Many people flock to London in search of improved employment prospects, as the wages average 20% higher than those in the rest of the country. London has just over 300,000 students in higher education and a work force of 3.4 million. People who are considering relocating to Central London will discover a buoyant job market, with London playing host to many company headquarters. More than half of the UK's top 100 listed companies (the FTSE 100) and over 100 of Europe's 500 largest companies have headquarters in central London. Along with professional services, the media industry is London's second most competitive sector. Many national newspapers are edited in London, many based around Canary Wharf. The Telegraph is currently relocating to state of the art new offices in Victoria. Tourism is also one of London's other prime industries and employed the equivalent of 350,000 full-time workers in London in 2003.
Families with children who are searching for property for sale in Central London will find a wide selection of schools to suit children of all ages, from kindergarten right through to college and university. London is home to some of the best schools and universities in the UK, including Harrow School for boys and the famous RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art), and the LSE (London School of Economics).
Napoleon was being scornful when he called Britain a nation of shopkeepers, but with shopping one of today's most popular leisure activities, Londoners have access to some of the finest stores in the world - from department stores to exquisite specialty and designer shops. Like most other major cities, London has its share of national and global chain stores, but individuality still rules here and the real pleasure is in finding these areas. You can explore the famous antique market at Portobello Road, Camden Lock market, or travel south across the river to Greenwich and visit the market there, where you will find arts and crafts, antiques and secondhand books and records. Soho's network of small streets is crowded with smaller shops and boutiques, and is renowned for its many restaurants, wine bars, theatres and lively club scene. Oxford Street is one of the best-known shopping streets in the world and is home to many large department stores and shops (Selfridges, John Lewis, and one of Marks & Spencer's flagship stores). Tottenham Court Road runs north from the eastern end of Oxford Street towards the north of the city centre, and is best known for its plethora of hi-fi, computer and electronics stores.
Following all that shopping you will be in need of some sustenance. With over 6,000 restaurants in Central London, all tastes and budgets are catered for. This diverse city has a truly international flavour and is a paradise for food lovers. According to a recent report, London's restaurants dominate the UK's eating-out scene. London offers a huge variety of cuisines as a result of its ethnically diverse population, well-known gastronomic centres include the Bangladeshi restaurants of Brick Lane and the Chinese food of Chinatown. Soho offers a variety of relatively cheap international restaurants, whilst more upmarket restaurants are scattered around Central London, with concentrations in Mayfair.
It is impossible to be bored in Central London as there is so much to do. London is a global venue, where culture from around the world comes together. There are world premiers of eastern European ballet rubbing shoulders with Latin American drummers, and Asian theatre stands next to contemporary jazz. Spending time in the capital doesn't have to mean sacrificing fresh air, nature and wildlife. There are plenty of green and open spaces to enjoy (there are eight royal parks in London).
You may choose to visit one of London's many museums and historical landmarks - whatever you want, London has it.
Transport in Central London
Residents of Central London benefit from one of the most extensive public transport networks in the world. The centrepiece of the public transport network is the London Underground which serves the central area and most suburbs to the north of the Thames, whilst those to the south are served by an extensive suburban rail network.
London is the hub of the UK's rail network, with frequent services to all corners of the UK from the city's ten centrally-located railway stations. The London bus network caters for most local journeys, and night buses (prefixed with the letter 'N') come on duty before the tube network shuts down and the daytime buses return to their garages. London is also a global transport network - it is possible to travel to all of London's five airports from central London. With the forthcoming opening of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link extension, high-speed trains will travel straight into the city centre, and mainline Europe will be just two hours away. People who bring their cars into Central London are required to pay £8 per day to drive within a defined zone (as a rough guide, the congestion charge zone is south of the Euston Rd, west of Commercial Street, north of Kennington Lane and east of Park Lane).
Delicious
Digg
Google
Facebook
Stumbleupon
Live
