Bayswater

Bayswater is an area of London located between Notting Hill and Marble Arch located both in Westminster and Kensington. It is renowned for its diversity, excellent dining opportunities, green areas, Whitley’s shopping centre, and high quality housing. It is one of London’s most cosmopolitan areas with a large abundance of restaurants, shops, and luxury hotels.

The area’s central location means that it is served by excellent transport links and amenities. It is served by both Queensway and Bayswater stations and Notting Hill Gate is only a short walk away. Moreover, numerous buses run along the Bayswater Road offering easy access to the shopping areas of Oxford and Regent Street, Kensington High Street and Edgware Road. Despite its central London position, Bayswater is surprisingly peaceful once the rush hour ends.

Bayswater is named after Bayard's Spring. In the 19th Century, Bayswater became quite a hip destination. Westbourne Terrace was known as the "finest street in London ". Westbourne Grove and Queensway earned their reputations as great shopping locations which they both still have today. Gentrification has brought immense change to Bayswater over the last 50 years,

The area’s two main centres of activity are Queensway and Westbourne Grove. Queensway It is one of the London's most cosmopolitan areas. Newsagents are abundantly stocked with foreign newspapers, Lebanese and Chinese restaurants stand on every corner, and there are many late-night cafes. Queensway has one of the heaviest concentrations of eating places outside of Soho. Highlights include the upmarket Mandarin Kitchen and the Four Seasons Restaurant which is renowned for its roast duck. Westbourne Grove is world famous for the fact that it has the more restaurants spanning over more international cuisines than pretty much anywhere else in the world.

Bayswater is by no means renowned solely for its dining opportunities. It is also home to Whiteley’s shopping centre, one of the country’s grandest. It was built in 1912 by Belcher and Joass as a fashionable department store that stocked everything from "a pin to an elephant". It was converted in the 1980's into a vibrant shopping centre with a vast array of shops and restaurants as well as a cinema complex. It also has a magnificent Christmas tree which goes on display during the festive period. Westbourne Grove too, has become increasingly popular with the young, designer-led crowd and has some lovely boutiques and galleries. For a cultural experience, St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral on Moscow Road is well worth a visit. With Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens at its fingertips, Bayswater offers a great opportunity to go enjoy some fresh air while Queen’s Ice Bowl is one of London’s only venues that offers both bowling and ice skating facilities.

Once you leave the busy Queensway you'll discover that Bayswater is mostly a residential neighbourhood and a great place to live. The area has smart streets and garden squares lined with Victorian and Georgian stucco terraces, though many of the houses have been converted into flats. The property ranges from very expensive apartments to small studio flats. There are also purpose-built apartment blocks dating from the inter-war period as well as more recent developments. For a one bedroom apartment one would ex around £300 per week, for two bedrooms £500 per week, for three bedrooms £600-£700 per week and for a house, prices start from about £1500 per week and up.