With its grand Georgian townhouses and elegant squares, the idea of describing any part of the W1 postcode as up and coming sounds rather dubious. But — by prime Central London standards at least — West Marylebone is an unfashionable address on the rise. East Marylebone is already one of the most chic places to live in Central London, its fortunes inextricably linked to those of the deeply on-trend Marylebone High Street.
But the streets to the west of Baker Street have struggled without a focal point. And, rather astonishingly, the inconvenience of having to walk 15 minutes to get to Waitrose has historically lowered their prices by about 20 per cent.
All this could be about to change, however. Over the past few years the area’s great landlord, the Portman Estate, has been quietly reacquiring the leases of buildings in the area that it now styles Portman Village. It has spent millions on refurbishing the slightly peeling structures and reletting them to high-end gastropubs, boutiques and delis in the hope of creating a new rival to Marylebone High Street in the heart of West Marylebone.
Where is it?
West Marylebone is sandwiched between Oxford Street, Baker Street, Marylebone Road and Edgware Road. Portman Village lies within it, centred on Seymour Place and New Quebec Street.
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What are the transport links like?
Residents are spoilt for choice, with Marylebone and Marble Arch Tube stations to the north and south. There are Chiltern Mainline services from Marylebone. You can walk around Central London with ease but if you do insist on a car, parking can be a bit of a scrum.
What’s the property like?
In a word, glorious. Classic townhouses, many converted into flats, and pretty mews cottages, interspersed with redbrick Victorian mansion blocks. According to Simon Hedley, director of Druce estate agents, you would pay £750,000 to £850,000 for a two-bed flat in West Marylebone (compared with £950,000 to £1.1 million for a flat offering the same square footage in East Marylebone).
A two to three-bedroom townhouse will set you back from £1.2 million, while a mews cottage would set you back between £1.8 million and £2.2 million. At the top end you could easily spend up to £10 million on a house on either Bryanston Square or Montagu Square.
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Who lives there?
You may spot Madonna who, though she is currently in New York, has kept her house in West Marylebone, while Peter York also has a home in the area. Cate Blanchett recently sold a flat on Bryanston Square. But because properties in West Marylebone are generally a bit smaller and less grand than in the east it attracts an interesting mix of entrepreneurs and media types rather than stuffy old money and oligarchs.
Is it leafy?
The set-piece garden squares are reserved for residents, although anyone who lives or works within the Portman Estate can book the Portman Square tennis court for £10 an hour. The lack of green space is not a problem, though; West Marylebone has not one but two Royal Parks (Hyde and Regent’s) within walking distance.
What about the local facilities?
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The council-owned Seymour Leisure Centre has a pool and a gym. Catch a movie at the Screen on Baker Street.
What’s the high street like?
Not as much choice as Marylebone High Street — but not nearly so many tourists either. There are enough upmarket boutiques (Saltwater, Osman and Ronen Chen to name but three) to make a serious dent in the Gold Card. Double use seems to be the name of the game here: Vinoteca is a wine bar and shop, while Seaport is a restaurant and fishmonger.
What’s new?
The postwar Marble Arch House, which currently looms grimly over Seymour Place in the heart of Portland Village, is to be revamped by the developer British Land as flats, shops and offices by 2013. The former base of the Sylvia Young Theatre School has just been sold and is to be redeveloped as a special-needs school.
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Are there restaurants and bars?
Gary Rhodes has a restaurant, Rhodes W1, which is within the Cumberland Hotel, and Portman Village, particularly Seymour Place and New Quebec Street, has some more relaxed dining choices, including The Grazing Goat.
What’s the nightlife like?
The West End is within walking distance, so you’re spoilt for choice, but if you want a late drink all roads lead to the private members’ club Home House.
How about the schools?
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Hampden Gurney Church of England Primary School is “excellent” according to Ofsted, while St Mary’s Bryanston Square is “good”. At senior level there is plenty of local choice for girls, including the private Queen’s College (alma mater of the Geldof sisters) or the state school St Marylebone C of E School, which has been rated as “excellent”. However, boys need to travel farther to class because, oddly, there are no boys’ schools within West Marylebone. Westminster and University College schools are close enough for fee-paying parents to consider. In the state sector boys can commute to St John’s Wood for the “outstanding” Quintin Kynaston.
Any architectural landmarks?
The West London Synagogue is one of the oldest Jewish places of worship in the UK. The Neo-Classical St Mary’s Church, Bryanston Square, was designed by the architect Sir Robert Smirke, who also created the British Museum.