The Isle of Dogs and Bermondsey, two of our core coverage areas, have been revealed as Top Places to Live in London 2019 in the annual and prestigious Sunday Times awards. Their article is also featured in the Evening Standard.
Topping the list and in first place and perhaps a surprise to some is the Isle of Dogs. However, we’ve been covering the area since the 80s and appreciate the appeal of Docklands living and believe it’s a worthy winner!
The area has long been top of the list as a choice area for those who work in and around Canary Wharf. Many developments and properties are a short walk from Canada Square. Those located further away can be reached using the DLR, which dissects the island and provides an easy commute.
Canary Wharf is the second tallest building in London and home to offices, a transport hub and a bustling shopping centre offering many retail options. Many international cuisine options are available within and around Canary Wharf, along with many bars and pubs.
The Isle of Dogs literally and metaphorically lives in the shadow of Canary Wharf, but the latter is about modern high-rise apartment-style living. The Isle of Dogs is home to various alternative living styles that will appeal to all home seekers.
Marsh Wall is the link road between the east and west tips of the horseshoe, and south of this road is the heart of the Isle of Dogs. Pockets of Victorian-era terraced “Dockers” cottages like Cahir Street or the Neo Georgian style houses in Thermopylae Gate, Macquarie Way, and Chapel House Street form the Chapel House Estate. These locations offer more traditional London-style living with lots of character and benefit from great DLR connections from Mudchute to Canary Wharf or south to Greenwich.
Abundant riverside developments skirt the edge of the horseshoe shape of the Isle of Dogs. These luxury developments existed before their high-rise neighbours and offer excellent value for money compared to their taller and newer counterparts. Our Canary Wharf office is within the Quayside and Cascades development, built in the 1980s by Kentish Homes, it’s a visual landmark, and many of the apartments have stunning river views and balconies.
If you are already tempted, please take a look at our available properties For Sale. Driving down Westferry Road, there are many modern river-fronted developments of note, The Landmark, Millennium Harbour, Seacon Wharf and Arnhem Wharf, to name a few. Further along, is Burrells Wharf Square, a fabulous development of warehouse conversions with lots of quirkiness and character.
Reaching the bottom of the horseshoe, you’ll find Lockes Wharf, St David’s Square, a popular development of apartments and houses. Reaching Island Gardens at the bottom of the Isle of Dogs and Greenwich becomes accessible on foot via the Greenwich Foot Tunnel. You can walk beneath the river rising by the Cutty Sark on the southern bank of the River Thames.
Our mortgage partners Bennison Brown are located on Manchester Road. If you need financial advice, be sure to look them up. On the eastern side of the Isle of Dogs, there is more 80’s developed property. Caledonian Wharf and Storers Quay are good examples. Another is London Yard which, believe it or not, is also home to a small population of terrapins.
Whilst talking about wildlife and in stark contrast to the surrounding modern architecture and offices of Canary Wharf, there is a working and educational farm on the Isle of Dogs, Mudchute Farm.
The Isle of Dogs has Zone 2 transport connections, proximity to Canary Wharf, The City via Bank (DLR) and Greenwich. It has a variety of property styles to suit all tastes, great entertainment, peaceful enclaves, riverside & dockside living. We love it! The Sunday Times article also highlights property prices as a motivating factor noting “that an average property in the area costs more than £100,000 less than the London average – £526,160, compared with £636,215 for the capital as a whole.”
We’ve written all about Last year’s winner of the top accolade, “Bermondsey”, and it has retained its top 10 status in 2019. Of course, it is an area that we are very familiar with, having sold properties here for over 35 years too. Bermondsey is also well placed for access to Canary Wharf, being just two stops away on the Jubilee Line. Canada Water and Surrey Quays lie in between and are areas worthy of consideration for dock and riverside dwellings.
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Alex Neil Estate Agents 