Rail
King’s Cross
St. Pancras
Euston
Underground
King’s Cross - Zone 1
Euston - Zone 1

Centre of one of the world’s most prominent re-developments, properties in this area benefit not only from excellent local access by road and rail but a fast link to the continent via the new Channel Tunnel extension.

The exciting work going on in King’s cross brings together commercial, public and residential spaces in a scheme designed to ensure that it becomes and remains a keystone region for international business as well as being a viable choice for domestic companies. As a result, prominent organisations ranging from Sainsbury’s to the Guardian newspaper are moving in, bringing a real cachet to this long-neglected corner of London. With nearly five million square ft. of new office space approved plus the wide choice of existing property along the Euston Road corridor, you are certain to find something to suit your requirements in a part of town very much on the up and up.

Underground
Goodge Street - Zone 1
Tottenham Court Road - Zone 1
Oxford Circus - Zone 1

With its strong literary associations, Fitzrovia and NoHo still have a seam of their old Bohemianism in the streets, cafés and bars centred around Charlotte Street.

Long associated with the clothing trade, advertising, television and architecture professionals are now drawn here, attracted by a part of town which has a creative atmosphere but without the frenetic buzz of Soho. With Euston Road marking its northern boundary and the shops of Oxford Street to the south, Fitzrovia is an incredibly advantageous location for any business wishing to take advantage of a truly central address but with easy road access to the north.

Buildings range from the Edwardian Quaker-built mansion blocks which lend so much to the atmosphere of understated class to newly-built offices, capable of accommodating large staffing requirements in high-tech splendour.

Rail
Charing Cross
Underground
Leicester Square - Zone 1
Oxford Circus - Zone 1
Piccadilly Circus - Zone 1
Tottenham Court Road - Zone 1

Soho has undergone something of a transformation since the early 1980s and is now renowned as a world centre for the creative business that make up much of the British film, television and advertising industries. Happily, though, the streets have not been over-sanitised, leaving Soho with an edge which lends itself to the 24-hour life led here.

Properties are a variety of old and new and, though smaller offices in converted buildings predominate, there are plenty of larger units to handle the most demanding requirements.

Retail opportunities abound, with a vibrant, high-spending crowd typifying the passing trade. The large number of restaurants, bars and clubs brings in a constant stream of potential customers, seeking something different from the usual high-street fare.

For the commercial occupier, Soho is about as central and characterful as it gets.

Rail
Charing Cross
Underground
Charing Cross - Zone 1
Green Park - Zone 1
Piccadilly Circus - Zone 1

Wide and straight, Piccadilly is closer in feel to some of the grand European boulevards than to most other London streets. The grand private homes which originally filled the area have now mostly been demolished in favour of elegant terraces or institutionalised, as in the case of Burlington House, home of the Royal Academy and once Sir John Denham’s house.

Running from Piccadilly Circus to Hyde Park corner, the road houses more businesses that a casual glance might indicate. Though the up-market shops and arcades are the most conspicuous, much of the real-estate is given over to premium office space. Excellent public transport links make this location particularly well-suited to any business wishing to ensure staff spend more time at their desks and less on the Underground. At the same time, it is a world-famous address which speaks volumes about any business based here.

Rail
Victoria
Underground
St. James Park - Zone 1
Victoria - Zone 1

St. James’s Square play host to a wide variety of businesses who appreciate the calm discretion they offer. This is definitely not a place to expect noise and brashness.

Properties tend to be fitted to the very highest of standards and attract businesses keen to rub shoulders with neighbours of the calibre of BP, RTZ and Christie’s.

Although, of course, there is nothing to stop the newest of companies taking space in St. James’s, it is practically tailor-made for those who have been around for a long time and want to declare their intention to be there for many years to come.

Underground
Bond Street - Zone 1
Green Park - Zone 1
Hyde Park Corner - Zone 1
Marble Arch - Zone 1
Oxford Circus - Zone 1
Piccadilly Circus - Zone 1

Mayfair lies in the square described by Park Lane, Oxford Street, Regent’s Street and Piccadilly. It was originally comprehensively developed between the mid seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and many freeholds are still in the hands of the Grosvenor and Crown Estates.

Though there is still plentiful, if expensive, residential stock, Mayfair is predominantly a place for making and spending money. Luxury shopping, bespoke tailoring and art dealers make up much of the street frontage with world class hotels such as Claridge’s taking up their own share of the elegant buildings. Commercial tenants have much to gain from locating in Mayfair, not least because the entire area seems to draw serious capital without having to try too hard. Several hedge funds are located here, preferring it to the grey streets of the City and there are many flagship offices to be found.

Having six Underground stations to serve it but all on its borders, Mayfair enjoys the benefits of fantastic transport links but none of the drawbacks. Its streets are not clogged with tourists but remain amazingly quiet for such a central part of London.

Rail
Essex Road
Highbury & Islington
Underground
Angel - Zone 1
Highbury & Islington - Zone 2

To this day Islington retains a sense of space unlike many other of London’s districts and an identity which makes it feel very much like its own village rather than just another tangle of anonymous roads. At the foot of the hill upon which Islington stands are Clerkenwell and Sadler’s Wells, names of just two of the many springs which emerge here and were tapped long ago for use across the whole city.

From a low-point after the Second World War, deprived local conditions gave way in the 1960s to the first signs of gentrification. The terraced streets of Georgian houses were renovated and Islington began to develop and capitalise upon an arty reputation.

The Agricultural Hall was re-opened as the Business Design Centre in 1986 and hosts high-profile events which draw in visitors from around the world. This and the high concentration of bars and restaurants ensure a buzz which might be lacking if it were a more exclusively residential area. There is a wide variety of office stock available, much of it in converted period buildings. Lying just outside the very heart of town, Islington provides the best of both worlds, with the City and West End a stone’s throw away but with fast access to M1 and the north. For this reason alone it is favoured by many businesses that require a London base but cannot afford to be cut off from the rest of the country.

Rail
Camden Road
Kentish Town
Kentish Town West
Underground
Camden Town - Zone 2
Chalk Farm - Zone 2
Kentish Town - Zone 2
Mornington Crescent - Zone 2

Lying just north of the hubbub of the West End, Camden and Kentish Town are a strange but satisfying mixture of old and new, rich and poor. Much of the unique feel of this district is due to the presence here of one of Europe’s most visited tourist destinations, Camden Market. Though much of the more obvious business done here capitalises upon the enormous numbers of visitors, this is not a space exclusively dedicated to play.

With the King’s Cross development just to the south and excellent road and rail links, office space here represents a chance to locate somewhere truly vibrant with an eye to the lucrative opportunities right on the doorstep. With the West End only a few minutes away down Hampstead Road, this is an area with all the benefits of a central location but with significantly lower rents and an informal personality much more suited to businesses which don’t feel completely at ease in more uptight districts.

Rail
Paddington
Underground
Bayswater - Zone 1
Edgware Road - Zone 1
Paddington - Zone 1

Paddington station was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and opened in 1854 and to this day continues to give an identity to the district. Unlike other parts of the city with a very definite centre or focus, here streets of white stuccoed terraces dominate.

Much work has been done in recent years to reinvigorate this area, with schemes such as Paddington Basin bringing in vast amounts of investment and making it an extremely attractive proposition for any business seeking something a little different.

The Westway (A40) provides fast access to Heathrow and the west, a vital consideration for businesses which cannot afford to be restricted by public transport and the difficulties of driving inside the Congestion Charge Zone.

Underground
Baker Street - Zone 1
Edgware Road - Zone 1
Marble Arch - Zone 1
Marylebone - Zone 1

An elegant collection of streets, Marylebone gets its name from the St. Mary’s Church (now St. Marylebone Parish Church) which was built by the banks of the river or “bourne” of Tyburn, which was long ago covered over, like many of London’s smaller rivers.

Although it has a very comfortable residential feel to many of the streets, Marylebone is well-provided for with a wide selection of offices, ranging from conversions to modern blocks. With the Westway on its northern edge, providing immediate access to west London and Heathrow, it is excellently positioned to make the most of a central location that is on the right side of town for businesses seeking the fastest route to the M4 corridor.

Much of Marylebone retains a strong hint of its recent past as one of London’s last remaining villages, with twisting roads and smaller buildings. However, for the most part it gives businesses the opportunity to acquire entirely modern office space behind some of the most elegant facades in town.

Rail
Blackfriars
Waterloo
Underground
Blackfriars - Zone 1
Borough - Zone 1
Southwark - Zone 1
Waterloo - Zone 1

Outside the City itself, few areas of London can have had as long and interesting a history as Southwark. From early days, this part of the Thames’ south bank was where the residents of the north came to enjoy the theatres, inns and darker pleasures on offer here. As well as being the site of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, it is where London Bridge has always met this side of the river, where the Clink prison was located and where vast amounts of the city’s wealth arrived in the form of cargo via the numerous wharves to be processed in the now long-gone factories.

Major changes have occurred in recent years, bringing the entire stretch between Waterloo and Tower Bridges up to a standard unimaginable in earlier times when this was a harsh, squalid place to work and live. The incredible success of the Tate Modern, linked to the refreshed St. Paul’s by the elegant Millennium Bridge, brings in millions of visitors a year and the re-invention of Borough Market as a foodie’s paradise cements the reputation of the area as somewhere of quality and ease.

Offices here have excellent access to all parts of the City and West End, with the bonus of a relaxed but purposeful atmosphere. The wide choice of public transport links make commutes for staff easy while the proximity to so many cultural amenities creates a great base for organisations which thrive away from more traditionally business-focused areas.

Underground
Barons Court - Zone 2
Hammersmith - Zone 2
Ravenscourt Park - Zone 2

Hammersmith, lying five miles to the west of Charing Cross, was developed relatively later than many other parts of town, when the railway arrived. This, the Thames on its southern edge and the presence of the Great West Road (the A4) running through it, mean that it has always been a place of easy communication and, in great part, dedicated to warehousing and manufacturing.

A thriving district, Hammersmith is, in many ways, almost like a town to itself and is fully served with large retail areas to serve the massive stock of housing.

Commercial property is plentiful and available right up to the very largest practical within an urban area. It is for this reason that it is so popular a location for space hungry occupiers such as Bechtel, Coca-Cola, Disney, EMI, L'Oreal, Sony Ericsson, World Wrestling Entertainment, AOL UK, and Accor UK who all have major offices here.

Underground
Sloane Square - Zone 1

Chelsea is an old part of London, predating its mention in the Domesday Book by some significant time. Its name comes from the Anglo-Saxon for “chalk wharf,” indicating its original purpose to the city.

Since the earliest days, it has always been a place for the wealthy, and was once described as “a village of palaces,” with grand housing set amongst the market gardens which fed Londoners until the middle of the 19th century.

Though there are certainly more inexpensive areas for the office occupier to consider, Chelsea is a unique environment in a class of its own. Devoid of the tower blocks and faceless units making up much of London’s business stock there is a human scale to buildings which will certainly contribute towards a contended workforce who will find themselves working in one of the most pleasant parts of town.

Underground
Hyde Park Corner - Zone 1
Knightsbridge - Zone 1
Lancaster Gate - Zone 1
Marble Arch - Zone 1

If most London districts are defined by particular buildings or streets, it is very much the enormous expanse Hyde Park itself which dominates here. As with so many of the capital’s parks, it was for many years a private hunting ground owned by the King. Henry VIII originally took it from the ownership of Westminster Abbey and its use slowly evolved from then. Extensive landscaping in the 18th century transformed it into the park we see today and it has for centuries been used for great public gatherings and events, most famously the Great Exhibition of 1851.

Offices are appropriately appointed for the area and located between the luxury hotels and lavish apartment blocks which line the streets. As with many of the more upmarket districts, most are conversions within period buildings and, as such, provide elegant working environments and an impressive place in which to welcome visitors.

Rail
Victoria
Underground
Hyde Park Corner - Zone 1
Knightsbridge - Zone 1
Sloane Square - Zone 1
Victoria - Zone 1

Famed for its luxurious homes and shopping, Knightsbridge represents some of the Europe’s most sought-after real estate. Many of the real treasures to be found in this neighbourhood are tucked away in the form of beautiful private gardens or walled houses. Much of the more obvious commercial property is taken up by the flagship stores of many of the most recognisable brands in the world, with the amazing terracotta edifice of Harrod’s being the most conspicuous.

As one might expect, office space in Knightsbridge does not tend towards the budget, though that is not to say that it is a prohibitively-priced area; a variety of purpose- built blocks and conversions provide a great choice of accommodation. The convenience of several rail and Underground stations makes it a surprisingly appropriate choice for business that have to consider ease of access for both staff and visitors.

Rail
Charing Cross
Underground
Covent Garden - Zone 1
Charing Cross - Zone 1
Leicester Square - Zone 1

If anywhere has shown how successful inner-city redevelopment can really be, it is Covent Garden. Settled since Roman times it was for centuries the garden providing for the Convent of St. Peter, Westminster. Over time, it fed much of the rest of London until Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries and seized the land. Much of it was immediately built upon, such as by Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, who began building Somerset House in 1548.

Between then and now, much has happened here. Gentrification, in the form of the designs of the architect Inigo Jones provided housing for those with deep pockets whilst the market continued to grow in importance to London until moved to its new location in Nine Elms due to the impracticability of operating a commercial market in the middle of a modern city.

The redevelopment which followed this has resulted in an area which combines a world-renowned tourist destination with an excellent place in which to locate a business. Due to the enduring interest in the area, serious investment gives rise to a constantly-evolving stock of offices. Whether you are looking for a small, quirky building or a large, traditional work-space, it is all to be found here.

Underground
Chancery Lane - Zone 1
Holborn - Zone 1

Holborn is a fascinating area, showing signs of just about every stage in its story, from being a place cultivated by the English herbalist John Gerard in the 16th century, to a place much loved for its inns and theatres to a home for London’s legal profession.

Original Tudor half-timbering faces the terracotta magnificence of the Prudential Building, with modern structures of every period since making up the rest.

Holborn represents an excellent strategic opportunity, lying between Westminster and the City. Ease of access by road, rail and underground make this a major hub for London and an incredibly advantageous location for an office wishing to make best use of all the potential lying to either side.

Rail
Blackfriars
Barbican
Cannon Street
City Thameslink
Fenchurch Street
Underground
Aldgate - Zone 1
Bank - Zone 1
Blackfriars - Zone 1
Barbican - Zone 1
Cannon Street - Zone 1
Liverpool Street - Zone 1
Mansion House - Zone 1
Moorgate - Zone 1
Monument - Zone 1
St. Paul’s - Zone 1
Tower Gateway - Zone 1
Tower Hill - Zone 1

The City is truly the heart of London, the original site chosen by the Romans to build the trading post of Londinium and continually occupied for two thousand years. It is impossible to over-estimate the richness of its history or its place at the centre of the British economy for all of its existence.

With only 10,000 residents to 350,000 commuting workers, it is unashamedly focused on wealth creation and, consequently, the availability of every conceivable style and capacity of office is higher than perhaps anywhere else in the world.

Other districts may have their own distinct personalities and have a great deal to offer but nowhere will inspire your organisation towards profit more than the City.

Underground
St. Paul’s - Zone 1

Clearly, the single most dominant feature of the area is Sir Christopher Wren’s stunning cathedral, now gleaming after a £40m to mark its 300th anniversary. Its position on the hill marks the transition between the monolithic financial institutions of the City and the smaller scale of Holborn, Smithfield and The Barbican to the west and north. The recent redevelopment of Paternoster Square from a much- despised example of Sixties brutalism into a modern user-friendly space, with modern office buildings forming much of the brick and stone structures which echo Wren’s own style. The work done here has kick-started much competitive building and refurbishment in the surrounding streets and lanes, giving prospective occupiers a tempting choice of some of the most desirable, yet affordable space on offer anywhere in London.

Rail
Farringdon
Underground
Chancery Lane - Zone 1
Farringdon - Zone 1

From a historical background of Monasteries, prisons and fashionable living, Clerkenwell has moved through periods of transformation including being something of a spa resort. Indeed, the name itself comes from the Clerk’s Well in Farringdon Lane; with Sadler’s Wells nearby indicating the importance of the springs which made this area so vital to London.

Clerkenwell Green was long a meeting point for radicals and Lenin himself lived for a while at Percy Circus, just to the north. Eventually, however, the light industry and workshops which filled many of the buildings in the area fell into decline and, though the post-war work done by those such as Lubetkin did much to improve things it is mostly the ongoing gentrification since the mid-1990s which defines it today.

Offices benefit from the excellent services running through Farringdon and the direct road route west means the West End is only a few minutes away by public transport or car. With the departure of some large tenants, such as the Guardian and Observer newspapers, to the newly-developed King’s Cross, Clerkenwell represents an opportunity in the making for businesses wanting to capitalise upon the changes this will bring to the neighbourhood.

Rail
Liverpool Street
Underground
Old Street - Zone 1

Once a watchword for urban decay, the last decade has seen a very modern twist on gentrification take place at this, the border between central and east London. Unlike some other parts of the city which have become bland and over-polished, Old Street and Shoreditch have clung onto their ragged edges which make them irresistible to the legions of design, film and creative businesses which have packed the loft-conversions and modern office blocks.

If modern Clerkenwell, just down the road, is typified by the discreetly-housed architectural practices on its leafy streets, Old Street can point to tenants such as the ultra-hip Dazed and Confused magazine as key to its revival. That said, with the restored St. Luke’s Church housing the London Symphony Orchestra and the Barbican Centre just a few hundred yards down Whitecross Street, this is somewhere offering a genuinely high quality of life to commercial and residential tenants alike.

Much of the office stock is in imaginatively-adapted spaces, though there is plenty available in purpose-built blocks. For somewhere right on the doorstep of the City and a short distance just a few minutes from the West End, rents are significantly lower than might be expected. An added attraction is that the eastern half of Old Street lies outside the Congestion Charge Zone.