All Good In The Wood

St John’s Wood, NW8, was recently ranked by Forbes as the fifth most expensive postcode in London with an average sale price of nearly £2m. It is home to some of the most exclusive properties in the world, and consequently some of the most famous names in business and entertainment.

Paul McCartney, James Kaan, Mel Smith, Ewan McGregor, and until recently Kate Moss, all endorse this particular pocket of Central London, so what is it that makes it such a sought-after address?

Favourably situated on the doorstep of both Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill, St John’s Wood boasts low-density villa-style housing and stylish apartment buildings. Its most desirable streets, such as Hamilton Terrace, are known for their substantial houses and unusually large gardens.

The area is extremely well served by transport links, with St John’s Wood and Maida Vale Underground stations providing easy access to the West End, the City and Canary Wharf, and Paddington and St Pancras providing excellent international links via Heathrow and the Eurostar.

Locally, the high street provides a mix of high-end independent boutiques and eateries. The eclectic shops of Marylebone High Street and the internationally-renowned retailers on Bond Street are also not far away.

Parents here are blessed with an abundance of outstanding private schools and colleges, including the American School and the London Business School, the latter regarded as one of the world’s best business schools.

The area is particularly well served medically by The Wellington Hospital, the largest independent hospital in the UK, the Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth which is one of the country’s leading charity hospitals, and, less than two miles away, the world-renowned medical destination of Harley Street.

St John’s Wood has all the ingredients of an exclusive address, offering access to the highest-standard amenities that the world’s wealthy are accustomed to having at hand, from shopping to medical treatment.

As such, it is hardly surprising that premium prices are being achieved, particularly for apartments in exclusive portered buildings that are most attractive to international investors, with Eastern European, Indian, Middle Eastern and closer to home, the French, the most active current buyers in the area.

Despite widespread concern over Greece resulting in fears for the future of the Euro, St John’s Wood continues to attract international buyers who justifiably perceive London to be a secure and tolerant city in which to invest.

For more info: 020 7724 4724; astonchase.com