St Johns Wood, London

[ohflowerofscotland]

Just been looking on Rightmove at houses in St John's Wood

What kind of people live here? Do any MNers live there? I am amazed at the house prices, even renting is at least a couple of grand a month!

I know for a fact Damian Lewis lives in Tufnell Park!

Lots of top BBC employees, people that are significant in the Arts/Entertainment industries. I rented a flat in an adjoining neighbourhood for a while.

Drop down over the hill and venture into Marylebone. No mansions because they have all been long converted into flats as it was more lucrative on rent rolls. The Howard de Walden estates control that area. SJW has kind of resisted that, but Malaysian funds (ie Chinese) are buying into SJW and into Hampstead in the present time.

Haha it was a flat in Marylebone that I rented @Al2O3, in a former mansions building!

Those shiny bathroom flors look like deathtraps @ohflowerofscotland

And did I count 13 toilets?

I used to work there (couldn’t afford to live there).
It is vair vair nice. My “money no object” house is on Grove End Road. There are some real areas of deprivation on the edges though.

@Al2O3 You mean Ellsworthy Road, half of it is in Westminster Council area and the other half in Camden.

I had a flat there for a short time while waiting to move house, however I rented it from a friend who owned the entire building and also lived there.

Howard de Walden owns the Harley St. area in Marylebone, Portman Estates owns the rest. I also lived in Marylebone for quite a while and worked in the area. Most of the leases were claimed back from landlords by Portman estates starting in the 90's and they rent the properties out themselves now.

I used to live there. In a TINY flat. It’s very lovely. Jude Law and Kate Moss lived round the corner.

We then moved to West Hampstead which is a bit more ‘normal’ and a fab part of London. I used to see Bill Nighy and Emma Thompson round there a lot, not sure exactly where they live. Oh and most of the cast of Downton Abbey lived round there at one point. I always saw them in Tesco and Nando’s.

My boyfriend lived there (circa 1998-1990). It most definitely was not a shithole then, it was extremely expensive and swanky. He had a well paid job and a small 1 bed flat that belonged to a very wealthy friend of his who let it to him on a reasonable rent because he trusted him to look after the place. It's a lovely area of London because of architecture and general ambience, but at the same time doesn't feel very real as it is mainly extremely rich people who live there, often part time. Same as many of the most expensive areas of London - Belgravia, Knightsbridge, Chelsea, Mayfair, Marylebone etc.

You go to a park round there and every child has a nanny and a pseudo American accent (they are not American children). It makes for utterly fascinating people watching.

I dated an American diplomat who lived in a MASSIVE flat there. First time I went over, he had this long corridor with photos of him with politicians. He made me walk down the corridor looking at them all and telling me who was in each one; it was extremely tiresome.

The sex was terrible, I can't even remember his name now but I do remember that amazing flat.

I love Hampstead but i fear when I buy there with my lottery win I will find it too stuffy. I can spend hours there peeping into flats. There is nothing uder £750 grand Im sure. And thats for ex council houses. I think Belsize Park is less stuffy. Like some one above said, walk five minutes in the wrong direction and you will be sonewhere much more scary.

ohflowerofscotland,
I’m over in East London and the rentals here are between £ 1600 to over £2,700 for a 2 bed, 1 bathroom / 2 toilets /kitchen/diner and small lounge and balcony or if your lucky small garden .
That doesn’t include council tax or bills or any parking .

A month

Yes, indeed, go too far into Belsize Park and it is not very nice at all.

Just remembered, I had a builder who moved to St Johns Wood after he retired. Sold his house in SW London and moved to a flat.

@NameChange84 sounds like Portman Mansions...there are lots of them.

But the flat I grew up in in SE London is now worth 2m so I'm sure it's not unusual. In fact how about a show of hands of anyone who can afford to buy the home they grew up in in London? Thought not.

It was near Great Portland Street Hospital @Dontcallmeshitley

I would love to live in Marylebone if i could afford it.
Some of the town houses off Seymour place are beautiful .

I find SJW really dull. Because it's so pricey, there's loads of streets with no shops you can pop to so it feels dead and lacks the vibrancy of other areas where more of a mix of people can (just about) afford to live. Even if I was minted I wouldn't live there.

Parking a nightmare, amazing deli (won’t say name) but was charged £1.50 for a plum!!
Easy access to town and nice houses but wouldn’t be my first choice, if I had the money it would def be Hampstead/Primrose Hill.

I like the shops in SJW, and there are flats around them, the houses tend to be further away, nice leafy roads.

For expensive houses how about Bishops Avenue?

Bishops Avenue is tack central though, gaudy and horrid.

OMG couldn’t agree more @HerBigChance

Everyone in Barnet wanks on about it; I think it looks like if the Sylvanian Families cross pollinated with the Real Housewives of Cheshire or something

I went for interviews in a few amazing houses there back in the 80s, I was a nanny. One family had a house there, one in the country and one abroad. The kids I would have nannied for went to nursery with Prince William. The mum was a journalist the dad a judge. Can't remember their names, probably dead famous. Another job I went for dad ran coca cola. Fab house. Another job single mum in 3 bed flat in sloane Square, all marble and roses, dressed top to tie in chanel, kid went to dad's in Switzerland every other month.
Another job, mum pop star manager, bought 2 houses and BMW cash.

Can you imagine growing up with that lifestyle?