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Property for sale or rent in Paddington W2
There are two well-known statues in Paddington mainline station. One is of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who built the station. The other is of a small, friendly fictional bear inordinately fond of marmalade sandwiches. Depending on your point of view, those two characters sum up what most people think of when you say the word ‘Paddington’: Paddington station or Paddington bear.
Which is not to say that Paddington isn’t a great place to live. It’s just that in and of itself, its many attractions are of the low key variety. There are none of the grand buildings, parks, monuments or other landmarks which are characteristic of so much of central London. Not unless you include St Mary’s Hospital (where Princes William and Harry were both born) or Paddington Green police station, where some rather more infamous characters have ended up, it being the most important high security police station in the country.
There is, however, a wealth of fascinating small shops (and some larger, well-known retail names as well). The famous Portobello Road market is also not far away to the west. Its convenient location makes it a favourite with tourists, but many young professionals live in the area, and there are plenty of media companies small and large to be found.
The station complex itself is nothing special from the outside, set as it is alongside and under a long thin city block with Praed Street to the front and Bishop’s Bridge Road to the rear. Unlike other major London stations, none of the boundary streets are major thoroughfares.
The surrounding area is largely residential, and also has many hotels. The neighbourhood as a whole has been transformed in recent years. The oldest part is Paddington Green, which was designated as a separate conservation area in 1988, having previously been part of the Maida Vale conservation area.
Also the subject of regeneration is Paddington Waterside, formerly rundown railway and canal-side land. It’s just down the road from Little Venice, perhaps the most attractive waterside residential area in all London.
Famous residents of Paddington at one time or another have included Elvis Costello, Joan Collins, Kiefer Sutherland, footballers Joe Cole and Les Ferdinand and Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the scout movement, while Lucien Freud had studios there for many years.
Properties in Paddington
Growing in popularity, Paddington has a large choice of properties ranging from the studio flat to the large town house or apartment. There are also lots of new developments, including some very attractive canal-side ones. With the Heathrow Express connecting to the airport in half an hour, it’s a favoured area for the frequent traveller who wants to remain close to the attractions of London.
Buying or renting in Paddington – useful information
Transport links – excellent, with Paddington itself on no fewer than five separate tube lines, although watch out which entrance you take, as the Bakerloo line is essentially separate, and you’ll have a long walk if you find yourself on the other side of the tube station. The mainline station will take you to almost anywhere in the West of the UK, as well as Heathrow. Other nearby tube stations include Royal Oak, Bayswater, Edgware Road and Westbourne Park. For more details, see Transport for London
Schools – There are plenty of good primary schools in and around Paddington, and a couple of good secondaries not far away, including North Westminster Community School and the independent Lansdowne College. For more information, see the School League Tables
Places of interest in Paddington – Little Venice • Paddington Basin • Paddington Station (have a look at those statues and the magnificent architecture next time you’re catching a train • St Mary’s Church, Paddington Green • Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum (at St Mary’s Hospital) • Portobello Market
Local Authority – Westminster. Details of amenities, council tax rates and more are on the Westminster Council website
Find out more about property in Paddington
Outlet Estate Agents offers a good selection of property of all types and sizes for both sale and rent in Paddington. For current property, see properties to rent or for sale in Paddington
In addition, anyone with property to rent or for sale in Paddington or elsewhere in Central London is welcome to contact us.
We’ve also got property guides covering nearby areas. These include:
Notting Hill Property Guide
Bayswater Property Guide
Shepherds Bush Property Guide
Holland Park Property Guide
For further information on living, buying, selling, letting or renting in Paddington, please contact us
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