A maze of alleys weaving through towering skyscrapers, this neighbourhood area is notable for its gleaming contemporary architecture, diverse shopping opportunities, and numerous public art displays. Liverpool Street station marks the eastern periphery of this postcode, hiding Broadgate Circle, a modern shopping and dining plaza, behind it. This multi-storey commercial space resembles an amphitheatre: with a bandstand in the centre often hosting live music and pop-up food vans offering flavours from around the world. Beyond this culinary epicentre, you will find the offices of Allianz, UBS, Bloomberg and many more. Southeast of the neighbourhood area lies Moorgate station, adjacent to Finsbury Circus Gardens – a picturesque grade II listed park.

Broadgate Circle as it is now has only recently come into existence. Most of the big eateries and bars moved in in early 2015 after the earlier redevelopment of Broadgate. The original was built in the 1980s by architect Peter Foggo. Three million square feet of office space stood practically on the curb of Liverpool Street station. It was unveiled on December 5th, 1991 with a firework display, whilst the royal family toured the colossal new development. But the complex was soon to become mired in controversy. Exemplifying the property bubble of the early nineties, Broadgate was responsible for Rosenhaugh, the property company in charge, posting a £200 million loss. Twenty years down the line, the original buildings, now appearing more retro than revolutionary, became the subject of hot debate. With English Heritage eager to list Foggo’s projects as historically and culturally significant, there was pressure from the City of London Corporation as well as foreign investors to tear down the old Broadgate in favour of a shiny new redevelopment.

One notable figure closely related to the area, is the project leader behind the UBS building, Ken Shuttleworth. Most famous for designing 30 St Mary Axe, also known as The Gherkin, Shuttleworth has his name on some of the most impressive buildings around the world. At De Montford University, he acquired for himself the nickname of “Ken the Pen” for his exceptional ability to visualise and sketch his ideas. Shuttleworth’s career took off when he started work for Foster and Partners. Moving to Hong Kong from 1979 to 1986, the architect oversaw the construction of HSBC’s headquarters there, before returning to the UK to build giants such as the Millennium Bridge, Wembley Stadium and City Hall.

The attraction of Broadgate for restaurants and businesses is apparent. One interesting figure which captures its appeal is 250,000 – the number of people passing through Broadgate every day, according to British Land. The area is naturally at the heart of London’s busiest districts. With Liverpool Street station located nearby, rush hour takes a heavy toll on these streets and pollution levels are consistently elevated. Still, the area’s virtues are plain; Matthew Pinsent of British Land explains that “[This is] an environment where people want to work, and spend their leisure time. The addition of these [food] brands builds Broadgate’s reputation for providing stylish, good quality dining options, and helps attract and retain our office customers throughout the estate.”

Nearby Liverpool Street station has recently expanded, adding the Elizabeth line to its already expansive repertoire of transport links. Passengers are now just six minutes from Canary Wharf in the east and are directly connected to Heathrow and the Thames Valley commuter belt to the west. Further work is scheduled for the station in the coming years, with 1.5 billion set to be spent on a regeneration of the grade-II listed building. On the other side of Broadgate Circle development has begun on a new 37 story tower block at Two Finsbury Avenue. Accommodating a mixture of office, retail and learning space the new development seeks to catch the eye with gardens hanging from the balconies of its glass facade. Similar large scale mixed-use schemes, like the one currently underway at One Broadgate, exemplify the pull this neighbourhood has with investors.