Situated a few streets away from the hustle and bustle of Oxford Circus, is this quiet, yet lively neighbourhood of Marylebone. It sits right at the base of Regent’s Park, the third largest park in London, and is full of bustling shops and restaurants. Harley Street, one of the main avenues in the area, is known for its abundance of private doctors and surgeries. The area is characterised by Georgian architecture, with narrow and elegant townhouses touched with intricate detailing. This area also provides great access to a variety of public transportation options, making it easy to get anywhere in London.

The area is located along what was once the valley of the Tyburn river and gets its name, Marylebone, from a church dedicated to St Mary, now the St. Marylebone Parish Church. In the 18th century the area was known for disreputable forms of entertainment, including bear-baiting, prize fights by members of both sexes, and duelling grounds. Development in the area really began and increased in the 19th century and slowly Harley Street became filled with doctors. Because of this, it even gained the name ‘Medical London’. By 1948, there were around 1,500 different practices throughout the area. There are less private practices today because of the expansion of the NHS, but Harley Street is still synonymous with private consultancy and cosmetic surgeries.

Florence Nightingale, known as the founder of modern nursing, moved to Harley Street in 1853 to become superintendent of a gentlewomen’s nursing home. Another famous resident of Harley Street is Lionel Logue, a speech therapist from Australia. He had his practice on Harley Street from 1926 to 1952 and is most known for treating King George VI and helping him overcome his stammer and fear of public speaking. This relatively unknown chapter of the royal family’s history and struggle was depicted in the recent blockbuster film, The King’s Speech, and you can now see a commemorative plaque on Lionel’s old building.

This neighbourhood has been one of the more fashionable addresses to have for a while now, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries. Aristocracy, gentry, politicians, high-ranking clergymen, and military and naval officers lived here in fairly high numbers.

The vehicle car crime in this area is higher than the national average, the occurrence of miscellaneous theft is also higher than in others. That said, residents feel safe in this area and rarely encounter any problems, even at night.

There are currently no planned major developments for this small neighbourhood. It is choc-full of old and historic buildings, making new large developments a challenging undertaking. However, in 2020 Westminster City Council approved developer Reef Group’s plans to invest over £150m in Cavendish Square, at the end of Harley Street, transforming the space into a subterranean mixed-use destination focusing on health and wellbeing, the first large development scheme of its kind in London, and refurbish Cavendish Square itself, which would be at the top of the development at street level. The development harmonises with Harley Street’s long-standing reputation for medical excellence and takes advantage of London’s £1.2 billion medical sector, the majority of which is concentrated in this West London street.

As for the liveliness of the street itself, new businesses and stores are always popping up and there are many renovations occurring. This does not mean that there is a lack of jobs, as there are more than 3,000 people employed in the Harley Street area, in clinics, medical and paramedical practices, and hospitals.