This neighbourhood incorporates the corner where Hyde Park and Green Park meet. Both are vast green jewels in the crown of the central London landscape – making residents of this area, which can be classified as part of Mayfair, very lucky. It would be fair to say, though, that the residents certainly do pay for the privilege, considering that this postcode is one of London’s most desirable and expensive. Well connected, and scattered with fancy hotels, art boutiques and some of the finest dining the capital has to offer, the area surrounding Hyde Park Corner is a neat little slice of the good life. Even the Queen lives nearby, and if that doesn’t prove the point nothing will.

The tale of this area is a tale of two parks. Firstly, Hyde Park – a private hunting ground for the royals until it was opened up by King James I, whose every blade of grass is intertwined with the goings on of the city. For example, scared Londoners camped on its green fields trying to escape the Great Plague, and it became the first area in the whole of the country to get artificial lighting. Even Speaker’s Corner has come to be an imperative symbol of democratic principles. And across the road, Buckingham Palace, the abode of the royals in London, sits on the edge of Green Park! Originally considered to have been a burial ground for lepers, it was the scene of three different assassination attempts on key powerful British leaders including Queen Victoria in 1840.

In 1952 the words ‘Hyde Park Corner’ were used as code within the royal household to communicate the death of George VI. Also, the park’s impressive triumphal arch, known as the Wellington Arch, was designed to be England’s answer to the Arc de Triomphe.

Whilst this area is lovely, Hyde Park Corner is a vital London junction, and as any London cabbie will tell you, around rush hour it can turn from one of the city’s most idyllic spaces to one of its most congested. Tthe width of the roads also means that this area can get very polluted from the large number of cars; it’s also not very pedestrian-friendly. Lastly, the area’s central location and numerous attractions mean lots of tourists come visit it, which can make the pavements difficult to navigate in a hurry.

The move of the US Embassy from Grosvenor Square was seen by some as a loss for the area’s reputation, but the building is to be revived as a luxury hotel by 2023. Despite delays caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic, a contractor was finally appointed in 2020 and the contract awarded was described as one of the most valuable in the city. Building began in 2021 and the luxury hotel will consist of 139 luxury hotel and new retail spaces. There are also a few residential and commercial developments coming to Mayfair, albeit ones that very much fit with the current luxury environment of the area. For example, 32 “super prime” flats are being constructed on Curzon Street and will be completed in late 2022. Apartments range from two to four bedrooms, starting at £10.7 million for a two-bed. There will also be two duplex penthouses. The building will also house the next generation of Mayfair’s famous Mirabelle restaurant, a recreation of the iconic restaurant founded in 1936. That said, a few affordable housing developments have been completed recently, including a development at Farm Street providing 14 key worker apartments and a street cleaning depot. The Council has also committed to guaranteeing that 35% of all new residential developments are affordable.