Bayswater lies just to the north of Hyde Park and east of Notting Hill, south of Westbourne Grove and west of Paddington. The architecture is much like that of Notting Hill, with white stucco Victorian terraces, and the urban layout mimics that of its surrounding areas, with regular roads and some rectangular garden squares. The area has a large residential population, though many of the buildings have been converted into offices and hotels, That said, the area is less retail-heavy than Paddington and Notting Hill. The Bayswater area is notable for its ethnic diversity, with a healthy Greek, Brazilian and Arab population in the area, and to a certain extent a notable Russian and Malaysian presence (in the form of numerous hotels owned by Malaysian companies, as well as Malaysia Hall, which caters to Malaysian students). Accordingly, the area offers a wide variety of cuisines from each of these cultures, particularly along Queensway and Westbourne Grove.

Bayswater was a hamlet in the times of the Domesday Book, and in 1380 was known as Bayard’s Watering Place, with the water being provided by the River Westbourne. This name gradually evolved to Bayswatering, with Bayswater being recorded as early as 1659, when it was still just a few houses. Speculative developers began to acquire there in 1809, as London grew outwards, and the town had matured to the area it is today by the time Bayswater station opened in 1868. The high-class nature of the neighbourhood was present even then, with the District line railway even being blocked when it was built via cut-and-cover through the neighbourhood by fake facades, which can still be seen today.

Numerous famous people have resided in this part of town. Amongst them was Susan Lawrence, one of the earliest female Labour MPs. She started off as a Conservative, serving on the London County Council from 1910 to 1912, but under the influence of unionist Mary Macarthur her political ideology shifted leftwards, and she rejoined the council as a Labour member from 1913 to 1927, later joining the Fabian Society and becoming close to Sidney and particularly Beatrice Webb.

Bayswater is well-connected via the central line to central London, as well as being in relative close proximity to Paddington. However, the area is slightly hemmed in by the railways from Paddington as well as Hyde Park, which stems north-south public transportation in general.

Queensway is due to be redeveloped, with Whiteleys in particular, undergoing development to become a mixed-use, retail, leisure and housing building. In addition to other public realm improvements, the £1 billion overhaul of the department store is set to be completed in 2023. In addition, the 400-metre street in general is going to be improved, with the hope to put it on par with Portobello Road, as opposed to its present ‘scruffy’ nature. Recently, in mid-2022, the £3 billion vision for the future of Queensway was unveiled, including Parisian-style street pavilions, significant greening, public realm improvements, a new retail strategy, a series of landmark developments and a new public entrance to Hyde Park. Queensway’s refurbishment has also been accompanied by new development interests. At the south end of Queensway, very close to Hyde Park, is Park Modern, a project by property development firm Fenton Whelan, which is already underway. The project intends to deliver 52 new, ‘world-class’ apartments, three penthouses and two mews houses overlooking neighbouring Hyde Park.