This Kensington neighbourhood is sandwiched between the Kensington High Street and Notting Hill Gate, and is one of London’s most opulent and sought-after postcodes. A stroll through Hyde Park and along Kensington Palace Gardens makes it immediately obvious why. The dazzlingly white terraced houses, which are generally divided into luxury flats, that look over one of London’s most famous park could very well be on postcards. Despite being between two key commercial and tourist-heavy areas, the neighbourhood retains a quiet atmosphere that makes it understandable why spots in the area are coveted by billionaires from around the world.

It probably won’t surprise you to know that Kensington has always been the chosen haunt for the extravagantly wealthy. Even in the early-17th century, it was described as being “popular with persons of quality and note”. Pretty much since 1689, when King William III purchased Kensington Palace and gave the area the royal seal of approval, the neighbourhood has been known as a fancy place. The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations in Hyde Park in 1851 and residential development of the originally farm-based land cemented this reputation that has since expanded globally.

The famous and controversial Imagist poet Ezra Pound lived in 10 Kensington Church. James Joyce, fellow poet and close friend, lived just around the corner at 28 Campden Grove. They produced and shared some of their best-known work while living locally.

The clearest downside to this neighbourhood has got to be affordability, or its lack of such. The majority of the luxury flats, let along houses, require a few million pounds to purchase. In fact, Kensington Palace Gardens, or “Billionaire’s Row” is the most expensive street in the whole of the U.K. Additionally, its location in one of London’s busiest tourist areas also means that congestion and pollution, particularly along the high street, are a nuisance to residents.

The area is protected under historical conservation and is thus unlikely to experience any drastic changes. Residents are passionate about maintaining the ambiance of the area and are hence understandably protective of excessive development. This over-protectiveness, however, has suffered its fair share of controversy.

Transport for London’s initiative to develop the East-West Cycle Superhighway (CS3), while highy supported by most partnering local councils, was rejected outright by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s authority. Plans to develop CS3 have been scrapped and no new cycling infrastructure projects have been developed for that part of town. That said, a cycleway that connects Wood Lane to Action (cycleway 34) was completed in 2019-2020. Though, this may not necessarily compensate for the fact that no cycle lanes cut through to connect the borough’s eastern and western ends.