This neighbourhood is pretty much entirely taken up by the magnificent Regent’s Park and its surrounding terraces. An interesting contrast of lifestyles, the private abodes dotted around and throughout the park, most of which are bought and left empty, can reach astounding prices in excess of £100 million. Still, the strictly public access of the park means that much of the space in the area is open and accessible. With great transport connections on all sides, the substantial 410 acre green space provides an easily accessible rural oasis away from busy central London. The park contains a large boating lake, parts of the Regent’s Canal, allotment gardens and even London Zoo. There are 100 acres of sporting fields, cafes, and an open air theatre. The unsurprisingly small population means that the popular park is occupied by tourists and those who work and study nearby, creating a friendly and upbeat atmosphere that only grows in the summer months.

The land that Regent’s Park now occupies was once hunting ground for Henry VIII, known as Marylebone Park. It has remained in the hands of the Crown, apart from the interregnum of Oliver Cromwell between 1649 and 1660, during which Cromwell cut down much of the foliage in order to lease the land to farmers to raise income. These leases expired in 1811 and the Prince Regent, who would later become George IV, commissioned architect John Nash to design a splendid park which could accommodate a palace for the prince and numerous villas for his friends. While the plan for George’s palace and the villas were dropped, many of the Regency period terraces and villas surrounding the park were completed, and remain to this day. The general public were only admitted to the park in 1835, during the reign of William IV. Since its conception, the park has been a hit with Londoners and tourists alike who have utilised it significantly for leisure ever since its gates were opened.

Jefri Bolkiah, Prince of Brunei, lives in the neighbourhood and is more famous for his extreme wealth than anything else. He lives at St. John’s Lodge in the Inner Circle, which was sold to the Brunei royal family, which is led by the Sultan of Brunei, for £40 million in 1994. At about £80 million today, this is the most expensive single private house in the UK.

The huge houses in and around Regent’s Park, some of which contain dozens of bedrooms, are symbols of Britain’s huge housing crisis. Many of the properties are bought up for tens of millions of pounds by foreign investors and left unoccupied, while the neighbouring areas of West Euston and Camden suffer from significant deprivation and homelessness. That being said, the houses themselves are incredibly important historically and culturally. Some argue that their maintenance is only possible through the investments of their private owners. Yet many also argue that they could be put to far better use than just being nice looking empty show- houses.

Regent’s Park’s Grade I listing means that there can be no significant visible developments within the area. However Regent’s Park will suffer some of the effects of HS2. While the park itself will not be damaged by the construction, the visitors’ car park of London Zoo is the planned “holding site” for trucks that will be used on the project around Euston, bringing unnecessary dirt and noise to an idyllic locale. Plans have also been confirmed for the conversion of a French concept theatre, which sits behind a Grade I listed John Nash façade, into high-quality offices with two single-family homes on either side. Named The Diorama, this project sits at 18 Park Square East on the southern side of Regents Park itself.