Stretching from Euston Road up to the border of Mornington Crescent, this area is a thin strip of residential roads in West Euston running parallel to Regent’s Park. Unexpectedly for this area, almost all the housing consists of uninspiring post-war flats and estates with the occasional very modern build or Georgian-esque block dotted amongst them. The area towards Euston Road is a hub for commerce, with Facebook and others building their offices around Regent’s Place Business Centre. Euston Road itself offers up a number of transport links with Warren Street, Great Portland Street and Euston Square a short walk away. Despite this, and its location bordering some of the most expensive houses in the country, the ward is actually towards the top of the deprivation index, with fairly high rates of unemployment and low income, as well as a disproportionately high level of crime and ill-health, which makes it difficult to cultivate much of a sense of community. There are, however, a couple of highly regarded primary schools and a fantastic centre specialising in education for autistic children.

Originally part of the Great Middlesex Forest, this area was owned by the Manor of Tyburn until it was confiscated by Henry VIII in 1538. In the late 18th century, developers singled out the area as a perfect expansion of the luxury housing market of Mayfair and Marylebone, urbanising large swathes of the rural lands surrounding what is now Regent’s Park. The park itself and its surrounding houses were designed by John Nash, and while the breath-taking terraces so synonymous with the park sit to the west of the area, many middle-class families who couldn’t afford the grand abodes moved into the redbrick terraces built during this time so as to be close to the fashionable and exciting Regent’s Park. The area continued to increase in density with the expansion of the railways up until the Second World War when it was very badly damaged in the Blitz, forcing most of the residents to move away. Almost the entirety of the area’s housing stock was destroyed and rapid rebuilding projects took place in the 50s and 60s, which is responsible for the contrast between the housing here. Since this rebuilding, the area has remained rather forgotten, most likely due to its unfashionable aesthetic, left in the shadow of the grandeur of Regent’s Park and its terraces.

The area has attracted artists as well as actors. William Powell Frith (1819-1909) lived at 11 Osnaburgh Street while he was one of Britain’s most prominent Victorian genre painters, creating a number of famous allegorical and narrative works. A member of the Royal Academy, his paintings are now exhibited in some of the world’s most respected galleries, and he has been described as the ‘greatest British painter of the social scene since Hogarth.’

While the area does have surprisingly high levels of deprivation due to unemployment and lack of educational facilities, it is slowly receiving provisions of culture. Camden Council is focusing on strengthening and uniting the community in part through a large investment in cultural facilities such as Diorama Arts, The Third Age Project, and Camden People’s Theatre. These will hopefully bring the area to attention over the coming years.

The much anticipated HS2 train network is the largest development project in this area, and will terminate at Euston Station. Once complete, the new line will more than double the number of passengers that go through Euston station, as longer platforms are being built to accommodate the larger trains. Improvements will also be made to the public space around the station and ticket halls within. A new concourse will simplify connections for those using the tube, and a friendlier architectural style is intended to inspire a ‘strong sense of place’. West of the station the Regent’s Park Estate is the largest private development underway in the area. The scheme will comprise eight buildings containing 122 new homes for residents displaced by construction taking place on HS2. Nearby Triton Square is set to become home to a number of public artworks which will include an 18th century frieze which was originally supposed to decorate Marble Arch!