Living in Maida Vale

Maida Vale is a district of wide, tree-lined avenues and red-brick mansion blocks, most of them put up around the turn of the twentieth century, and it has the settled, slightly formal atmosphere that such buildings create. Elgin Avenue, Sutherland Avenue and the streets around them are among the most complete runs of mansion flats in London, many with shared private gardens behind.

At its southern end is Little Venice, where the Regent's Canal meets the Grand Union Canal in a pool lined with houseboats, a floating puppet theatre and waterside cafés. The towpath heads east to Regent's Park and Camden and west towards Kensal Green, and it is one of the pleasantest walking and cycling routes in central London.

Daily life is quiet and convenient rather than lively. Local shops cluster around Clifton Road, near Warwick Avenue station, and along Elgin Avenue, and there are good pubs, but nightlife means heading into the West End. Paddington Recreation Ground, a large park with sports facilities, is on the western edge, and Regent's Park is within reach.

The Bakerloo line is the area's tube, with stations at Maida Vale and Warwick Avenue; it runs direct to Paddington, Oxford Circus and Waterloo, but it is slower and older than lines elsewhere, and there is no quick direct route to the City. Buses along Edgware Road and Elgin Avenue fill the gaps, and Paddington's Elizabeth line is a short trip away. The rental market is overwhelmingly flats in mansion blocks and converted houses, which suits couples and professionals more than large sharing groups. Maida Vale is for people who want central London to feel calm and residential, and who do not need a buzzing high street outside the front door.