Living in Mayfair

Mayfair is the most expensive residential area on this site, and the price reflects centuries of development by a few aristocratic estates, most notably the Grosvenor estate. Its Georgian and Victorian streets and squares — Grosvenor Square, Berkeley Square, Mount Street — are home to embassies, hedge funds, private members' clubs, luxury hotels and some of the most exclusive shops in the world along New Bond Street and Savile Row.

The residential population is small and often absent. Many homes are second or third residences, corporate lets or serviced apartments, and the flats that come up to rent are mostly in mansion blocks or converted period buildings, often professionally let and furnished. Rents per square foot are among the highest in London, and it is common to see very small flats listed at prices that would rent a family house elsewhere.

Shepherd Market, a tiny cluster of lanes with pubs and restaurants between Curzon Street and Piccadilly, is the closest Mayfair comes to a village centre. Everyday shopping is harder than you would expect: there are few supermarkets and many of the shops sell things residents buy rarely. Green Park and Hyde Park border the area, which is an enormous advantage for running, walking and quiet.

Transport and walkability are outstanding. Green Park has the Jubilee, Piccadilly and Victoria lines, Bond Street has the Central, Jubilee and Elizabeth lines, and Oxford Street, Soho and St James's are all a walk away. Mayfair suits people with corporate relocation packages, very high incomes or a need to be at a particular office or embassy, and it rarely makes sense for younger renters trying to get value from their budget.