Hyde Park London: A brief history and where to live nearby

Hyde Park is one of the jewels in London’s crown of royal parks. A giant swathe of green space on the western edge of Central London, the park offers sanctuary for runners, dog walkers and workers searching for a break from city life. Read on for a brief guide to this historic London landmark, and tips on the best places to live nearby.

Best new build developments near Hyde Park

Before the brief history lesson, where are the best new build developments near Hyde Park? If you’re looking to buy or rent a new build home, there are several great options within easy reach of the park itself. Take a look below at the highest-rated new build developments in the area, according to the reviews of verified residents.

*PLEASE NOTE these rankings take into account how many reviews a scheme has and how recently those reviews have been submitted, so may not match the overall star ratings shown. Buildings with a larger number of more recent reviews are given a greater weighting to reflect current building performance.

West End Quay, W2

WestCity, Rialto Properties Ltd

4.26 (16 reviews)
4.26 (16 reviews)

Area guide to Borough of Westminster

West End Quay is a joint venture development by Rialto Properties and WestCity, which is comprised of 468 apartment over 3 blocks – Westcliffe Apartments, Peninsula Apartments, Balmoral Apartments. The development is conveniently located just a short walk from both Edgware Road station and Paddington Station. Read reviews and details of West End Quay, W2

Paddington Gardens, W2

Meritas Real Estate

4.15 (14 reviews)
4.15 (14 reviews)

Area guide to Borough of Westminster

Paddington Gardens is a mixed-use development by Meritas Real Estate, which features 335 residential units in a 20-storey tower with a range of one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments alongside a hotel, offices, retail space and a primary school. Located moments away from the Paddington Basin, the development is a 7-minute walk from Paddington station, […] Read reviews and details of Paddington Gardens, W2

Paddington Exchange, W2

Taylor Wimpey Central London

4.61 (8 reviews)
4.61 (8 reviews)

Area guide to Borough of Westminster

Paddington Exchange is a Chase Evans development featuring a collection of 123 studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments. Located in the heart of Paddington, nearby Paddington Station offers excellent transport links with the Heathrow Express and the three major underground lines – the Hammersmith & City, the Bakerloo and Circle lines- in operation. Read reviews and details of Paddington Exchange, W2

Fitzroy Place, W1

Exemplar Properties, Aviva Investors

4.39 (11 reviews)
4.39 (11 reviews)

Area guide to Borough of Westminster

Fitzroy Place is a mixed-use development built on the site of the old Middlesex Hospital in the heart of London’s West End. It features 200 residential units – one, two and three-bedroom apartments and penthouses – and a number of commercial outlets. Residents enjoy first-class transport links around London, thanks to nearby Goodge Street and Oxford Circus, which provide […] Read reviews and details of Fitzroy Place, W1

Kings Gate, SW1

Land Securities

4.48 (4 reviews)
4.48 (4 reviews)

Area guide to Borough of Westminster

Developed by Land Securities and designed by Patrick Lynch, Millier and Spinocchia Freud, Kings Gate offers 100 apartments, ranging from studios to four-bedroom penthouses. The development has a prime location in Westminster, with views over the Royal Parks, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Cathedral and the River Thames. Read reviews and details of Kings Gate, SW1

Westminster Quarter, SW1

Taylor Wimpey Central London

4.41 (5 reviews)
4.41 (5 reviews)

Area guide to Borough of Westminster

Westminster Quarter, a Taylor Wimpey Central London development provides a total of 102 private luxury residential apartments, many with outdoor space designed by White Ink Architects. Westminster Quarter offers views of the river Thames and other iconic landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. Read reviews and details of Westminster Quarter, SW1

Royal hunting ground to public park

Hyde Park’s origins date as far back as the time of Henry VIII. The king acquired the land in 1536, and he and his courtiers used it as a hunting ground for deer. The park was opened to limited public access by James I. Eventually, Charles I opened it for full public access in 1637.

Since that time, the park has been beloved of Londoners and visitors alike. The park has changed over the years, with the 11 hectare Serpentine lake created in the 1730s and several grand gates and entrances created.

The park was also the site of the 1851 Great Exhibition, and housed The Crystal Palace. This elaborate glass and iron structure of 990,000 square feet was removed after the exhibition. It was relocated to South East London, to the area now known as Crystal Palace.

Central London’s playground

Modern-day Hyde Park offers visitors full access to its 350 acres of rolling parkland. There’s boating and outdoor swimming on The Serpentine, a criss-cross of paths and trails to explore. There’s also a kids’ play area and several significant sites and monuments.

The park is a site for national celebration and revelry. It’s vast open spaces make it an ideal place for national occasions such as jubilee celebrations. The park also plays host to open-air concerts and events. The artists to play at the park down the years reads like a who’s-who list of world music. For July 2024, the musical highlight in Hyde Park was a phenomenal performance from K-Pop band Stray Kids with their upbeat UK festival debut for BST Hyde Park’s closing night 

Where to live near Hyde Park

Hyde Park sits on the western edge of Central London and borders some of the capital’s most exclusive neighbourhoods. Knightsbridge and South Kensington lie to the south of the park. Their streets and garden squares are lined with handsome Georgian and Victorian mansions, with many divided into luxury apartments.

To the east of the park, Mayfair offers similar exclusivity. On its northern edge, Paddington, Queensway and Bayswater offer more varied options, with their mix of Regency-style architecture, modern developments and diverse, bustling local communities.

The average price of a property in Paddington comes in at £1,370,577, according to Rightmove. Meanwhile, Mayfair and Knightsbridge both have average prices that extend way into the millions.

A little further afield, the likes of Kensington, Notting Hill and Marylebone all provide further options close to the park’s wide open spaces. All three areas have property prices significantly higher than the London average. This, however, is the cost of living in such a reputable and popular part of the capital.

Would you like to explore more options around Hyde Park and this popular part of West and Central London? Take a look at our area guides below. They provide plenty more information on the best areas to live. They also include details of the most popular new build developments in this part of the capital.

Central London

Only a privileged few are lucky enough to call Central London home. This is one of the most famous cities in the world, so naturally, living in its heart doesn’t come cheap. With house prices falling largely into the multi-million pound bracket, residents here Read more about Central London

West London

West London stretches from Hayes in the west to Paddington in the east. Best known for central West London it is widely regarded as one of the city’s most sophisticated expanses. It’s little wonder this place is a millionaire-magnet. West London merges charming high Read more about West London

HomeViews is the only independent review platform for residential developments in the UK. Prospective buyers and tenants use it to make an informed decision on where to live based on insights from carefully verified resident reviews. Part of Rightmove since February 2024, we’re working with developers, house builders, operators, housing associations and the Government to give residents a voice, recognise high performers and to help improve standards across the industry.

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