A guide to living in Borough of Westminster

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Pimlico is an excellent location, central but with its own character. And refurbished Dolphin is outstanding square.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Atikah and Mickey have been excellent. I’m finishing 12 months in Duncan and taking a new rental in Keyes; they’ve been v helpful in making the move.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

The choice of apartments is extensive. It’s worth reflecting on how much sun you want/will get, especially as summers get hotter.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Dolphin Square is exceptionally well located in Pimlico, with excellent transport links and easy access to central London. There is a very good choice of local shops, cafés and restaurants, as well as the convenience of Victoria nearby. One of the greatest advantages, however, is the sense of calm once inside Dolphin Square itself. The beautiful private gardens and green spaces create a peaceful environment which is quite exceptional for such a central London location. My daughter always found the area convenient and pleasant to live in, particularly as a student travelling regularly to university and around London.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Our experience has been excellent. Whenever we raised a maintenance enquiry or had a practical concern, it was acknowledged quickly and dealt with efficiently and professionally. The ability to contact the team easily and know that an issue would be followed through was particularly reassuring. The day-to-day management of such a large development is impressive, yet the service still feels personal and attentive.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I wish I had appreciated before moving in quite how much Dolphin Square offers beyond simply renting an apartment. The private gardens, resident services, reception, parcel handling and professional management make everyday life considerably easier. There is also a reassuring sense of community which is difficult to appreciate during a normal apartment viewing. For a parent whose daughter was moving to London as a young student, this proved particularly valuable. Also for my business in London the location is ideal.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Dolphin Square is a very quiet and peaceful residential area with a lovely community feel. The garden is beautiful, and having a gym, café and restaurant within the development is very convenient. There are also good transport links and local amenities nearby. I always felt very safe and never experienced much noise or disturbance.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Every time I had any inconvenience they will be responding as fast as they could, which is less than 24h

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

That the gates for the gardens closes at 11pm which is I consider a good thing and increase the feeling of safety

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

There’s a variety of everything it’s really convenient there is three supermarket near us and the Victoria line is right next to us I would say this area is a bit unsafe at night because there is a few pubs that runs quite late and there are drunk people outside so if you are worry about that, just walk on the other side of the road to be safe

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

I have like I am often unheard. I had told them I changed my email address after 3 months I moved in the the flat and I spoke to multiple people about this issue where I am not receiving any emails because they have not updated my new email address and this took them almost a year to resolve it. In conclusion other than Atikah who was really helpful other people didn’t seem to really care or take my problems seriously.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

The radiator was not close to my bed at all. Even with it turned on in the winter it was no use you can’t feel the heat.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Pimlico is a beautiful area: conviniently close to the Victoria line and surrounded by restaurants, it is a beautiful and very comfrotable place to live. One of the biggest perks of living in Dolphin Square is definitely the location, close to the Thames, very well connected to public transport and with access to many Italian, Spanish, Georgian and a multiplicity of other restaurants. Also, there are very large Sainsbury's and M&S supermarkets within less than 15 and 25mins of walking distance respectively. Also, the area counts with nearby Tesco and Waitrose smaller supermarkets. Apart from the construction noises from Dolphin Square itself, the area is very quiet while coviniently in the core of London's zone 1. Even though the house of commons is just 20mins away, turism in this area is scarce, making Pimlico feel comfortably local and calm. The only bad thing I can think of is that some houses in the area could be better maintained. I think Pimlico is in the midst of a transition, one very much spearheaded by Dolphin Square, where renovation and infrastructural improvements will hopefully elevate the zone even further.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Every time I found an issue, the building management team was very proactive and solutions arrived extremely fast. The last one I can remember of was an issue with our smoke alarm: we reported it during a Monday morning and no more than 3-4 hours afterwards a maintenance person had come to diagnose and then fix the issue.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

- I think the volume of people coming from outside the building and using Dolphin Square facilities, most importantly cowork areas, is pretty big. This is something I don't like and would have liked knowing a bit more in advance. Although the administration is working on getting tenant only benefits up and running (like the recently announced grills), the free riding of tenant paid amenities (like cowork spaces) is probably something I don't like and did not know well in advance. - Pimlico, as a place to live, is remarkably better than what I expected before I moved in. One thing I did not mention at the beggining is how close Dolphin Square is to Battersea Park and the Power Station. Walking every weekened from DSQ to Battersea has become a one of the things we love most. Also, I think I never expected to love this building's atmosphere so much. As a history geek, I do feel myself beign part as a small yet very relevant part of British political and social history. Final point, pub quizes in Dolphin Square are amazing!