Location great, access to everything you need within walking distance.
Nice looking building aesthetically pleasing.
Big gates and doors for security. Key entry fob. Courtyard is like an island of peace within a busy city.
Lesiure centre included with rent, includes a swimming pool. (some bad points about this later)
Bad points:
The estate management is terrible. Poor communication, ignore your emails, Slow to fix things. They havnt opened the lesiure centre even though covid restrictions have been lifted (2nd time they’ve done this) , won’t tell us when it will open or why it’s still closed. They are badly organised and messed up things before like parcels and our key fobs when we first arrived. Some porters are nice but many of them are rude and dismissive. The security just make up random rules when they feel like it, for example if you want to sit in the courtyard (which is like our garden) with a glass of wine on a summer evening that will sometimes be fine, other times they will tell you alcohol is banned on the estate, other times they will tell you the chairs have to be Brought in at 8 pm. Other times they will be left outside. Basically you will be trying to enjoy some peace and quite in your garden and the security guards will just harras you and make rules up as they see fit. I have also not been happy In the past with some of the letters that the estate management have sent to residents. For example The recent tone of the letters regarding covid are quite tyranical and strike a bit of a condescending tone almost like we are school childeren been told off. Really don’t appreciate this kind of thing when we are paying quite a lot of money to live here.
There’s some incredibly weird and irratating politics going on in the bulding. Seems like the management company don’t bother sending you any communication unless it’s to counter against a group of owners who are constantly shoving letters through your letter box because they are trying to oust the current estate management. To be honest I don’t blame them since the current management is useless but the politics is nonetheless annoying from both sides.
The building is old and showing its age and seems to be under constant maintenance.
Sometimes Police sirens can be loud at night and wake you due to central location.
Please tell us what you like and dislike about this area:
Great location, access to everything you would ever need. Both Waterloo and Westminster underground within walking distance. Lots of bars restaurants and shops. London eye, big Ben, St james park. Very nice walks along the river.
Feels safe (considering it’s a big city) compared to some parts of London.
Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:
The competence of the estate management.
The fact that you have to pay for an induction to use the gym even though its supposed to be free.
How loud police sirens can sometimes be at night time.
The fact that things you are paying for and probably chose the apartment for (I.e. The leisure centre) are opened or closed at the whim of the estate management and they don’t seem to care to give you notice or an explanation. (I’m not talking about covid here)
The fact that you have to pay a deposit for your key fob (even though this should really be sorted by the landlord) and you won’t get your deposit back if you loose your little slip of paper that came with the key years after you first moved in.
If there is one thing you would change about your flat or property what would it be:
I would change the Estate management. They have a big impact on our enjoyment of the property.