About Mount Anvil

Amazing new lifestyle. Was a bit hesitant to move as i was previously living and enjoying a beautiful park within Kensington (w8). Now I’m so pleasantly surprised by how stunning, calming and yet lively the river life is. Although being very convenient to transport, you don’t feel like you’re in the city bustle. The magic of the Hammersmith Bridge, river wildlife, existing new cafes and upcoming restaurants/ cinema/Riverside Studios makes this a unique living experience…one that i’m so happy to be part of. The Queen’s Wharf building itself has a magnificent rooftop terrace open to all tenants. Each apartment is unique with excellent finishings. There’s an excellent Concierge service 24/7 which is very convenient for residents. With all the new developments on this side of the river, this neighborhoud is becoming a very desirable place to live.

This is by far the best development out of the various ones that have sprung up around Old Street Roundabout and City Road. Not only is it the best location it has the best design both externally and internally – the floor plates of the apartments are very well thought out and take in the curve of the building in a really cool way – they are not just rectangles with the kitchen in a corridor like the other local developments I’ve viewed. Sound proofing is good. The reception area is nice, large and set back from the main road with entrance via it’s own podium. Mount Anvil pushed the boat out on the spec for this as it was their first tower so lots of touches you won’t find at other developments like heated anti mist mirrors and feature tiling in the bathrooms, custom front doors with carvings, feature radiators etc. Very nice communal facilities and very good building management with 24/7 front desk. Comfort cooling is very welcome too!

Please tell us what you like and dislike about this area:

Very central area but flats are quiet. You can walk everywhere (including Barbican Centre – best Cinema in London!) and because of all the redevelopment in the area lots of new bars, restaurants and shops being added to the already very decent choices.

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

The logistics of initially moving in were something I hadn’t thought about (eg would my furniture fit into the lift) , where do you park the removal truck etc) but front desk staff super helpful and now know all the tricks – top tip: do it super early when it’s quiet and easy to park 🙂

What is the best feature of your home:

Huge amount of natural light and like being high up! A lovely sanctuary to come home to in an otherwise very hectic and buzzing part of London. I get up early and the sun rises are amazing each day and a constant source of pleasure. . The 24/7 front desk is very useful for parcel delivery and also you can arrange dry cleaning through them. Gym is great for Cardio. Neighbours are lovely.

5

Facilities

5

Design

5

Location

5

Value

5

Management

First of, here is what I dislike:
– the walkway surrounding the building on the ground floor should be made private. There are too many odd people passing by, some of which can be quite dangerous (either because of physical danger or because they are doing drugs downstairs) and it is annoying for those of us living here. The walkway in front, sides and back of the building should be privatised and incorporated as part of the development, a fence should be build around and have a gate with a key only residents can access. AKA the building is too vulnerable to threats/vandals because the security (through having fences) is lacking.
– the gym has very little option for exercises. A squat rack/more free weights would be nice.
– 2 elevators are not enough for this building. One of them is almost always broken or used by random services which leads in me and my partner unnecessarily wasting a few minutes of our lives every time we wait for the elevator.
– the material that the sink in our bathroom is made of is very odd. It seems quite porous, easy to get dirty and difficult to clean. A ceramic material rather than the weird plastic would have been a better option.
– the floor design. Although I am aware that tiles are best when there is floor heating, they are quite unsightly. Wooden floors would have looked nicer. Or at least a nicer looking colour for tiles. The mid-grey colour of the floor makes me feel at times that I live in a place that is unfinished/an indoor construction site.
– the portion where the wall joins the floor easily gets cracked
– the door to our flat is not hermetically closed. There is space under the door and on the sides of it, which makes it not soundproof and we can heal EVERYTHING that is going on in the hallway.
– the placement of the over directly above the fridge and below the wine cellar, because of temperature difference reasons?
– the shelving inside the cupboards is weird and not well utilized. Could have had more shelves, with less height aka more compartmentalization.
– the thermostat doesn’t seem to give an accurate reading of the room temperature

Ok now here is what I/we like:
– our apartment is quite spacious inside
– the winter garden/closed balcony is an amazing concept. It blocks off the wind and provides some noise protection as well.
– speaking of the balcony, the space is very well utilized as it isn’t just a floating balcony like other regular buildings, rather it is an extension of the room itself, and the panels dividing each balcony are great as I am not fond of seeing my neighbours or have them see me
– the floor heating is a great addition. It seems efficient and saves space by not requiring the existence of radiators throughout the apartment
– the concierge is very helpful, not just in picking up the packages, but in offering great advice and guidance overall when there is an issue with our flat
– the no-smoking rule. I am not a smoker myself and neither is my partner and it is great to know that we don’t have to put up with people who smoke
– the internet provider is great. Internet is really fast.
– the garden at the back of the building is a great feature, although it seems rather underutilized. Also I would like to specify that in my previous mentioning of a lack of security around the building overall I made a comparison with the fence placed around the back garden. It would be nice if that fence would surround the building all the way from the garden to the sidewalk on the left side (Lawn House Cl), reaching to the water/canal (Thames Quay) , then also the walkway to the side (still Thames Quay), where the stone benches are, and the big ball statues. This are should be entirely fenced. No trespassers wanted.

Please tell us what you like and dislike about this area:

I like:
– the access to the DLR and Canary Wharf station
– the easy access to ASDA and Waitrose

I dislike:
– the fact that the space downstairs is not well utilized (the empty shop behind the concierge). It would be nice to have a cafe down there to chill and enjoy some nice tea or coffee + cakes. There are enough restaurants in the area but no decent cafe.
– the fact that the parks in here are not great.
– some areas around the building seem dodgy and I feel unsafe

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

There isn’t anything in particular that I would have liked to know before I moved in, more than I already knew.

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

They responded in a very professional and quick manner, especially Greg and Daniel. We had some issues with our neighbours nextdoor being loud and smoking. It is not longer an issue, thankfully.

4

Facilities

5

Design

4

Location

4

Value

5

Management

The building design, layout and facilities are all excellent. The apartments are generally well appointed. The garden and common areas are kept very clean and the staff are very friendly and helpful. It is a pity that overall experience of the building is impacted by some very specific issues which I outline here.
Car Lift. I have lived here since February 2017. In these years one of the car lifts has been functioning correctly for about 10% of the time. This is a significant and persistent inconvenience which the maintenance company appear incapable of resolving.
There have been several instances of water infiltration which continue this year. The management seem incapable of identifying the source and I am therefore not confident that this will not recur. Each time there is damage, costs and inconvenience for repairs.
The main bedroom is adjacent to the water drainage channels of the building. At night time the sound of water passing through the drains is clearly audible and can disturb sleep if someone above us takes a shower during the night. This has been looked at and additional sound insulation fitted, but with little result.
One of the panes of glass in the louvres has become permanently stained due to water penetrating between the laminated layers. This cannot be repaired.
The taps and shower fittings are already starting to break and show signs of wear after only 3 years this is unacceptable.
The passenger lifts are now starting to have frequent breakdowns and, again, after such a short period this is concerning and annoying.
There are electric car chargers fitted in the parking area on level B1. However, there are none on B2. I don’t understand why this disparity should exist and I have had no explanation.