About St James

The best feature in my home is the space, it’s makes living there very comfy.

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

Like – The property has a lot to offer.
Dislike – Can be smelly.

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

Nothing

What is the best feature of your home:

The space we get is great, it’s makes living there very comfy.

The best feature of my home would have to be having a gym nearby and a concierge to collect my mail.

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

Lot of green space
Good transport links
Management is quite good
A bit noisy sometimes

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

One thing I wish I would have known would be the unreliability or the transport links here due to quite frequent delays and cancellations.

What is the best feature of your home:

The best feature of my home would have to be having a gym nearby and a concierge to collect my mail.

We chose Hurlingham Walk because we loved the fact the development wasn’t too big and was off a road that didn’t have too much traffic (Wandsworth Bridge Road is very busy). It is a quick walk up to Parsons Green and all the cafés and shops there. You must go to Hallies and little H opposite, the perfect place to meet friends. The location is a bit tricky for transport but we either walk locally or drive.

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

There is not much storage in the main bedroom – there are better fitted wardrobes in bedroom two which means we use a lot of the space in there for storage of non essentials. There is a large cupboard in the hallway for hoover etc but when you have a child there seems to be so much stuff and not much space to store it.

– the building is infested with silverfish and it has been for years. The biggest I’ve seen was on the staircase wall and it must have been an inch long. They are mostly small though, come out at night in the bathroom and reception areas neighbouring the flat door, so you might not even notice and you can definitely get used to it – everyone else here seemingly has
– there is loud, dusty and at times smoky (from the exhaust) construction going on just under your window for the next ~1.5 years, so you’ll want to keep the windows shut
– the walls are thin, especially between the floors, hearing your neighbours shagging is quite normal here
– the horizontal fridge-freezers in flats that have them under the kitchen table are actually tiny and not particularly ergonomic
– for the size of the development, there is barely any underground parking – a tiny lot under Baquba/Chenla buildings is all there is
– the gym hours were limited even before the lockdown, but now it’s a complete joke
– it’s a fitness gym for moms, don’t expect to find barbells or a decent free weights section there
– the day concierge who shall not be named lets out a demonstrative sigh at you every time you come to pick up a parcel, poor guy must hate his job
– you can’t pick up a parcel unless they’ve entered it into the system, which can sometimes take them an entire day. What’s the point in having the concierge receive parcels if he only causes delays?
– the concierge office in general has become much less effective since the departure of Emile and his team
– the elevators break down frequently
– the DLR noise means you have to keep your windows shut in flats facing the DLR
– why is the communal garden on the DLR side of the development? Naturally, it doesn’t get used or taken care of there…
– with the amount of Covid-pets in the building, the barking outside has become another big noise source
– the local chavs hang out on development’s grounds and the management doesn’t care
– the residents regularly leave their dogs’ crap on the grass and the management doesn’t care
– hot water and heating outages are frequent and can last overnight like it’s the 1980s
– the development layout is rather silly: the outer-facing flats face the DLR and the inner-facing flats face a concrete barrel with opera house acoustics
– the “whole house extract” actually only extracts the air from your bathroom and there is no ventilation in the other rooms. Remember, you pretty much can’t open the windows here due to noise and construction.
– your internet connection options are limited to BT and their resellers. It’s stable, but slow.

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

There is a small version of Tesco Extra around the corner, but other than that you have to go to Greenwich or take the train to the city to hang out somewhere decent. You could alternatively go to Lewisham, but a minute on that high street is enough to turn around and go anywhere else. Luckily, the transport links are great, so both Canary Wharf and Charing Cross are at your service, just a half hour door to door. The street is better than most of Lewisham, definitely on the top side, but the lower DLR side is a bit scruffy.

Katsu Station across the street deserves a special mention, their curries and sushi are magnificent.

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

Silverfish and the amount of noise when you combine all the sources, especially construction and pets. Everything else you can either figure out by viewing or can make peace with for the low rent.

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

Building management is unhelpful at best. Their youngest evening concierge will sometimes put a “BRB” placard on the door, you chill outside wondering where the pot smell is coming from and you find out when he comes back to his desk 20 minutes later. The day concierge is really only there for handling parcels, with delays and visible disdain for his job. You will most often be left with no response or the “I have to talk to my boss” response if you come down there in person. Of course they never get back to you.

The private landlord unrelated to them is great. The 5 star score is for the landlord, not the management.