Queens Park Place, NW6

QPP is a slick modern development that stands out as a particularly unique place to live in the heart of Queens Park. All apartments are contemporary in design and finished to high spec throughout ” despite a few frustrating teething problems to begin with. The flats are flooded with natural light thanks to generous-size windows and benefit from spacious balconies or roof terraces that look onto the communal private gardens ” which are well maintained by the gardening team.

I have always been a fan of the developer. They have always been design conscious and other schemes I have seen of theirs have aged well and stood out from the crowd. Queens Park Place is no exemption. Ian Simpson the British architect has delivered an attractive building with brick, wood and zinc as the main exterior components. The main entrance to the building is very impressive but one of the biggest let downs is the quality of the common parts in the other parts of the building. Clearly all the money was spent on the main concierge and none left for the other entrances. The gardens are a bit of a missed opportunity. They are good spaces but badly planted and don’t make the most of the space. The building is really well managed by JAR residential and the concierge team are excellent as they should be for GBP4.50sqft service charge. Dependent on which side of the building you are on the train noise can be noticeable, and definitely something to consider if you are a light sleeper. Queens Park is a lovely place to live, the transport, high street, park and local community are fantastic, the farmers market is a treat every Sunday there are plenty of good places to get a drink or a bite. The wider area is about to embark on a huge regeneration, something worth considering if you are renting as the immediate area (Falcon Pub and car park opposite Mand) are about to be developed. However good news if you are buying as the local area is going to see a huge amount of investment in the next 5 years.

I have lived in North West London for over 10 years. We were considering buying a house in the local area but we couldn’t get what we wanted for the money. QPP offered large, well laid out, 2 and 3 bed apartments which are very difficult to find in normal converted period housing stock. I have come across Londonewcastle before as their buildings are usually design led and eye catching. Although the delivery was slightly delayed and there were some initial teething problems, we absolutely love here. We are on the 6th floors and the views are phenomenal. The spec in the apartment is good and has aged well. We have Miele appliances, underfloor heating, air conditioning throughout. Be aware, these apartments can get hot in the summer as they are so well insulated. The Concierge is fantastic, Zoltan & Sean in particular go above and beyond to make our lives as easy as possible.

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

Queens Park is like a village with access to Oxford Circus in 20mins. It is one of the best connected locations in London with a real village and community feel. The park is such an asset particularly when you have a young family.

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

Phase 2 of QPP was due to start a while ago and we were looking forward to the shops and improvement to the local aesthetic it will provide but I understand it is still 2/3years away. Some of the mechanics in the building are in need of replacement just three years after occupancy. It appears this is potentially due to poor maintenance and original installation. This may have an impact on the service charge in the next few years, but is being well managed by the resident management group.

5

Facilities

4

Design

5

Location

5

Value

5

Management

I was looking for a second home in London and came across Queens Park Place and bought a property off-plan. I’ve been very pleased with everything about it since. The fact it is opposite the tube station and 10-15 minutes to the west-end is a big attraction as is the M&S store beneath. I also enjoy the suburban village atmosphere of Queens Park. The apartments are well designed and although limited in size, because they are well planned the space is adequate. The 24 hour concierge is a great boon and comes at a reasonable cost compared to other such buildings. The staff are particularly helpful and courteous. The hallmark of Londonewcastle is definitely on this building and I enjoy staying in the property and frequently speak positively about it to friends and acquanitances.

We bought our flat at QPP in 2015 and, despite quite a few initial snagging issues, it has become a fantastic place to live. It is extremely convenient; the park is a five-minute walk away, the tube just over the road, and M&S is literally in the building. The flats are designed well, with spacious balconies and large windows throughout. My only gripe is that I feel that less attention was paid to the communal parts in Birchside and Cedarside, compared to the very smart and impressive entrance foyer in Alderside. The building is well managed well by Zoltan, Sean and the rest of the concierge team.

I love living here. I’d love it more if there were more attention to small details – a flickering light on the landing, a lift panel that doesn’t get fixed, a chip in the paint that’s been there since I moved in – small things that could be easily attended to if the building management walked around the public areas daily. The most egregious problem is the lack of concierge coverage in the middle of the day. At the times when most delivieries are expected and most visitors arrive, the concierges are on their break and there is no relief concierge or staggered shifts as in every other building with porterage or concierge service in which I’ve lived. Between 12 and 2, most days, there is nobody is at the desk and often nobody can be reached by phone. One of the reasons I bought my apartment was the promise of 24 hour concierge service and this is not available.

I’ve lived in QPP from the start, and never had a day when I wasn’t happy that I took a risk and bought off the plan. My apartment is well designed, well insulated and a lovely space to be in. And I never hear my neighbours, which is a bonus in a London apartment block. The communal spaces are stylish and smart, and run by an excellent Concierge team. The cleaning team is also exceptional. If I had to have one tiny complaint, it would be the communal gardens – disappointing and unimaginative planting that adds nothing to the look and feel of the development. There is a growing sense of community with fellow residents and an efficient owners’ management team. All in all, a great place to live.

I got a great service moving in with someone to show us how everything worked. If there were any issues we had someone on standby who would come to help but everything worked perfectly which can sometimes not be the case with new build flats which haven’t been lived in yet. The day to day running by the concierge is fantastic and the place is kept immaculate. Security is extremely good too. The quality of all the finishes on the development are fantastic particularly the concierge/entrance lobby which is very impressive. Having underground parking is a luxury and being on the doorstep of M and S is brilliant.

It’s self-evident how well things are kept in shape here. Love the staff too. Zoltar is the man. Shaun is great too. I prefer if we kept to the same guys in front though. It’s more comforting & adds to the community feeling of QPP when we can build a relationship with the regular staff.

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

no qualms here.

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

I never understood why we can’t let our guests in from our apartment, having to go down personally to fetch them from the lifts is a design oversight in my view. I also thought QPP looked better before the art arrived but I understand that it’s hard to please everyone especially when you guys had a small budget. At least, that’s what it looks like to me . I tolerate the art in Birchside and the monster in the lobby everyday. First world problems lol

5

Facilities

5

Design

5

Location

4

Value

4

Management

Living here makes life easy. With a full-time concierge, I know that there is always someone available to help me with any queries, to support with moving into and out of the building, accepting deliveries for me regardless of whether I’m in the building and generally being a really lovely group of smiling people I can chat to when I walk into and out of the building each day.