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Living in City of Westminster

From Buckingham Palace and Big Ben to Soho and Marylebone, Westminster offers a unique blend of heritage, lifestyle and connectivity.

About City of Westminster

The City of Westminster has been the UK’s seat of power since 1295, when the first official Parliament of England convened here. Today, it’s a dynamic borough that combines political significance with global tourism appeal and residential charm.

Home to Oxford Street, Theatreland, Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park, Westminster also includes quieter, characterful areas like Soho, St James’s, Mayfair, Belgravia, Pimlico, Bayswater, St John’s Wood, Maida Vale and Marylebone. Each with its own distinct personality and appeal.

Fact file

  • Westminster has over 11,000 listed buildings, making it one of the most architecturally rich boroughs in the UK.
  • Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey memorialises literary greats including Chaucer, Dickens, Shakespeare and Austen.
  • Beatles fans can visit 3 Savile Row, the site of their final live performance and Old Marylebone Town Hall, where Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were married.

Architecture and property 

The Westminster property market is diverse and prestigious. Areas like Mayfair and Marylebone feature Georgian and Victorian townhouses, mews homes and grand mansion blocks. Luxury apartments and new developments cater to international buyers and professionals.

In Pimlico, early 20th-century mansion blocks and ex-local authority flats offer more affordable options. Maida Vale and St John’s Wood are popular with families, offering Victorian villas, large townhouses and leafy streets.

Going out

Westminster is a culinary hotspot. Soho offers everything from noodle bars to tapas joints. Historic venues like Rules (London’s oldest restaurant) and Veeraswamy (London’s oldest Indian restaurant) serve classic British and regional Indian dishes in opulent settings.

There are plenty of illustrious pubs in the area, including Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese and the Lamb & Flag, which offer authentic London charm. For upscale drinks, head to Claridge’s Bar, The American Bar at The Savoy, or Bar Termini in Soho for cocktails and coffee.

The West End and Soho are London’s nightlife epicentres. Dance the night away at Carwash Club in Mayfair or enjoy live jazz at Ronnie Scott’s, a Soho institution since 1959. Theatreland offers world-class productions, with last-minute tickets available at local booths. Film lovers can choose between Leicester Square’s cinemas or arthouse venues like Prince Charles Cinema and Picturehouse Central.

Westminster is home to the National Gallery, Royal Academy of Arts, The Wallace Collection, and Serpentine Galleries. Smaller galleries around New Bond Street showcase contemporary and commercial art. Additionally, Hyde Park hosts major festivals like British Summer Time, while Somerset House offers summer concerts and a winter ice rink.

Local amenities 

The Marylebone Farmers’ Market is held every Sunday and is one of London’s first and remains a local institution, with around 40 stalls offering fresh produce and gourmet street food. Just off Regent Street, the iconic Liberty department store is a treasure trove of ornaments, accessories and its world-famous fabrics, housed in stunning wood-lined rooms built from the timbers of 1920s battleships.

For sports fans, Lord’s Cricket Ground is a must visit; steeped in history dating back to the 1700s, it’s the spiritual home of cricket and offers museum tours and match day experiences. These highlights, alongside Marylebone’s boutique shops, elegant eateries and leafy surroundings, make the area one of Central London’s most desirable places to live.

Green spaces

Westminster boasts four Royal Parks. Hyde Park, Regent’s Park, Green Park and St James’s Park. These beautifully maintained spaces are perfect for relaxation and recreation, offering lakes, lawns, woodlands and cafes. Little Venice, near Paddington, is a picturesque canalside area ideal for weekend strolls and boat rides.

Education

There is a wide range of state and private primary schools to choose from in the borough. State and private options include Westminster Abbey Choir School and Westminster Cathedral Choir School.

The co-educational L’École Bilingue Elementaire and EIFA International School are also good options for a bilingual education. State secondary schools include the well-regarded St Marylebone Church of England School for Girls, which specialises in the performing arts, maths and computing, and the co-educational Pimlico Academy in the south of the borough.

The independent American School in London is popular with expat parents, and the prestigious Westminster School, offering boarding and day options with a co-ed sixth form.

Transport

Westminster is one of the most connected boroughs in London, offering access to the commuter belt and beyond. Charing Cross serves southeast London, Kent and the south coast.  Marylebone has trains to northwest London, the West Midlands and Birmingham; Trains from Paddington go west to Bristol, Wales and the West Country and services from Victoria travel to Kent, Sussex, Brighton and other south coast destinations.

The borough has the highest concentration of night buses and 24-hour services in London. Plus, the City of Westminster is served by 27 stations across 10 lines, including Victoria, Jubilee, Central, Northern and Piccadilly. The Night Tube runs on Fridays and Saturdays.

The A40 Westway connects Westminster to West London and beyond. Most of the borough falls within the Congestion Charge Zone.

There are multiple Cycle Superhighways and Santander Cycle docking stations, making cycling easy and safe.

As well as the mainline services, the Heathrow Express runs every 15 minutes from Paddington, with a 15 to 21 minute journey to the airport. The Gatwick Express runs from Victoria and takes just under 30 minutes.