Chelsea

Upmarket Chelsea forms a latticework of safe and quiet streets, peopled by monied Londoners, literary types and the native ‘Sloane Rangers’ who choose the area for its bustling cafes, independent businesses and artisan restaurants. The area’s main thoroughfare is the King’s Road, a delightful mix of chain stores and high-end boutiques. The area is home to the impressive exhibitions at the Saatchi Gallery, the horticultural displays of the Chelsea Physics Garden and the splendor of Sir Christopher Wren’s Royal Hospital, which plays annual host to the Chelsea Flower Show. You take a hop over to the river’s southern bank to reach charming Battersea, towered over by the decommissioned Power Station. Nearby sits Battersea Park, replete with fountains and boating lakes, delightful gardens, a small children’s zoo and the magnificent Peace Pagoda. Chelsea’s wealth has slowly spread to its more southerly cousin, and today the area is home to luxury riverside apartments and posh eateries.