Little Venice is a residential area of North West London built where the Regent’s Canal meets the Paddington arm of the Grand Union Canal. The postcodes in this area are mainly W2 and W9. It is easy to access by bus or tube, the nearest station being Warwick Avenue on the Bakerloo line. Paddington Station is just one stop away and Oxford Circus can be reached in about 15 minutes.
The streets of Little Venice are lined with trees and have small, secret gardens. The buildings are a mixture of Victorian and Edwardian period structures and some imposing stuccoed mansions. Along the river there are colourful house boats adorned with potted plants. The area is like an oasis in London and it attracts a diverse population of residents.
In the past, this area didn’t look so appealing. Paddington was once a village on the outskirts of London and the area now known as Little Venice was undeveloped. With the construction of the canals in 1801 came a few houses along the waterways. As the canals became more important, roads were added and the Church Commissioners built more homes. It was dirty and a bit rough around the edges in those days.
The area really came into its own after the Second World War because this part of London was mostly undamaged by the bombs. The potential of it didn’t go unnoticed and some updating and improvements were made. The area around Brownings’ Pond was changed at this time. Some impressive Italianate buildings and some of the water was lost, but there is still a huge area there today which looks an oasis in a crowded city.
Today Little Venice has many great features which attract visitors. The canals have good walkways that go up to London Zoo and through to Camden. Along the tow paths are nice spots to sit a while and people watch or feed the swans, ducks and geese. There is also a boat service which runs regularly from here.
Along the water are some small caf’es and bars which are lovely places to spend an evening. The Waterside Caf’e and the Warwick Castle Pub are two of the best-known spots to go to. There is also the Canal Caf’e Theatre which is a small venue specialising in comedy. The children also have a Puppet Theatre barge.
Little Venice is dotted with individual shops with a local feel. Not too far away Paddington and the Edgware Road offer a larger selection of the high-street favourites. Church Street Market is not too far away either.
The area known as Little Venice is very pretty and close to all the city of London has to offer. Tourism hasn’t reached here in big way so it remains a secret for the locals to keep. As it is a very desirable place to live for families, individuals and couples, the price of property has gone up considerably.
For properties to buy in Little Venice to browse, visit the website. The Paramount office are a friendly expert team.