New York Habitat Blog

St. James’s Park is so centrally located that it’s nearly impossible to walk through London without skirting around, cutting through or passing by it—but we at New York Habitat suggest stopping in and spending some time there instead. Better yet, book a nearby New York Habitat vacation rental this spring and make the park your own backyard.

London Apartment: 1-bedroom apartment in Westminister LN-73 photo

St. James’s is London’s oldest royal park and it is something of an oasis. Surrounded by three palaces—Westminster (which now serves as the Houses of Parliament), St. James’s Palace (an impressive Tudor-style structure) and Buckingham Palace (the queen’s home)—the beautifully manicured park is the perfect place for a mid-sightseeing break. Visitors can watch the resident pelicans being fed every day at 2:30 or, for refreshments of your own, stop at the Inn the Park Restaurant for afternoon tea. To really stray from the usual tourist path, take a guided tour of the park’s aptly named Duck Island.

Designed by Sir John Nash in 1821, St. James’s serves as the spot for national celebrations and ceremonies. With The Mall running straight through the park grounds, it’s the ideal location in which to watch the upcoming Trooping the Colour (at the end of May) or the Horse Guards Parade. You can also see a bit of British history all along the park’s perimeters: The Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, 10 Downing Street, and Admiralty Arch.

Located just off Whitehall (one of London’s main roads), St. James’s Park is a short walk from Piccadilly Circus, the shops on Regent Street, the excellent Institute of Contemporary Arts, the Mall Galleries, Marlborough House, Trafalgar Square and Nelson’s Column, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, the National Gallery and the Thames River.

However, there are some amazing sights to admire in the park itself. The Blue Bridge offers unparalleled views of the Swire Fountain, the Old Admiralty Buildings and the London Eye off in the distance—not to mention serene swans floating by in the foreground. St. James’s also has deck chairs and a bandstand, where springtime musical performances are held at lunchtime and in the evenings, and it still houses the original cottage donated by the Ornithological Society of London in 1837 as a home for the park’s bird keeper (a position that still exists today).

London Apartment: 1-bedroom apartment in Westminister LN-166 photo

To truly take advantage of all that the park—and the city!—has to offer, stay in a centrally located New York Habitat vacation rental, such as:

• A spacious and well-appointed 3-bedroom rental accommodation in Pimlico-Westminster (LN-721), near St. James’s Park, Vauxhall Bridge, Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. This lovely living space comes complete with double beds, a full kitchen, laundry/dryer and a terrace from which to take in springtime views.

• A clean and crisply decorated 1-bedroom vacation rental in Westminster (LN-166) on the seventh floor of an apartment block that has it all: 24-hour doorman, elevators, gym, spa and pool. This comfortable apartment—perfect for two people—has a double bed and open plan kitchen, and is conveniently located close to St. James’s Park station.

• A stylish 1-bedroom vacation accommodation in Westminster (LN-73) that boasts three rarities for London: hardwood floors, high ceilings and huge windows to let in some springtime sun! Outfitted with a queen-sized bed and laundry/dryer, this warmly-lit rental is on the fifth floor of a modern building with elevator and full-time doorman.

Enjoy splendor in the park this spring and summer with a visit to St. James’s and a stay in a New York Habitat vacation accommodation in London.

Leave a comment to let us know the sights or events in St. James’s Park that you have enjoyed.

Green Park London, England

New York Habitat’s number three spot for refuge from the rain is Dover Street Market near Green Park. Street markets are an essential aspect of life in London and can be found throughout the city, hawking everything from fresh produce to vintage clothes and cheap, trendy knock-offs. Dover Street Market is not like that at all. For one thing, it brings the street market idea indoors. It’s also run by a leading designer for fashion house Comme des Garçons, which means that the wares are couture, edgy and mostly exclusive to this shop. About a dozen Comme des Garçons lines are carried here, as well as other high-end, world-class collections from the likes of Azzedine Alaïa and Veronique Branquinho. There are also small outposts of local London brands and designers, and a smattering of some choice vintage pieces flown in from L.A. In short, it has everything you could want under one roof—much like our New York Habitat vacation rentals in the Green Park area!

Even if you’re the type of traveller who would rather brave a rainstorm and continue sightseeing than be stuck inside shopping, the Dover Street Market has something for you. The recently opened six-story space boasts an avant-garde interior and must-be-seen design elements, including paint splattered concrete floors, corrugated iron-enclosed checkouts, t-shirts sold in vending machines, random animal skeletons and taxidermy pieces that look like they’re on loan from the Natural History Museum, port-a-john fitting rooms and theatrical displays (which extend to the workers, who are decked out like living mannequins). The décor exemplifies London’s love of playful, urban design alongside the more serious, sophisticated sense of refinement shown through the clothing. In fact, it’s possible not to think of the Dover Street Market as a retail shop at all but as a gallery space filled with beautiful objects up for sale, some one-of-a-kind and many at art piece prices.

Best of all on a rainy day, the top floor houses a small branch of one of Paris’ most popular eateries, the Rose Bakery. So after some mouth-watering browsing, you can sit down to some serious French pastry and café au lait.

Of course, the entire Green Park area in Mayfair, London, is spectacular to see, especially when the sun comes out once more. Home to Buckingham Palace and the Royal Mews, adjacent to The Mall leading to St. James’s Park and Palace, the Institute for Contemporary Arts, Downing Street and the Cabinet Rooms, and a short walk to Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, Mayfair makes up the heart of the city. There is simply no better place to stay—and New York Habitat has some amazing accommodations in the area, including:

London Accommodation: 1-bedroom in Mayfair Westminster (LN-298)

•    An elegant 1-bedroom rental in Mayfair, Westminster (LN-298) on the third floor of a period building with elevator and part-time porter. This rental accommodation is located on Curzon Street, the center of Mayfair, chock full of shops, cafés and cinemas.

•    A tasteful and stunning 3-bedroom accommodation in Mayfair, Westminster (LN-300) on the third floor of a period building with elevator access directly into the apartment. As one client testimonial states, “It was a great apartment for a family of six: comfortable, warm, smartly furnished.”

•    A lovely 2-bedroom rental in Mayfair, Westminster (LN-476) with wooden floors and air conditioning, located on the third floor of a recently refurbished building. One client testimonial raves: “The apartment was great. It was the perfect location and I thought was a reasonable rate.”

As you can see, the Dover Street Market is just one of many spectacular places to experience during your stay in Mayfair, London. This Green Park shop is sure to keep away any rainy day blues.
Please leave us any comments you have about the Dover Street Market or any of your other favorite London street markets—and don’t miss our next article on the number two place to wait for a change in the weather. Rain or shine, New York Habitat is sure to have you covered!