New York Habitat Blog

Ask any tourists what their favorite places in London are and they’ll probably list Harrod’s, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye and Madame Toussaud’s. Ask any Londoners about their favorite spots in the city and you’re sure to hear less familiar choices like Kew Gardens, Richmond Park and Wimbledon Common, all near Richmond-Wandsworth. While visitors don’t mind queuing up to get their chance to see the famous sights, locals often opt to spend their free time off the beaten path. If you want to stay where Londoners make their weekend getaways, New York Habitat has accommodations in the insiders’ favorite sections of the city.  

London accommodation: 2-bedroom apartment Richmond-Wandsworth LN-595

Look on any area map and you’ll notice that Richmond-Wandsworth is literally awash in greenery, with ample parklands and golf courses. Near the much-loved Kew Gardens and Richmond Park are the Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club, the Richmond Golf Club, the Strawberry Hill Golf Club, the London-Scottish Golf Club and so many others that you can feel your score decreasing with each day you stay in your New York Habitat rental. For golf fans, it’s possible to book a tee time at a different course every day of your visit.

For tennis lovers, however, there is always the famed Wimbledon Stadium, where tours will take you onto the grass and clay courts, as well as inside the building to areas usually restricted to the public. Like the old joke goes, another way to get to Wimbledon is through practice, practice, practice, and you can do that by playing in any of the local parks with plenty of tennis courts. 

If you’re not particularly a sports fan, there are many other ways to spend your time. Kew Gardens is a day-destination spot all its own (actually, more like two or three leisurely visits), with amazing botanical and ecological delights abounding. You can see the sculptural, 18th century Queen’s Garden, the tropical and ornamental Waterlily House, the iconic Palm House Paterre, Kew Palace, and the new, exciting Treetop Walkway, which takes visitors about sixty feet up in the air and allows them access to unprecedented views from above.

There are also fun and educational exhibits for the kids, including the Badger Sett, which lets children explore the real-life living conditions of those underground creatures; in the park sleepovers; and the fall through winter ice skating rink, set outside the gorgeously lit, glass Temperate House.

London Accommodation 2-bedroom apartment in Richmond-Wandsworth (LN-595)

Lest all this sumptuous greenery makes you feel too removed from the concrete splendors of central London, be assured that a fifteen-minute ride on the Underground or National Rail will bring you to the heart and hustle of the city, then back to your greater London retreat to retire for a peaceful night’s sleep. Our recommendations in Richmond-Wandsworth include

• A chic and streamlined 2-bedroom vacation accommodation in Richmond-Wandsworth-Battersea (LN-595) with modern design and conveniences such as a gym, laundry and sparkling, chrome kitchen. This riverside apartment is on the fourth floor and has a balcony with spectacular Thames views, as well as a corner reception room, hardwood floors and two bathrooms. It’s only ten minutes from Clapham Junction station and right across the river from Cheyne Walk in Kensington-Chelsea.

• A funky and inviting 2-bedroom townhouse in Richmond-Wandsworth (LN-534) that has a garden, terrace and bunkbeds for the kids. This ground- and first-floor accommodation is only a three-minute walk from the nearest National Railway station.

• A bright and spacious 1-bedroom furnished rental in Putney, Richmond-Wandsworth (LN-186) that comes with a laundry/dryer and a terrace suitable for barbecues and al fresco dining. This ground-floor apartment, available to rent for one month or longer, is just a few minutes’ walk from the Thames and from Putney Bridge station, with direct routes to central London.

Go “green” with a stay in a New York Habitat accommodation in London’s lush Richmond-Wandsworth area—and let us know which park or golf course is your favorite with a comment below.

London is known as one of the great cities in the world for its architecture, great subway system and its parks. As for the latter, most people are familiar with the famous Hyde Park located in central London, but far fewer have visited the much larger and more spectacular Kew Royal Botanic Gardens located in the Richmond section of Western London.

Kew Gardens is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which incorporates thousands of species of plants into its 300-acre property. The land includes a frontage on the Thames River at the north and gently sloping hills in the southern section. Some of the highlights on the property are the glass houses, which contain unique species from around the world. There are walking trails around the park that lead to the different buildings and museums and showcase the variety of native plants on the grounds. Another highlight is the Cedar Vista, which offers an unobstructed view of the Thames River though a forest of cedar trees from the giant Pagoda at the southern corner of the park. If you have a tip about your favorite places in Kew Gardens, feel free to post a comment below.

If you are interested in finding an apartment near Kew Gardens, consider accommodations in the luxurious Richmond area where beautiful single-family homes and multi-family row houses can be found. Some of New York Habitat’s offerings in the area include a one-bedroom apartment near Wimbledon (LN-404) and a three-bedroom apartment (LN-405) that can sleep eight people. Kew Gardens is convenient to downtown via the District Line or Silver Link Railway to the Kew Gardens stop. The journey form the city center is about 30 to 45 minutes.

So, on your next journey to London, take a ride to one of the world’s greatest botanic gardens, Kew Gardens, and remember to check out New York Habitat for all of your accommodation needs in the Kew Gardens area.