Knightsbridge: Difference between revisions
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*[http://www.westminsteronline.org/~ka/ The Knightsbridge Association] |
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*[http://www.knightsbridge.in The Knightsbridge Apartsments] |
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Revision as of 04:13, 4 May 2007
 | This article's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. |
Knightsbridge is a street and district spanning the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, in the west of central London, England. The area is famous for its cultural and educational instutions and for its association with the celebrities and millionaires.
History
Knightsbridge was named after a crossing of the River Westbourne, which is now a underground river due to extensive building over. It comes above ground at Sloane Square tube station, where it is enclosed and suspended in a large green pipe above the platforms, on its way to the Thames. It is recorded that the citizens of London met Queen Matilda at the Knight's Bridge in 1141. For centuries the area was renowned as the haunt of highwaymen, robbers and cut throats targeting travellers on the western route out of London. The fortunes of Knightsbridge were transformed in the 19th century and have continued to rise and rise.
Because of its wealth and prominence, the area has in the recent past been a prime target for international crime, including the £60m Knightsbridge Security Deposit robbery in 1987. Many apartment buildings and shops have closed circuit television, doormen and security guards. The infamous Iranian Embassy siege, lasting several days in 1980, was played out to a global television audience as the Special Air Service stormed the building with controlled explosions, freeing the hostages and killing all but one of the perpetrators. Later in the 1980s, six Christmas shoppers were killed in a Provisional Irish Republican Army bomb outside Harrods.
Infrastructure
The area has been subject to a major-security related overhaul in response to past events and the continuing influx of international multi-millionaire new residents; it is now one of the most highly protected and secure areas in the world. It is served by two army bases: Hyde Park Barracks, home to the Household Cavalry; and Wellington Barracks to the East, home to the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards. Knightsbridge is served by four Police bases - a Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Department in Walton Street near Harrods, and three purpose-built Metropolitan Police facilities - a Safer Neighbourhood Area Office in Pavilion Road at the back of the Royal Danish Embassy in Sloane Street, and Borough Operational Command Units at Belgravia, and Chelsea Police stations. There is a Fire station in Basil Street, which runs between Sloane Street and Harrods, and a NHS Medical Centre in Pavilion Road. Several hospitals are nearby in Chelsea, Kensington, Westminster, and Paddington. There are also wide-ranging private health institutions nearby. There are tube stations at Knightsbridge, Hyde Park Corner and Sloane Square.
Culture
Museums in the district include - The Victoria and Albert Museum, Natural History Museum; Science Museum; No. 1 London, London residence of the Duke of Wellington and the Serpentine Gallery.
Cultural Centres in the District include - Cadogan Hall in Sloane Street for concerts of classical and popular music, Royal Albert Hall for a variety of music and sports events, the Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square, and the Ismaili Centre built by leading British architect Sir Hugh Casson.
Fine Art: Bonhams, Christies, Kalman, and countless galleries and antique boutiques.
Economy
Knightsbridge is a shopper's paradise and home to many expensive shops, including the exclusive department stores Harrods, owned by billionaire Egyptian tycoon Mohammed Al Fayed, Peter Jones, traditionally favoured by the Sloane Rangers, and Harvey Nichols, made famous in the classic British comedy Absolutely Fabulous. Victoria Beckham is a regular shopper in the area and Harrods is her outlet of choice for her own label fashion line VB Rocks.
Knightsbridge is noted as the home of flagship stores for many brands. The renowned London-based shoe designers Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik, are based here. There are two Chanel stores in the area, alongside banks for high net worth individuals, including Coutts - bankers to the Queen.
Property
Knightsbridge has some of the highest property prices in the world.[citation needed] Knightsbridge is leafy, especially so considering its location at the heart of London, with houses and apartment buildings situated around large private gardens.[citation needed] It is also adjacent to Inner London's largest public Park, Hyde Park. In 2006, a four bedroomed apartment in Knightsbridge sold for over £25,000,000,[citation needed] and car parking spaces in the Harrods residential development in Hans Crescent sell for £300,000 on a 94 year lease.[citation needed] In February 2007, the world's most expensive apartment at One Hyde Park, sold off plan for £85,000,000.[citation needed] In early 2007 properties have been sold for in excess of £4,000 per square foot.[citation needed]
Knightsbridge is mostly made up of strictly controlled Conservation Areas and development land is difficult to find.[citation needed] Most properties offered by developers are refurbished flats and houses. Many of these now have huge basement extensions, accomodating an eclectic range of facilities.[citation needed] These properties are sold off plan, and such is the demand often through sealed bids (often sight unseen), by top estate agents.[citation needed]
Knightsbridge remains the London home for many of Britain's aristocracy and their offspring.[citation needed] The two principle landowners in the area are the Duke of Westminster and Earl Cadogan, whose ancestor Sir Hans Sloane was responsible for the foundation of the northern Hans Town section, the Natural History Museum and the British Museum.
The area is characterised by Queen Anne Revival architecture to be found primarily on the Cadogan Estate,[citation needed] and the white stucco fronted houses mostly found on the Grosvenor Estate,[citation needed] built by Thomas Cubitt. The most sought-after prime addresses are the garden squares closest to Harrods, which serves as corner shop to many of the world's billionaires and celebrities.[citation needed] The store's famous liveried footmen are regularly seen delivering purchases to the area's local residents.[citation needed] Popular addresses are Belgrave Square, Egerton Place, Cadogan Square, Lennox Gardens and Hans Place, which is located next to Harrods.[citation needed]
Knightsbridge is a favoured location for Irish and Russian property investors. Derek Quinlan's private equity fund, Quinlan Private recently purchased 3.4 acres of prime retail commercial property from BP Pension Fund.[citation needed] This estate stretches along Knightsbridge from Harrods to Harvey Nichols. It is understood that this part of Knightsbridge, which includes some of the world's most expensive retail properties, will shortly be subject to substantial re-development.[citation needed]
Knightsbridge is a "must be seen in" district for affluent Middle Eastern families during the summer months;[citation needed] it forms a European base for business trips and holidays throughout the continent.[citation needed]
Cementing the Middle East connection, Knightsbridge is home to the European headquarters of Al Jazeera English, the English language version of the iconic Arabic news and current affairs channel headquartered in Doha.
Education
There are a number of independent Pre-Preparatory and Preparatory Schools in Knightsbridge, including three with Royal connections - Hill House School in Hans Place, where both the Prince of Wales and the singer Lily Allen received their first education, Frances Holland which Princess Diana attended for a time after the divorce of her parents, and Knightsbridge School in Lennox Gardens, where the headmaster was formerly Equerry to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle caters for the educational needs of London's sizable French community, many based in the local area. Some of Britain's leading degree courses for science-related subjects can be found at Imperial College which borders the district.
Residents
Knightsbridge is notable for its eclectic mix of rich, famous, and international residents.
This includes billionaire Roman Abramovich, oligarchs from Russia, China and India, international businessman Lord Marshall of Knightsbridge,Saudi and several other Middle Eastern Royal Dynasties, American investment bankers and hedge fund managers such as John Duffield of New Star Asset Management,
There are also trend-setters like Charles Saatchi and famed fashion designers Valentino and Tom Ford of Gucci.
Residents from the world of entertainment include Sir David Frost and Nigella Lawson, film stars such as Hugh Grant and Joan Collins.
A number of high profile people were raised in the area including Princess Diana, Sienna Miller, Amanda de Cadenet, and Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond.
In addition to upper-class Londoners, Knightsbridge is home to large numbers of wealthy people from the all around the world. It forms an International Community where English is the common language but conversations can regularly be heard in one of 300 languages from around the world - notably American, Arabic, Chinese, European and Eastern European languages, Indian dialects, Russian, and Hispanic languages. It is one of the two International Centres identified in the London Plan; the other is the West End.
Just the other side of the road from the Quinlan Estate, a roll call of some the richest families from the Middle East have placed deposits on flats in the world's most luxurious property development being undertaken by Candy and Candy and Lord Richard Rogers of Riverside at One Hyde Park with the financial backing of Sheik Hamad bin Jassem bin Jaber Al-Thani, the Foreign Minister of Qatar. The north side of Knightsbridge, known as Knightsbridge Green is home to another prime new development, The Knightsbridge, the trendy sushi restaurant - Zuma - the offices of New Star Asset Management, where the glamourous secretaries are millionaires following its recent flotation, and at Prince's Gate the offices of Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One.
In Lowndes Square is the property where Sven Goran Erikson was reported to have met with Roman Ambramovich. The square is favoured generally by Russian oligarchs, and Chelsea F.C. football players, who are known to entertain lavishly in the nearby The Berkeley, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, and Lanesborough Hotels, and shop prodigiously in nearby Sloane Street. Jose Mourinho and Terry Venables are regularly seen in this area.
See also
Nearest places
Nearest tube stations
- Knightsbridge tube station
- Hyde Park Corner tube station
- Sloane Square tube station
- South Kensington tube station
- and formerly Brompton Road tube station(closed)
Others
- Chelsea F.C., Stamford Bridge
- Royal Thames Yacht Club, 60 Knightsbridge
- St Columba's Church of Scotland, Pont Street
- Holy Trinity Sloane Square
- Caledonian Club
