Over the past ten years the area around Victoria has been undergoing an exciting transformation. A vibrant district is emerging in the heart of London, largely due to the development of a number of attractive, modern and luxurious retail and residential buildings, making Victoria one of London’s most sought-after places to live and work in.
Cardinal Place is made up of three main buildings – 16 Palace Street and 80 and 100 Victoria Street – linked by public gardens and small passages. Offices are occupied by some of the world’s leading organisations and companies, including Microsoft and EDF, whereas the ground floor boasts numerous shops and restaurants, as well as a small roof garden offering some tranquillity – ideal for a short lunch break in the sun or watching public screenings of Wimbledon and other major sports events.
And then, there is “The View” – a complex of 124 luxurious residential apartments with all-glass walls opening onto small balconies, offering views over Victoria Street and St James’ Park to the back.
Since opening in January 2006, Cardinal Place has become one of the most recognisable sights in Victoria, with its glass façade narrowing to a single point at the corner of Victoria Street and Bressenden Place. Cardinal Place brought a much-needed burst of new life to what was a rather uninviting part of Westminster, at least as far as shopping and dining was concerned. Now, you can find over 24 shops and restaurants! There is something for everyone – Mango, L’Occitane, Zara, North Face, Hawes & Curtis, Accessorize, you name it! And there’s also a good range of cafes and restaurants, including Zizzi, Nandos, Wagamama, Costa Café and Coffee Geek & Friends. The new Fitness First on Cardinal Place offers a wide range of classes and is a top choice amongst people working and living locally.
Cardinal Place is just a 3-minute walk from Victoria Station and a 10 minute-walk to St. James’s Park and Buckingham Palace. The area gets very lively during the week, with tourists and people working in nearby offices making use of the numerous lunchtime options, having a coffee in the afternoon or a drink after work or just simply doing some shopping at one of the various shops in Cardinal Place and neighbouring buildings.
On the weekends, Cardinal Place is much quieter, and you will find mostly locals or tourists running errands at Boots or one of the other shops. However, just a few metres down Victoria Street, other new places are starting to emerge. There is a wonderful intimate Curzon Cinema, a spacious All Bar One, a Jamie Oliver Italian restaurant and the new upmarket wine store and restaurant M Wines, amongst others.
Cardinal Place and its adjacent new office and residential buildings certainly add more life – and quality of life – to this new, transforming Victoria and we at SW1.London are excited to be witnesses to this change!
