Spanned by The Mall, St James’s is defined by its rich history and connections with the British Monarchy. The area is home to several royal residences including St James’s Palace and Clarendon House and is also famous for its many gentlemen’s clubs, fine tailors and luxury goods retailers.
St James’s has the most expensive office space to rent in the world. Rent in locations such as New York City, Paris and Sydney are on average five times cheaper than space in St. James, London. For a very long time throughout its history St. James has been an extremely affluent area and today is no different, attracting businesses in the fashion, arts and finance industries as well as many world renowned, highly profitable names in business. As you may imagine, architecture in this region is very grand and beautiful; ex-residential properties have bountiful charm and charisma and other serviced offices are located within large regal looking buildings. Interiors follow suit but with a modern twist, elegant furniture and plush fixtures are common sights. Attaining serviced office space in this area is rare and highly respectable.
Alex Williamson
Expert Opinion
This is one of London’s most prestigious locations for renting office space with some beautiful scenery. Sitting south of Piccadilly and bordering Mayfair, the area is home to over half a dozen Michelin star restaurants in amongst beautiful town houses and listed buildings. It is well known as a location to accommodate hedge funds, oil and gas companies.
St. James’ Developments and History
The history of St. James’ began when Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660 and chose to reside in St. James’ Palace. The area surrounding the Palace at this point however was not up to standard for a King and Henry Jermyn, Duke of St Albans was set to work in building London’s finest square. Soon after this Jermyn was given permission to begin designing buildings of substantial character in St James’s Fields, inviting the wealthy aristocrats of London in to the area to live in close capacity to the King; by 1666 the square had its first resident. St. James’ market was then built in order to serve the new population of the region and the area along with its inhabitants grew and grew. What is obvious about this Royal and luxurious area is that the elegance and sophistication along with the Royal Family never left and it has upheld its prestigious reputation since its birth.
Local Insight & Information
A place fit for the Royal Family and one which has been their home for many years throughout history, it is no wonder that St. James’ is a very prestigious location with plenty of charm and an air of elegance about it. The architecture within this area, as you would expect is mostly very grand and handsome having once housed the rich and wealthy of the West End; today they provide some exquisite office accommodation too. Fashion, food and theatre are all of the highest quality throughout this area and luxury laces the streets and business all over St. James’.
Some of the finest foods and restaurants can be sampled within St. James’ and there is everything from exceptional produce stores as well as elegant cafes and lavish restaurants. Cicchetti, one of the newer establishments in the area is an exquisite Italian restaurant offering their own interpretation of the Venetian custom of cicchetti which refers to small plate dishes to share or eat alone, traditionally enjoyed with a beer or glass of wine. The interiors deliver a high quality yet relaxing atmosphere and the streams of light grey Italian marble help transport you to the warmth and charm of Italy. The menu offers a new taste season to season ensuring that only the freshest and best seasonal ingredients are used whilst maintaining staple favourites. This restaurant is the first and only in London, trending a new strength in all-day dining within St James’.
Shopping in this locality is just as lavish as the dining and St. James’ has long been a staple destination to acquire traditionally British fashions. James’ Street holds a strong sophistication and fine craftsmanship within the many retailers which line the road, mainly those of shirt makers and luxury grooming. The street has a strong reputation for quality and retailers here pride themselves on out-performing quality standards. Turnbull & Asser are 125 year old tailors who hold the artistry to cut a fine suit to any shape whilst offering a bespoke service to the customer. John Lobb is the number one destination for high class shoes and boots holding the motto ‘the bear maximum for man’ and offering made to measure services.
Key Transport Links
Being within the vibrant and attractive West End which sees floods of tourists as well as business men and women pass through its streets day to day, there are plentiful transport links throughout the area. Piccadilly Circus tube is only a five minute walk from the centre of St. James’ offering links to the Bakerloo and Piccadilly lines and for the Victoria line, Green Park tube is only two minutes further. The area is also only a 20 minute walk from the extremely well connected Victoria Station which provides links to the Circle and District lines as well as Southeastern and Southern Trains, the Gatwick Express along with Thames link and bus services.
More on Location
A very iconic building within St. James’ is that of Clarence House and attending one of the tours of the site is a great way to spend a free afternoon or an ideal way to entertain clients visiting London. Guest will be guided around the five main rooms as well as their adjoining rooms on the ground floor whilst gaining a wonderful insight in to the life of the Royal Family. The building, originally constructed between 1825 and 1827, was home to the Queen Mother from 1953 to 2002 and is still the official residence of The Prince of Wales who first lived there as a young boy.
The first ever resident of the house was Prince William Henry, Duke of Clarence and heir of George IV who lived in it as King until 1837. The Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, and The Duke of Edinburgh also lived in the property after their marriage in 1947. Tours of the house are only conducted during the months of August and September so not to interrupt the lives of the Royals who still use the residence as a large part of their lives throughout most of the year.
Sitting within close proximity to Clarence House is another Royal building, St. James’ Palace. Although not being used as an official residence since the Victorian era it is thought to be one of the oldest palaces in London and was once inhabited by the sovereign of its time. The only remaining parts of the original Tudor version of St. James’ Palace however are the Chapel Royal and a fine 16th century gatehouse.
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