It seems hard to believe, but just a decade ago, Battersea Power Station and the surrounding area, including Nine Elms, was a mishmash of buildings with unused gas stations, shuttered light industry and rundown housing. At the centre of this decaying urban wasteland was the iconic Power Station itself, closed in the early 1980s and slowly falling to pieces through neglect.
Today it’s a completely different story. After the biggest regeneration project in Europe for a generation, the whole area of Battersea and Nine Elms has been transformed. No wonder it’s now one of the most sought-after areas in London.
So what makes this revitalised neighbourhood so special?
Shopping
Battersea Power Station’s turbine halls opened to shoppers in October 2022 and since then it’s seen thousands of visitors enjoy the building’s stunning interiors as well as its plethora of stores.
There are high end stores such as Boss, Chanel and Mulberry as well as the high street’s most popular brands including Jigsaw, Lulumelon and Reiss. While Apple has a big presence as does Nike and Adidas. Coffee shops are in abundance too.
Eating and drinking
In the Power Station itself, there’s plenty of delicious food to enjoy in the Arcade Food Hall including Phed Power, which serves fiery stir fries and salads from Thailand; Tipan Tapan, for Nepali street food; and Shatta & Toum, a Middle Eastern shawarma kitchen.
Venture out of the Power Station and you’ll discover some incredible restaurants close by including JOIA in the nearby art’hotel, which cooks up a fusion of British and Iberian flavours; Flume, which serves up Italian fare and a view of the river; The Wright Brothers, for incredible seafood. Or Passyunk, which is close to the US embassy, serves classic wings and nachos, and resembles a Philly dive bar - in the best possible way.
When it comes to places to drink, the Arcade Food Hall has two bars: the Tap Room which serves beers from international and South London breweries and the ABC Bar, which offers a menu of the world’s most famous cocktails. Control Room B is an all-day bar upstairs in the Power Station that’s worth a visit. Or check out the rooftop bar in the art’otel or the Battersea Brewery under the arches.
Transport links
Two new Zone 1 Tube stations – Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms – opened as part of the Northern Line extension in 2021, making it easier than ever for residents living in the area to commute into the City or West End. From the Battersea Power Station stop, it’s only 11 minutes to Leicester Square and only 12 minutes to Bank station. Nearby Vauxhall and Queenstown Road Battersea train stations get you into Victoria in a matter of minutes. Or you can jump on the Uber Boat by Thames Clipper at St George’s Wharf Pier or Battersea Power Station Pier and arrive in style at London Bridge 30 minutes later or Canary Wharf within 40 minutes.
Open spaces
Much loved Battersea Park is just west of the Power Station and has been hugely popular with residents and visitors since the mid nineteenth century. But now there are even more outdoor spaces to enjoy with new parks, squares, footpaths, cycle lanes and recreation spaces all part of the regeneration project.
When it’s completed, Nine Elms Park will be a continuous green ‘corridor’ stretching from the Power Station in the west to Vauxhall Cross in the east. A section of the park around the Thames City area has already been completed and is now open to the public, with mature trees, evergreen plants and quiet and shady seating.
At four key points along the route, the linear park connects to the Thames River Path so strollers and runners can easily switch between park or river views. The Thames River Path is having a makeover too with new seating and planting and is finally opening up long stretches of the path that have been closed to the public for years. It will extend London’s South Bank all the way through Vauxhall and right down to Battersea Park and beyond.
“What we’ve been seeing for the last year is professionals and families moving from areas such as Chelsea and Fulham into Battersea and Nine Elms,” says Ben Asdi.
“Buyers and renters come to us because they specifically want to live in the area. It’s easy to see why. The properties are incredible, there are lots of stunning outside spaces to enjoy and the two new Tube stations have made the commute into the City just over ten minutes. And with the opening of Battersea Power Station last year, there’s no need to go Bond Street for the shops or the West End for dinner now unless you really want to because everything is right here on your doorstep.”
Looking to buy or rent property in Battersea or Nine Elms? Get in touch.
