The Microhood: The City of London

What’s it got that we love?
After the Romans moored their galleys on the north bank of the Thames, they built Londinium. This walled citadel, which covers an area of one square mile, is now the City of London – one of the world’s mightiest financial powerhouses. 

The walls have largely gone, but the City is still known as “the Square Mile” – and its history is writ large in landmarks such as London Bridge, the Monument to the Great Fire of 1666, Christopher Wren’s exquisite St Paul’s Cathedral, Great St Barts and the 50 or so fine churches tucked between the soaring glass skyscrapers. 

“If you live in the City, you’re really in the middle of things,” says Nick Verdi, Savills head for Shoreditch and Clerkenwell. “And it’s more attractive than ever.” Once deserted in the evening and at weekends, the City has now developed a buzzing social scene, as Verdi points out: “There’s so much more to do than 20 years ago – great restaurants and bars, and there are excellent transport links.” When the London Museum opens in Smithfield in 2026, along with the revived Bartholomew Fair – a festival of circus, theatre and dance – the City will be the heart, as well as the head, of London.

Just 10,000 residents call this place home, jostling with a work population of 500,000, and they tend to become ambassadors for the area.

The Square Mile may have emptied during the pandemic, but, according to Verdi, we are now “seeing the reverse – many people want to live in the City”. And with several Tube stations, the Elizabeth Line and Thameslink services on hand, connectivity is excellent. 

How’s the shopping?
The elegant One New Change arcade was designed by architect Jean Nouvel – when your shopping is done, take the glass elevator to Madison for refreshments on the roof with divine views of Wren’s cathedral. Head to Paul Smith on quaint Bow Lane for luxury mens- and womenswear, and the splendid Royal Exchange for a host of luxury outlets, from jewellers Boodles to Fortnum & Mason. Leadenhall Market is home to drinks store Amathus and florist Windsor Flowers, and its Victorian arcades stood in for Diagon Alley in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Look up – the roof is emblazoned with the City’s age-old dragon logo. 

Hang out at…
The City’s restaurants are thriving. Among them are bustling 1 Lombard Street and Sweetings, which sells oysters in a Dickensian atmosphere. The Florattica rooftop bar and 14 Hills have great views, while Hawksmoor Guildhall is good for power steaks. Cloth offers feasting menus at poet John Betjeman’s old home on Cloth Fair, one of London’s oldest and most atmospheric streets.

There’s more time travel to experience at the Grade I listed Hand and Shears, while Verdi recommends Broadgate Circle and fun, funky Spitalfields Market, which have heaps of food and beverage options. 

The City has excellent cultural offerings, headed by music, theatre and contemporary art at the Barbican Centre. And while the Square Mile is deeply urban, pockets of respite include the foliage-draped ruins of St Dunstan in the East, Postman’s Park and London’s highest green space – the Sky Garden, on top of the Fenchurch Building. The Guildhall Art Gallery houses the startling remnants of a Roman amphitheatre. 

Where to buy?
Splendid residential towers are helping to draw life back to the City. The Haydon has “amazing penthouses”, Verdi says, while Principal Tower, designed by Foster + Partners, is “very slick”. The Sky Residencies at One Bishopsgate Plaza “blur the line between an apartment and a hotel”, while The Heron and Altitude Point offer lofty lookouts. Sugar Quay is a modern development on the Thames and Verdi loves Barts Square, “a brilliant and understated development”. 

You won’t find many traditional houses with gardens here – “We have the odd freehold,” Verdi says – but the Barbican, now fashionable for its postwar Brutalism, has shared green spaces and is undergoing a renewal programme.

Such is the clamour for City dwellings, residential property is in short supply. Snap up a luxurious lateral apartment to be in the beating heart of this ancient business district.

Little black book
Tower of London; The Monument; St Paul’s Cathedral; Great St Barts; London Museum; One New Change; Madison; Paul Smith; Royal Exchange; Boodles; Fortnum & Mason; Leadenhall Market; Amathus; Windsor Flowers; Spitalfields Market; 1 Lombard Street; 14 Hills; Florattica; Hawksmoor Guildhall; Cloth; Hand and Shears; Barbican Centre; St Dunstan in the East; Postman’s Park; Sky Garden; Guildhall Art Gallery; The Haydon; Principal Tower; One Bishopsgate Plaza; Altitude Point; Barts Square; Barbican.