From Euston and King's Cross to Waterloo and London Bridge: the four mainline stations set to become hot new homes hotspots

Not since the great Victorian railway era have mainline stations been such important commercial zones — and such desirable places to live.

King's Cross
King’s Cross is the best example. Twenty years ago it was a sleazy red light district. Now 67 acres of what was blighted industrial land to the rear of the station form a stunning urban quarter, one of London’s finest, with 2,000 homes, Google’s European HQ, a University of the Arts London campus, a Jamie Oliver cookery school — to be launched — and a piazza that’s a field of fountains and attractive wooden benches.

Following the release of spectacular flats built within the framework of listed gasholders, next week sees the launch of Fenman House, a 14-storey tower and linked podium building with 75 flats priced from £655,000. Call Knight Frank on 020 3691 3969.

Euston
Euston station is going to be rebuilt for the new high-speed HS2 rail link, while at Victoria a blighted island site opposite the station is being turned into Nova — five fresh buildings including a block of 172 flats, all part of a £2 billion area project sweeping away the grey-slab office blocks that have dominated the area for decades.

London Bridge
London Bridge station is being completely rebuilt. The Shard has helped catapult the area, previously a spillover address for City firms, to a new level. The main challenge now is to integrate the tower of riches with a mainly small-scale area that includes medieval lanes and passageways.

London Bridge Quarter is the name of the wider development zone. Regeneration has involved cutting new viaducts through ancient Borough Market and improving street-level space for stallholders and shoppers. Derelict railway arches along Crucifix Lane are being opened up to provide links with Hay’s Galleria wharf fronting the Thames.

Snowsfields Yard is a stylish scheme of 28 new flats moments from the Shard. Prices from £765,000. Call Crest Nicholson on 020 3002 7009.

London Waterloo
A City Hall vision for a revitalised quarter around Waterloo station, London’s biggest and busiest commuter hub, is also coming to fruition. This entails part-demolition of the Shell Centre group of buildings and bulldozing a run-down strip along York Road that has not recovered since the GLC left County Hall more than 25 years ago.

Thirty Casson Square, the second phase of the 790-home Shell Centre project, has been launched, with two-bedroom flats from £1.2 million. Call 020 7001 3600.

The sprawling station complex extends to 24½ acres and is home to the disused Eurostar terminal, which is to be revived for commuter services and a shopping mall.

Despite its growing cachet, Waterloo is still a good-value Zone 1 address, within the price range of some first-time buyers. Its charming urban residential mix includes lovely Victorian terraces, charitable and church housing, cared-for council estates, small pockets of new flats and sweeping waterfront developments.

Dover House, a former hotel and restaurant in Lower Marsh, which has a street market and is attracting more upmarket shops and boutiques, has been refurbished and split into nine rental apartments. Call Savills on 020 3430 6870.