Living in Pimlico: travel links, parking, schools, best streets — and the average cost of monthly rent

Next to the river and with Victoria station and Westminster on the doorstep, Pimlico is right in the thick of it.

The area is now feeling some of the spillover effects of the massive regeneration happening in Victoria — not least the rash of new restaurants and bars that have opened there recently.

It still has a somewhat transient, touristy feel but on the plus side, this translates into cheaper rents, so tenants can enjoy the grand stucco architecture and central location of neighbours such as Chelsea, Belgravia or South Kensington, with a much lower price tag.

Who lives there? Young professional sharers and couples. It’s also popular with pied-à-terre renters who return to the country at the weekend.

A residents parking permit costs £103 or £145 depending on carbon emission levels, while eco-vehicles, including electric, gas, hybrid, fuel cell and solar, park for free.

Crime in Pimlico is slightly above the London average with nine crimes per 1,000 residents. The most common crimes are miscellaneous theft and theft from a person.

Pimlico is great for ClassPass fitness class subscribers because there are a number of great boutique gyms in the area, says local Isabelle Fowler.

She’s a particular fan of 1Rebel in Victoria and Re:Mind yoga. She and boyfriend Rob hire a court to play badminton at the Queen Mother Sports Centre where there is a gym, a hot yoga studio and three swimming pools.

Source: Rightmove

Look for the squares. Warwick Square, Eccleston Square and St George’s Square are the top three addresses in Pimlico, according to Giles Cook at Best Gapp.

Zone 1 Pimlico is extremely well connected thanks to the Victoria line, its riverside location, plenty of buses and Victoria train and coach stations on the doorstep.

And Isabelle is round the corner from the Gatwick Express for the airport and trips home to her family in Jersey.

Pimlico Primary, St Peter’s Eaton Square CofE Primary, Millbank Academy and Pimlico Academy are all rated “outstanding” by Ofsted.

There’s a Tesco Express on Lupus Street, a Little Waitrose on Warwick Way and a Sainsbury’s on Wilton Road.

“Because of the bus station the area has a bit of a transient feel about it, which is reflected in the slightly lower rents,” says Cook.

“There are still a few cheap B&Bs and low-budget hotels but landlord The Grosvenor Estate is definitely spending money to smarten up the area.

The latest little secret square is Eccleston Yards, which used to be a car park and is now a lively start-ups hub.”

How many Londoners dream of never having to take a Tube to work? It may sound impossible to live in central London without millions in the bank.

But Isabelle Fowler and her boyfriend, Rob, both 25, sniffed out Pimlico, a Zone 1 rental sweet spot.

Right in the heart of the action, they can enjoy everything their posh neighbour Belgravia has to offer, without the eye-watering rent.

They pay £1,771 a month between them, not including bills, for an admittedly tiny one-bedroom flat in one of the area’s signature white stucco houses with a shared outside space.

“We scrapped the commute — we both walk to work,” says Isabelle. “Given the choice of paying a bit more rent and living centrally or a bit further out for less rent and paying out on transport, we prefer to put the money into the rent.”

It takes her 35 minutes to walk to her job in Marylebone as a brand manager for Nails Inc, and it takes Rob half an hour to walk to Waterloo, where he works as a project manager in the NHS’s Digital First programme.

“We’re also the drop-in centre for all our friends because they live in south-west or west London so we’re the central point for everybody. Our flat is the dinner party zone,” says Isabelle.

Head to Pimlico Road and Ebury Street for some of London’s top interiors stores — with top prices.

You can pick up anything from rugs to furniture, art and even fossils at the specialist boutiques.

At the other end of the scale, Pimlico is something of a gem for vintage fans, with one of London’s best car boot sales every Sunday, and Retromania, a charity-run second-hand store.

Isabelle loves Khallouk & Taylor Deli.

“It’s just opposite our flat so if we can’t be bothered to cook we go there.”

She also favours Goya for tapas and The Orange pub for a Sunday roast and drinks. She gets her caffeine fix at The Roasting, where they serve “really nice, basic coffee”.

And Baker & Spice in Elizabeth Street is a delicious pavement café for a Saturday morning breakfast treat.

Tate Britain is on the doorstep and Isabelle and Rob like to get the boat from there to Tate Modern. They do film night at the Curzon Victoria.

“It is quite expensive but you can sit on a sofa and have food in there, which is nice,” says Isabelle.

St George’s Square is Isabelle’s most local open space but she and Rob also enjoy the easy cycle to Battersea Park or Hyde Park.