Lucy Falls Back In Love With London

After leaving London for St Albans in 2020, medical student Lucy Green (26) found herself missing the buzz of the capital so much that she bought a flat with her partner at WhatHouse? Best Large Housebuilder Berkeley’s Royal Arsenal Riverside in Woolwich within a year.

“We moved to St Albans for more space and a garden but very quickly realised that living in London and having an easy commute to work was more important to us. We also knew that we wanted a high-quality new build to make our own, so Royal Arsenal Riverside ticked all the boxes. It’s already well connected and getting into central London will be even easier when Crossrail opens. I work in Whitechapel and my partner is based in Farringdon which are both under 20 minutes away using the new Elizabeth Line.

“Royal Arsenal Riverside has plenty of cafés and restaurants as well as a fortnightly farmers’ market. This, as well as a new creative district [Woolwich Works] and regular community events, means there are plenty of things on our doorstep to keep us entertained. It’s a great location, right on the river and next to the beautiful Maribor Park complete with landscaped gardens. There’s no shortage of green space, so we’re not having to compromise on that now we’re back in town either. My partner and I are both really sporty so being less than a minute from the Thames path for running and cycling and having access to the Waterside Club gym and pool is a massive bonus.”

Woolwich Works, a new creative district delivered in partnership with the Royal Borough of Greenwich at Royal Arsenal Riverside, opened in September 2021. The venue is home to immersive theatre company Punchdrunk as well as Chineke! orchestra and is a great example of the diversity of cultural opportunities outside of London’s West End.

Other key selling points for the young couple were the youthful community and heritage at Royal Arsenal Riverside: “The development feels a lot more vibrant than St Albans – walking around you see lots of young professionals and families. The mix of modern flats with historic listed buildings also makes it a really interesting place to be. You can tell that it’s not just one block of apartments but a whole community that is being developed here.”

Lucy and her partner bought a one-bedroom flat in Navigator Wharf for £465,000 using London Help to Buy. “We’re really pleased with our new home – it’s on the 18th floor, with a spacious balcony that has brilliant views across London. It feels great to be able to stop pouring so much money into renting!”

Buying a new build at Royal Arsenal Riverside also meant the couple benefitted from having the full support of the Berkeley sales team. “We visited a few other developments when we were house hunting but the customer service at Royal Arsenal Riverside set it apart from the crowd. We worked with Renata in the sales team who was absolutely amazing and answered all of our questions. It made a big difference and meant everything went smoothly, especially compared to what some of my friends were experiencing elsewhere. Help to Buy can be complicated but things were made a lot easier with the team on hand to support.”

Prices at Navigator Wharf start at £450,000 for a one-bedroom apartment. Find out more about Royal Arsenal Riverside from Berkeley.

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