Wapping
St Katharine's Dock is pretty much a self-contained neighborhood, a short hop from the City. Along with Shadwell Basin, at the other end of Wapping, this is the last glimpse you'll find of the old London Docks and its proximity to the Tower of London means that it collars most of the sightseeing tour groups. Don't expect to find a carefully preserved heritage here though. St Katharine's history is one of overwriting. When the dock was built in the 1820's an entire community was displaced: some 11,000 people, together with their medieval church and hospital were sent packing as boatloads of ivory moved in. The last twenty years have seen St Katharine's developing to accommodate City riches. As a result most of the buildings are 20th Century, with just the one 19th Century warehouse still standing.
The 70's built City Quay skirts around two sides of the dock, with some 200 flats (1,2,3 bed) and penthouse apartments beginning at half a million. Stucco-fronted houses line the crescent of Tower Walk this is very much millionaires' row. Hermitage Waterside is a Barratt development of flats and houses just off the dock, typical of the small basin enclaves across the area. Local Authority housing holds onto a patch to the northeast. Remnants of a bygone era are found in the old swing bridges and a few restored sailing ships anchored here, but if you want to live in the past your best bet is an apartment in the splendid Ivory House warehouse, whose name holds its historical significance. Getting your hands on a detached Georgian house on the waterfront will involve pushing a hefty queue of buyers into the dock and a putting a generous number of noughts on your cheque.
Wapping High Street has some fabulous Georgian houses at Wapping Pierhead, the original entrance to the London Docks. To their credit, the local authorities have had a stab at replicating the style with their new houses in this area, although the results are somewhat mixed. The Thames side of Wapping High Street features converted Victorian warehouses whilst the north has more council housing (sparking some arguable action from certain yuppies looking for a more exclusive exclusivity). East of the High Street you'll find the culprit largely responsible for the outbreak of riverside development. Oliver's Wharf was the result of an architect and artists' collective, with all members pitching in to buy up and then convert the warehouse here in 1973.
If only the many imitators had followed the blueprint of these huge apartments more closely. The vast floor areas make them as spacious an apartment option as you'll find in the capital, and prices fall either side of the half million mark, depending on whether you are riverside or not. Developments continue along to the Shadwell Basin, all sitting on a sliding scale, which never falls far below the luxurious. The police here were the first uniformed force in the world, and they presided over the Execution Dock at the low tide mark, site of the three-tide hanging of many Dockland mutineers. Shadwell Basin is a pretty spot housing gabled building with curved windows and red brick styling. You'll find a few larger houses here as well. Those looking for cheaper options will have to head back round to Towerside and Prusom's Island, developments offering sub £200,000 flats bargain basement prices in this market.
Aside from a spin in the yacht, most entertainment and shopping is done either in Canary Wharf or the City. Transport Links are excellent with the Canada Water Station putting Wapping just a couple of stops from the Jubilee Line extension. There are no speedy getaways by car, but the Rotherhithe Tunnel and London Bridge will take you across the river, whilst the A11 is not far away for routes out to the motorway network.
