When searching for a property to live in, I wanted the best aspects of London at my doorstep: proximity to major sites, transportation, shopping, dining, culture and entertainment, and an upscale neighborhood with a traditional English feel. I found it in Greenhaven. An added bonus: Eccleston Square, an award-winning private garden, right is outside my front door in one of London's best areas.
From the outside of Greenhaven, the view is similar to the garden featured in the popular film Notting Hill. You see the upper branches of trees, swirls of clematis, heady explosions of climbing roses and, here and there. When you hear the birds sing in this wonderful in-town oasis, London seems to disappear -- yet all of its wonderful sights, sounds, tastes and experiences are right outside the garden gates.
Eccleston Square came about when town planner Thomas Cubitt, who developed it in 1845, had the idea of gathering everyone's back gardens together. Around the periphery, a shady walk winds though arches of wisteria and clematis. Garden buffs appreciate several unique specimen plants, including a handkerchief tree from China -- and art buffs enjoy the irises, some of which came from Monet's garden in Giverny, France. The Garden Square has won many awards not only for its botanical beauty, but also for its well-integrated features, such as several brick patios, glass conservatory, tennis court, and play and BBQ areas.