The largest of these new schemes is Goodmans Fields , a 1,000-home development at Leman Street. It is being
built on a site where centuries ago, working horses would be taken for some well-deserved grazing R&R, and a
series of monumental bronze horses has been commissioned to decorate the site in acknowledgement of the
animals vital role in Victorian life.
Buying a property outright at Goodmans Fields will require a serious City salary. Happily, however, housing
association Peabody has 40 shared-ownership homes on the site earmarked for young Londoners on low to
medium wages.
The homes, at The Cavallo Goodmans Fields , go on sale at the beginning of next month and will be ready to
move into by September, but expressions of interest are being taken now. Prices start at 148,750 for a 25 per
cent share of a one-bedroom flat which would cost 595,000 on the open market. Two-bedroom apartments start at 176,250, again for a 25 per cent share for properties with an open market
value of more than 700,000.
Sarah Butler, sales & marketing director at Peabody, said the flats will go to buyers who live in Tower Hamlets or
have a close connection to the borough. This is a high-end development being built by Berkeley Homes, and
facilities already up and running include an Urban Fitness gym and a gastropub, both in Leman Street, plus a
supermarket, a cafe and a hotel.
The scheme will take another four years to complete, so for a while, early residents will have to learn to love
views of cranes and workmen.
“The Cavallo is arranged around a central plaza and is surrounded by two acres of beautifully landscaped open
space,” says Butler. “These contemporary new homes are design led and in a vibrant neighbourhood, with good
transport connections and social and cultural attractions right on the doorstep.
“Whether you enjoy cinema, live music, theatre, fine art, or indeed just about any kind of entertainment you can
imagine, you will find it within easy reach of Goodmans Fields.”
A huge advantage of this Zone 1 location is that you can walk everywhere. Shoreditch and Hoxton are just to the
north, Whitechapel is to the east, and the City is to the west. Head south and you are at Tower Hill for a mooch
along the Thames.
Whitechapel Art Gallery, Wiltons Music Hall and Spitalfields Market are within a 10-minute walk, and the
Barbican, Shakespeares Globe theatre and Tate Modern are all about a 30- to 40-minute hike, as is St Katharine
Docks.
There are plenty of coffee shops in Leman Street, and several neighbourhood restaurants, plus the consistently
enjoyable Caf Spice Namaste in Prescot Street, just around the corner. Should you need to get on the Tube you
can pick up the Circle or Metropolitan lines from Aldgate, or the Hammersmith & City and District lines from
Aldgate East.
Private-sale homes at Goodmans Fields start at 900,000 for a one-bedroom flat, 1.25 million for a
two-bedroom flat, and from 1,475,000 for a three-bedroom flat. There are also penthouses, priced at 5 million.
Visit berkeleygroup.co.uk.
THE KNOWLEDGE: ALDGATE
Past: Aldgate was once the easternmost gateway of the London Wall which encircled the City to protect it from
attack and invasion and keep out the riffraff.
Future: by the end of 2020 there will be a total of 1,057 new homes on the seven-acre Goodmans Fields site.
Trivial pursuit: the water pump in Aldgate High Street has a grizzly past. In the 19th century several people died
after drinking from it and investigations subsequently revealed its water was contaminated with bacteria from
decaying bodies in nearby graveyards.
What it costs: the average E1 home sells for just under 550,000, up 50,000 in six months according to
Rightmove.
First-time buy: its not exactly ideal first-timer territory but estate agent Marsh & Parsons has a one-bedroom flat
with a roof terrace in Cavell Street, (above), on the border with Stepney, on the market for 360,000.
Landmarks: the curvaceous, neo-futuristic City skyscraper 30 St Mary Axe perhaps better known by its
nickname, The Gherkin and the Bevis Marks Synagogue, the oldest in the UK.
Go Greek: the popular Hungry Donkey Greek Kitchen in Wentworth Street
Eat: posh Greek food (bio-dynamic olives anyone?) at The Hungry Donkey in Wentworth Street.
Drink : a pint of guest ale at The Dispensary in Leman Street, which has twice been named Camra Pub of the
Year.
Buy: since you are in the East End, sample jellied eels, cockles or pickled herring fresh from Petticoat Lane
Market, and browse the vast array of trash and treasure on more than 1,000 stalls.
Walk in the park: limited local green space includes Swedenborg Gardens
Walk: theres precious little greenery in this neck of the woods, other than tiny Swedenborg Gardens. The best
option for getting a breath of fresh air is to walk the half-mile to St Katharine Docks, where you can admire the
yachts.
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