Features

Our story: Nine Elms as a nexus

NRSB1

Published on
November 13, 2017

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Nine Elms goes back hundreds of years on London’s maps. Starting off as the name of a path nestled by nine elm trees, this heritage of being a transportation link continued into the 1800s when Nine Elms Station was the terminus for the seminal Southwestern Railway from Southampton.

Today, the area’s role as a connection hub continues. The Northern Line Extension to Battersea Power Station is fervently under way, set to open in 2020. However, the Power Station just opened a brand new, state-of-the-art pier for the MBNA Thames Clipper. This river bus service brings the iconic Power Station within 20 minutes to the City and 40 minutes to Canary Wharf. Every day, the service carries enough passengers to fill The O2 Arena or the Coca Cola London Eye 25 times! With vessels running every 20 minutes and stopping at 22 points along the Thames, a Battersea resident can take the 08:20 boat and arrive by London Bridge by 08:48.

The proposed Nine Elms Pimlico Bridge will only add to this cross-river connectivity and bring Vauxhall’s gallery cluster, the developments at Battersea Power Station, and the gems along Nine Elms Lane closer to the communities of Pimlico, Westminster, and Abbots Manor.

All these additions are easing the exploration of the area – not to mention the outdoor spaces furnishing the neighbourhood and the food options popping up.

There’s the fantastic Cottons Vauxhall restaurant for some Caribbean cuisine, the Japanese Atami restaurant and The Nine Elms Tavern at Riverlight, Brunswick House, or the various grub spots around Vauxhall station. But there’s also the restaurants by Battersea Power Station: No. 29 Power Station West, Mother, Chelsea Burger London. To top it all off, there’s the brand new Source Cafe London at 184 Thessaly Road – they serve homemade gelato, great Italian coffee, brownies, pastries, quiches and so many ice cream flavours.

To get the overview of our story, walking along the Thames River Path provides stunning autumnal river views. With more outdoor spaces opening up, the area offers residents and visitors the options for strolling the squares, morning runs, and park promenades. The biggest one – Battersea Park – enriches our neighbourhood with luscious green space, a string of public art pieces, and a marvellous gallery.

In addition, there are some fantastic heritage buildings peppered across the area: from Pump House Gallery and Battersea Power Station to the Royal Vauxhall Tavern and the MI6 building.

So bring your walking shoes and visit Nine Elms and Vauxhall to explore the many parks, eateries, and museums. The entire area will be illuminated by the Winter Trails Festival running from November 18 to December 21st – don’t miss out on this cornucopia of events.

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