Old Brompton Road

The area's working high street, running from the station west towards Earl's Court. Restaurants, cafés and a genuine local rhythm, with mansion blocks and upper-floor conversions above. Living directly on it means accepting some noise; the reward is that everything you need is downstairs, and the flats are cheaper than the squares behind.

For a wider view of the market around it, see South Kensington house prices — currently near £1,580 per square foot.