Knightsbridge is a curiously difficult area to define; the boundaries between it and South Kensington, Chelsea and Belgravia are hard to place but in broad terms it is centred on Harrods, with Hyde Park to the North, the Egertons to the west, Pont Street to the south and Lowndes Square to the east.

A generation ago the area around Harrods was super-fashionable with Harrods as the corner shop for its rich and aristocratic denzins. The money hasn't gone but the possessors of it now tend to be more international and only partially resident and Harrods is now the haunt of tourists in search of brands. The crowds of shoppers in Sloane Street and along Knightsbridge tends to make parking, walking and shopping a daily trial if you live permanently close by.

The other side of Knightsbridge, the road, is another story. Montpelier square, Ennismore Gardens and the small streets and mews surrounding it are still some of the nicest parts of central London – quiet and within walking distance of Hyde Park but still close enough to the bustle if that is what you want.

The western end of Knightsbridge includes Egerton Crescent, Terrace and Gardens which, while always fashionable, has now become one of the most expensive areas in London; a roll-call of the residents would include names familiar to regular readers of the FT. To the east, Lowndes Square is equally expensive but most of its residents are part-time occupiers. It is very popular with Asian and Middle Eastern buyers in particular who like the portered blocks and the easy access to the shopping.

Transport is only quite good with just the Piccadilly Line to choose from and notorious bottlenecks around the Scotch House and by Hyde Park Corner.

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