If you’re a fan of Call the Midwife, you’ll be familiar with a bit of Poplar’s history. But what is Poplar like today? What does it have to offer for would-be buyers and renters looking to settle in the East End? As an area on the up and up, the 10 best places to live in Poplar demonstrate the flood of new investment capital that the area is attracting.
Read on, and explore the top 10 new developments rated by verified residents on HomeViews who live in Poplar.
Where is Poplar?
Poplar is an East London area that sits right next to Canary Wharf, with Mile End and Bromley by Bow to the immediate north.
What is Poplar like as an area?
Poplar has been enjoying a continuing success story in recent years, through various regeneration projects. Success follows success, and it’s leading to new investment flowing into Poplar. Property developers are hard at work across the district, following dedicated urban renewal projects from the borough council.
Part of Poplar’s growing attraction is that it’s so close to Canary Wharf and the Docklands. Another success story, the docklands have turned depressed post-war urban wasteland into some of the coolest and most desirable real estate in the city. This is bringing Poplar’s overall attractiveness up by association.
As such, Poplar’s properties become more and more desirable the closer you get to Canary Wharf. The convenience and connections Poplar offers to this business and commercial hub are second-to-none. Just moments from Canary Wharf, the modern developments on the Leamouth Peninsula provide a luxury modern living experience to rival any across the capital.
” width=”938″>Living in Polar – Plenty to Celebrate
Poplar has an interesting history. It hosted the Festival of Britain in 1951 – a massive celebration of the country’s recovery from World War 2. At the time, it also represented the hope that emerging arts and science scenes would help make Britain better.
That’s very much been the case for Poplar. As a mostly residential area, the influx of new property developments means that options to rent and buy desirable yet affordable homes are expanding. Specifically, a good range of developers continues to focus on providing high-quality, intelligently designed apartments surrounded by green spaces and top facilities.
As for local attractions, Chrisp Street Market is the beating heart of Poplar. It’s the UK’s oldest purpose-built market, encompassing over 80 stalls and surrounding businesses. For real East End culture and charm, there’s no substitute. For more mainstream shopping, Westfield Stratford City (one of the largest shopping centres in Europe) is nearby. There’s also the delights of Canary Wharf on your doorstep.
Poplar isn’t overflowing with green spaces, but it does have two outstanding nature reserves. Both the East India Dock Basin Nature Reserve and the Old India Dock Basin provide much-needed green oases for Poplar.
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” width=”870″>Average property prices in Poplar
Zoopla put the average price of property in Poplar at £515,000 for December 2022. Apartments are priced slightly below the average, at £491,000. These make up the vast majority of sales in the area in the past 12 months. Terraced houses sold for an average of £715,000 across the same period, which is still significantly lower than the overall average property price for London, of £740,000.
If you plan to rent in Poplar, expect to pay about £3,000 per calendar month. If you’re aiming for a more affordable rental, one-bedroom apartments are available for just over £2,000 per month in Poplar.
10 best places to live in Poplar
Now it’s time to reveal where are the best places to live in Poplar, according to reviewers on HomeViews. These are the top-rated property developments throughout the area, based on the key criteria of location, design, facilities, management and value for money.
Take a look, and see if your future Poplar home is in our list!
*PLEASE NOTE these rankings take into account how recently reviews have been submitted, so may not match the overall star ratings shown. More recent reviews are given a greater weighting to reflect current building performance.
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In first place is London City Island. This stylish recent addition to the area is a mixed-use 12-acre neighbourhood from EcoWorld and Ballymore. It includes Manhattan-style apartments, and the City Island Social Club. Both of these overlook the River Thames. As well as a wide variety of other amenities, and the English national ballet is now headquartered here. Close to Canning Town Station, it is served by the Jubilee line and DLR services. Buses also run to and from the island.
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In second place we have Oxbow. It’s another EcoWorld development, as part of a joint venture with and Poplar Harca. Just 7 minutes away from Canary Wharf and a mere 15 minutes from the City, this development offers a range of studios as well as one and two-bedroom apartments in East India Dock. Canning Town Underground station is also only a 11-minute walk away, providing swift connections for residents via the Jubilee line. In addition, the development is just moments away from many of Poplar’s best attractions.
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Our 3rd top-rated development for Poplar is The High Line, managed by Savills. Residents love the facilities, which include a well-equipped gym, residents lounge, work space and an outdoor terrace, as well as dog-friendly features. There are 1, 2 and 3-bed apartments available. The development is also just a 1-minute walk from Langdon Park Station.
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At number four, Fizzy Poplar is one of a number of modern developments from Build to Rent landlord, Fizzy Living. It sits on the west side of Poplar, near All Saints and Poplar DLR Stations, and the much-loved Chrisp Street. The development offers one, two and three-bedroom, pet-friendly apartments, all benefitting from the resident-centric, easy renting approach that Fizzy Living offers.
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Slap bang in the middle of our list is Equinox, a residential development by Bellway Homes situated just moments from Langdon Park DLR station. It’s made up of 273 one, two and three-bedroom apartments, which are split across four buildings – Eclipse, Pisces, Jupiter and Kepler. The development’s tallest structure, a 13-storey tower, looks out over leafy Langdon Park itself.
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In 6th, we have Makers Dock. A great favourite in Poplar, these modern apartments all benefit from a resident only podium garden and private outside space, with great views of the serene canal, striking London skyline or the green spaces of Bartlett Park.
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At seven, Lansbury Square is a Bellway development featuring one, two and three-bedroom apartments. Designed by architect, Brimelow McSweeney, it’s a large, new-build residential scheme offering a total of 273 apartments. This site is also just a few minutes’ walk from Langdon Park DLR, which has convenient links to Canary Wharf, the City and the West End.
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At number eight, New Festival Quarter is a Bellway Homes development offering 502 apartments, which range from one to three-bedrooms. The development is conveniently located to enjoy the everything Poplar has to offer. On site, it also features a community centre, retail outlets and cafes. It is situated just a 9-minute walk from All Saints DLR station.
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New on the list for late 2022, Phoenix comprises eight apartment blocks offering 162 apartments, all of them designed and fitted to a high standard, as reflected in its high design score from residents. There are one, two and three-bedroom layouts available, offering great views and excellent natural light. The development itself is a five-minute walk from Langdon Park DLR station.
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If our list of the best places to live in Poplar has got you all inspired to give it a go, take a look at our area guide. Here, you’ll find more developments, more outstanding properties and a wider exploration of what makes this East London area special:
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Historically rough around the edges, Poplar is finally starting to get the TLC it deserves. As gentrification takes hold, buyers and renters are discovering the charms of this neglected East End district, a Zone 2 spot neighboured by Canary Wharf. Read on to discover Read more about Poplar
HomeViews provides verified resident reviews of the UK’s housing developments. We’re working with developers, house builders, operators, housing associations and the Government to recognise high performers and help improve standards in the built environment.