The area of London just north west of Paddington is called Maida Vale. The area is very pretty and is cut through the middle by the Regent's Canal.

The attractiveness of the area directly around the canal, in the southern part of Maida Vale, has earned it the nickname of Little Venice, first coined by the poet Robert Browning.

Little Venice forms a wholly residential area - spacious, well-placed, elegant and decidedly popular. This corner lies in the angle to the north of the Harrow Road and west of the Edgware Road/Maida Vale (the road). Strategically placed for the main routes west and north out of town, its position was confirmed by the long-awaited Paddington-Heathrow Express 15 minute rail link: you can now check in for most major airlines at the station.

Next door neighbour to St Johns Wood, with at its heart the sort of creamy, dignified terraces that typify Belgravia, its slower rise to full-throttle desirability was only because, until the mid-1980s, hardly any of its homes were for sale.

The most coveted homes are those nearest to or overlooking the canal: truly a 'Little Venice'. Blomfield Road and Maida Avenue residents have homes made magic (and even more expensive) by the presence of water. The canal runs between the two, widening by the Warwick Road bridge - where it branches - into a young lake with willow-pattern islet and waterside public gardens and walk. The canal-ends of adjoining roads also get called Little Venice; non-natives can be startled by narrowboats apparently gliding accross the top of the street. A charming, prized corner of London. 

There are lots of picturesque pubs and walks in the area, making it a very pleasant place to while away an afternoon in. The area also contains Rembrant Gardens, which were named in 1975 in order to mark the 700th anniversary of Amsterdam.