What do you think of when you think of Richmond? Chances are its leafy parks, beer gardens on the river, trendy bars and restaurants and of course stags. What you probably don’t think of are tech types, digital start-ups and young entrepreneurs.
Well, you might need to rethink your picture of Richmond. Its tech scene might be burgeoning and not yet on a par with the famous conglomeration at Hoxton, Shoreditch and around the Silicon Roundabout but it’s growing. Richmond is now home to eBay, PayPal, Graze and Gumtree. Not on the High Street has just moved in and dubbed the postcode “Silicon on Thames”.
What’s attracting these tech types to Richmond? For a start it’s an affluent area so for those with money it’s an attractive place to live and work. Richmond is one of the greenest areas of London with plenty of Royal Parks – not least Richmond Park. Combine that with the quaint rows of shops, the attractive boutique style cakes and restaurants and it feels a world away from the hustle and bustle of central London. The capital is great but sometimes a slower pace of life along the river is a happy thought.
It isn’t just a pretty place to look at; Richmond is a place with plenty to do. Theatres, farmers and community markets along with annual festivals – like the Twickenham Festival held in June – attract plenty of visitors as well as adding colour and activity for residents. For rugby fans, Twickenham Stadium is close by, the home of English Rugby Union. Richmond is a central location for wildlife and nature with the aforementioned Richmond Park but also the London Wetland Centre. It’s an historic area of the capital, with royal palaces and stunning architecture to explore like Hampton Court Palace. Kew gardens is not far from Richmond as well as it a must visit in the summer as plants come to full bloom.
It may feel a world away from the centre of the capital but in fact Waterloo is only twenty minutes away by train. That connectivity enables commuters to reap the benefits of a part of time that feels more relaxed, is prettier and lacks the urban grittiness of “Silicon Roundabout” but still enables you to get to the central locations within the hour when you need to.
The attraction of Richmond as a draw for business is something Clarendon has been aware of for several years. Clarendon Richmond Park has recently been refurbished and with one and two bedroom serviced apartments on offer it provides as ideal base to stay for individuals on business as well as people relocating with their families in need of a little extra space. Once a new area of the city becomes popular with business it becomes vital for the service industry to catch up as business needs hospitality to help it function and continue to service both its clients and employees.
Head to clarendonlondon.com to explore Clarendon Richmond Park and take a virtual tour.