About the Grays

Location

• The Grays is located just off of Chancery Lane on Grays Inn Road in Holborn, an emerging residential location in the heart of Zone 1.
• Conveniently positioned in London’s ‘Midtown’, The Grays is within walking distance of Covent Garden, the West End, The City and King’s Cross.
• It is a location steeped in history, from Charles Dickens, the Bloomsbury Group and other literary greats, as well as Charles Darwin, the Inns of Court and the Silver Vaults.
• An education hot spot: the area is known as a seat of learning due to the proximity to LSE and University College London, as well as the British Museum and the Inns of Court.
• Between the West End and The City, ‘Midtown’, is being transformed into a vibrant cultural district; plans include a tree-planting programme, as well as regular cultural events and public art installations.
• Now is an exciting and opportune time for Midtown – as well as the business groups working together to redefine the area, it is a chance for developers and occupiers to define what Chancery Lane living can be.
• The Grays is the first residential scheme with this level of specification and a concierge coming to the market in this location; it is a pioneer of the location and sets the bar for living in Midtown/Chancery Lane. (The Lincolns has since launched but The Grays was the first).
• Gray’s Inn Gardens are situated opposite The Grays and further green space is located nearby at Lincoln’s Inn Fields, the largest public square in London.
• The West End is on the doorstep of The Grays; Covent Garden is under ten minutes away by London underground and about 15 minutes’ on foot.
• Covent Garden is home to renowned West-End theatres, the Royal Opera House and world-class shopping and also boasts some of London’s finest restaurants. The global cuisine on offer ranges from Michelin-starred L’Atelier De Joel Robuchon and Rules – London’s oldest restaurant – to Opera Tavern and Barrafina tapas bars, Sticks & Sushi and the popular Peruvian restaurant and pisco bar Lima Floral.

Transport Connections

• There are three underground stations within a ten minute walk of The Grays.
• The Grays is one minute from Chancery Lane underground station (Central Line) and less than ten minutes’ walk from Farringdon (Circle, Hammersmith and Metropolitan underground lines, rail services and Crossrail) and Holborn (Central and Piccadilly lines).
• When Crossrail – Europe’s largest infrastructure project – opens in 2018, Farringdon will be the only station from which passengers will be able to access all three networks: Crossrail, Thameslink and London Underground services.

Background

• The Grays is a boutique development consisting of 12 apartments, ranging from studios to two bedrooms apartments and a penthouse.
• Designed by Harper Downie, the six-storey development is part new build/part conversion of a commercial building.
• The latest sustainability and building technologies have been used to respect the existing architecture of the building and yet bring it firmly into the present.
• The upper floors are not overlooked and have panoramic cityscape views; the penthouse has balconies with unobstructed views spanning the entire length of the building at the front and rear.
• The apartments have been intelligently designed to minimise the corridors, creating open plan living space wherever possible.
• The east/west aspect of the building optimises the natural light to enhance the overall feeling of space, even in the studios and one bedroom apartments.
• Two bedroom apartments feature a floor-to-ceiling height light box in the dining area, which leads onto the balconies.
• One bed apartments feature a series of 4 windows in the living areas, following the traditional architectural style of the original building.
• Highly specified and cleverly designed apartments with a focus on functionality, style and quality of materials and finish.
• Interior design has been developed thoughtfully to complement the fabric of the building, the surrounding area and the expectations of the target market.
  The colour palette, fixtures and finishes deliver high-quality and understated sophistication.

Market

• Buyers are likely to be professionals looking for a pied-a-terre in central London; the apartments would be ideal for a successful professional looking for a central London base that combines quality with convenience.
• Given the proximity to prestigious academic institutes and universities such as LSE and UCL, the development may also attract interest from the student market or the bank of Mum and Dad looking to invest in their children’s future, providing a home/ pied-a-terre and an investment.
• The Grays is located in a market where quality residential opportunities are limited and it offers a unique opportunity to invest in a Zone 1 apartment with true growth potential.
• It offers relatively low capital values for Zone 1, yet a very convenient and interesting location.
• Buyers will appreciate the boutique nature of the development and the resulting focus on individuality – being one of just 13 units adds an element of exclusivity.
• Chancery Lane was identified in Estates Gazette in January 2015, as one of the central London locations were growth and value is expe