Superior Soho homes are pulling in the bankers

Soho is lurching upmarket as it jettisons its sex-and-sleaze image and attracts movers from “respectable” near neighbourhoods such as Mayfair and Bloomsbury. New Crossrail stations being built are providing another area boost.

Bankers, business executives and the idle rich are moving in, and the district is in danger of becoming sanitised. However, the new homes are far superior to the dingy and cramped flats of yesteryear. A new development at Hollen Street brings 12 chic apartments to a prominent corner. Light-filled interiors are slick and contemporary, designed by architects Johnson Naylor and Darling Associates.

Glass-walled duplex penthouses have fabulous roof terraces, while the discreet entrance has a marble-lined lobby with a specially commissioned sculpture by British artist Charlotte Kingsnorth. Prices from £1.5 million. Call Knight Frank on 020 7861 5499.