Living in a mansion block is not dissimilar to being in the Jeeves and Wooster TV series. It’s elegant living where the bins are emptied daily, corridors are Hoovered, neighbours are courteous and the presence of a 24-hour porter means you can be pretty sure your home is secure. Moreover, if like me, you’re lucky enough to live several floors up, windows can be left open throughout the summer, night and day.
It’s also a very green way of living. The limited space in a flat or apartment means there’s no room for all those unnecessary gadgets, unused coffee machines, unworn clothes cluttering up a wardrobe, food that won’t get eaten. It’s a pared-down existence.
Similarly, a weekend away is just a matter of double-locking the door and leaving. None of the security routine precautions with curtains and lights that house-dwellers go through.
The uniformity of a mansion block’s exterior make it look instantly smarter than the hotchpotch architectural style of a suburban street and all those overpriced houses with their silly loft conversions. There is no property jealousy because, from the outside, everyone’s place looks the same.
Your garden is the local park; people say hello to one another rather than moan about intrusive barbecue smoke or loud music. New Yorkers have condos, Londoners should have more mansion blocks.
James Anthony lives in a mansion block in Battersea
