What's it like living next door to Wembley Stadium?

Over the past two decades, more than £2.5billion has been invested developing the area around England’s national football stadium, Wembley.

The land was bought by developers Quintain in 2002. Since then, the area has seen the opening of the 70 unit shopping centre, London Designer Outlet, in 2013, Boxpark Wembley, and the council’s £90m civic centre, as well as being the biggest ‘build to rent’ site in the UK – with 5,000 apartments set to be built by 2026.

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But the most eye-catching landmark in the area is the stadium itself, with its iconic 133m arch dominating the skyline.

As well as being the home of English football, it also plays host to sell-out music concerts – the latest being a four-nights of former One Direction member Harry Styles, with multi-coloured feathers peppering the street serving as evidence of the previous night's gig.

Georgie, 33. Georgie moved to Wembley Park Boulevard from South-West London two years ago and really enjoys it. Image Credit: Grant Williams

Georgie, 33, who lives in a flat along Wembley Park Boulevard right next to the stadium, said the show brought in “a very different crowd to the football”.

She added: “You’ve probably seen all the feathers everywhere! That’s the Harry Styles fans, everyone wears feather boas and cowboy hats.”

Feathers On Floor. The roads were covered in multi-coloured feathers from the Harry Styles concert the night before. Image Credit: Grant Williams

She moved into the one-bedroom flat nearly two years ago from Clapham, calling it “a bit of a change but I really love it”. Georgie said: “There’s always a bit of an atmosphere, there’s lots of shops, restaurants, and bars popping up – it’s really created a little neighbourhood where you don’t have to leave.”

As her balcony faces the stadium, Georgie said “you kind of get a free gig”. She added: “We get to see the fireworks and hear some of the music. It’s pretty good, it’s quite fun. There’s not really any downside, just that none of my friends live around here! For some reason they take a lot to be convinced.”

View Of The Stadium Behind The Flats. Brent Council launched its vision for Wembley in 2002 with he stadium at its heart. Image Credit: Grant Williams

With all the security around she says the area as “really safe”, as well as being well-connected – with Wembley Park just 18 minutes from Soho. Although Georgie said it can be “a bit annoying” if there are 90,000 people heading in the same direction as you but she has learned to “travel around the times”.

The main concern most people would have living so close to a stadium of this size would be the noise. But Georgie said all of the doors and windows are sound-proofed so it’s actually pretty quiet inside. She added: “Given the volume of sound from the stadium it’s quite impressive”.

Each building has its own gym, rooftop garden, cinema room, and games room, with the usage included in the rental price. They are all pet-friendly too, which Georgie says was “one of the big draws” and, whilst the immediate vicinity is very concrete, there is a park nearby that she takes her two cocker spaniels to every day.

Enrique, 37. Enrique has lived in Alameda House with his dog, Sherlock, for the past two years but says rent is getting too expensive. Image Credit: Grant Williams

This was also a big draw for Enrique, 37, and his dog Sherlock, who have lived at the nearby Alameda House for the past two years. He also really likes living in the area and says he “can’t hear anything” from the stadium when he is at home.

Unfortunately, he doesn’t get any free or money off tickets, but does get a “small discount” in some specific shops and restaurants around Wembley Park. Enrique’s main criticism of living in the area, however, is the parking and road, which can make it difficult to get a taxi or food delivered.

London Design Outlet. The London Design Outlet shopping centre is just a stone's throw away. Image Credit: Grant Williams

He said: “I don’t have underground parking, it’s in the street. This is one of the few buildings that doesn’t have any car park beneath. But for security reasons you can not park in the street when there is an event so I have to move it.”

He added: “All of the roads are closed [on event days] too so if you drive you can’t even get out of the car park. I don’t have any access by car to my building and I have to wait until they remove all of the security barriers.It’s pretty inconvenient”.

A spokesperson for Quintain said: “The National Stadium is a public transport destination, however the nature of events at the venue means that some parking restrictions and road closures are crucial to ensure the safety of pedestrian event egress as well as for the safety of our residents and the public.” 

They added: “Quintain are not in control of these restrictions, but we notify our residents of them when they move in, ahead of event days, through signage, resident apps and notices on electronic screens in reception.”

Wembley Park Sign. The Wembley Park district is also home to BOXPARK, the OVO Arena, and Brent Civic Centre. Image Credit: Grant Williams

Ridvan, 39, who also lives on Wembley Park Boulevard likes the area because it’s really urban and enjoys the vibrant nightlife. He agreed that the noise from the stadium isn’t an issue but pointed to the parking as a major problem as well.

He claims this should have been addressed during the planning application stage. He said: “I have to park mine a 15-minute walk away. That’s the downside. They have an underground parking lot but it’s only for bikes as it’s a green area, but I need my car!”

A Brent Council Spokesperson said: “Across the borough, car-free developments are helping to ease traffic congestion, reduce local levels of air pollution and encourage active travel. Residents living in car-free properties are not eligible to apply for on-street parking permits and this is agreed to before moving in.”

They added: “Wembley Park has fantastic transport connections and we are supporting residents to embrace other sustainable travel options, such as walking and cycling by improving local infrastructure and introducing more local amenities and facilities.”