Property

To be sure, there’s not much of it: it’s a tiny enclave cornered against the river by its greedy neighbours, Stockwell, Kennington and Lambeth, and what you see as you hurtle through the one-way system isn’t especially alluring.

But the reason for Vauxhall’s new self-assurance is revealed when night falls and clubs secreted under the railway arches, such as the Colosseum and Fire on South Lambeth Road, open their doors to ever-larger crowds of revellers, who can now dance till dawn and beyond at many of the new nights such as ‘Open’ at Fire on Mondays. What’s more, now people are moving in, Vauxhall’s other unsung virtues are starting to be noticed too.

It’s the new…
Soho – for the gay community, at least. The area has even garnered the soubriquet of ‘Vauxhall gay village’.

Best for…
Gay party animals, who can enjoy 24-hour clubbing at the weekend. It’s also proving popular with young urban professionals who are attracted by vaguely competitive prices (considering the Zone One location): some studio flats are still selling for under £200,000. St George’s Wharf, on the river, offers upscale riverside accommodation at much higher rates (at least £350,000 for a one-bed). There’s also a decent selection of period properties.

What else?
It’s in a different time zone to the rest of the city: on Monday morning, while politicians just across the river in the Palace of Westminster knuckle down to their daily grind, clubbing here is still in full swing. You can’t get more hedonistic than that. There are other draws besides the clubbing. Bonnington Square, spitting distance from the main drag, is an unexpected idyll: a snug garden square with a close-knit community that seems incongruous amidst the surrounding sprawl. The square’s gardens are tended by the residents; and at Bonnington Café (11 Vauxhall Grove, 020 7820 7466/www.bonningtoncafe.co.uk) the locals take turns to cook. There’s no high street here – the nearest commercial hub is Stockwell, but Vauxhall can still call the few shops at the north end of South Lambeth Road its own. Tony’s (No 39/ 020 7582 0766), on the corner, is a great delicatessen.

Local stereotype
Squatters once seemed a permanent feature in and around Vauxhall Grove, but they’ve been all but ousted. Now Vauxhall’s turning pink.

Your neighbours
Jeffrey Archer’s luxury penthouse surveys the river from Peninsula Heights, Will Self lives up the road towards Stockwell. Paul O’Grady used to live here when he was Lily Savage and performing at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern.

What to tell your friends who don’t live there
If they’re gay: clubbing, cruising, working out at Paris Gym (73 Goding Street/020 7735 8989) and relaxing at Chariots new sauna. If they like cricket, boast of your proximity to the Oval. Failing that, try: proximity to the centre of town, excellent transport, and the unlikely oasis of Bonnington Square. Plus, heading down the South Lambeth Road towards Stockwell, are a clutch of fantastic Portuguese delis and grocery shops.

What to keep quiet about if you’re selling
Vauxhall can be a bit dodgy late at night. Lambeth has suffered large numbers of homophobic attacks, not to mention youths on mountain bikes stealing mobile phones from people leaving tube stations at Vauxhall and Oval. There’s also not a lot of green space.

What the estate agents say
‘A very large gay community has moved in and it’s really lively at the weekends in the clubs. But it’s open to everyone. As you approach Vauxhall from Victoria, past the new development at St George Wharf and the new bus station, it’s just completely transformed. There’s still stuff to do to improve it, but I live there and I really like it – they’re definitely moving in the right direction.’ Jeni Golby, Atkinson McLeod, Balham branch.

Did you know?
The green space next to the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, now Spring Gardens, was once part of the much bigger and more luxuriant Victorian Pleasure Gardens, which closed in 1859. Now it plays host to queens recovering from too much GHB.

Historical claim to fame
The Russian word for train station is vokzol, and it’s no coincidence. One of the first train stations in Russia was at Pavlovsk, where pleasure gardens were built after Vauxhall’s own. The name spread by association to Vauxhall station itself – and from there became immortalised.

Schools
There are a fair range of primaries within a mile, with many scoring above the national average. Secondary schools in the immediate vicinity do not perform quite so well (though the reputable Westminster School is just across the river…).

You know you’re a local when...
When the doormen at clubs Fire, Crash and Revolution on the South Lambeth Road know your name.