‘I knew that if I was to move back to Bristol, Wapping Wharf is where I wanted to be’

Marking a return to his hometown of Bristol after eight years living in London, Marc Maryon is among the very first residents to have moved into the latest phase of development at Wapping Wharf, the city’s much-loved new harbourside neighbourhood.

Having grown up in the city, Marc often came home to visit loved ones, and while he enjoyed living and working in London, over the last decade he has noticed “a significant change in Bristol, how it’s continually developed and increased the quality of life for Bristolians”.

The 32-year-old said: “I could see Bristol was now offering parity with London on many things that were important to me and, in certain areas, more – that’s exciting to see and made me evaluate where I saw myself living.”

He spotted an advert for the new one-, two- and three-bed apartments being created at Wapping Wharf Living, the name given to the private sale homes within the community, and immediately fell in love with the design, location and quality of life the area offered.

“I had a very specific idea about what I wanted for my flat – I wanted to be on the top floor with a balcony where I could put outside seating. I wanted two bedrooms, as I work from home and I needed a parking space too. I was previously renting in London, and I knew it would be impossible to find a place in London that offered the same at an affordable price.”

Marc has moved into the latest phase of development at Wapping Wharf – photo courtesy of Wapping Wharf Living.

Marc, who works as a senior account manager in London, says: “I had never visited Wapping Wharf before, but I was drawn to how central and close to the water it was. When I came to walk around Wapping Wharf, I got such a positive feeling, and I knew that if I was to move back to Bristol, this is where I wanted to be. I had a checklist of everything I would ideally want and as soon as I saw the apartment ticked all the boxes, put an offer in the very next day.”

Marc adds: “Wapping Wharf as a location, together with its offer to residents and visitors, takes many of the things I valued most about London and merges them together. In London you have to travel to get to each bit, whereas here the harbour, city centre, restaurants and shops come as one. Growing up in Bristol, the harbour has always been a great location and it holds special memories for me. It’s close to the water, Clifton and Park Street and now Wapping Wharf is there, it’s added a new layer to it with all the brilliant shops and restaurants. It’s a destination you want to live in, not just visit.”

Since he moved in, Marc has really enjoyed sampling takeaways from Wapping Wharf’s eclectic mix of independent restaurants, many of which are housed in CARGO, a popular hub made of converted shipping containers. His favourites so far include Seven Lucky Gods and The Athenian as a working take away lunch.

Wapping Wharf Living show home (for illustrative purposes only) – photo: Wapping Wharf Living

“An important thing for me is the convenience of having everything I want right on my doorstep. Every morning I can get a coffee from one of the cafes downstairs, I’ve already found my new barber a minute away and I can always get really nice food either from the restaurants, or with the produce from the local shops.”

Marc added: “I plan to make the spare bedroom into an office that I can turn into a guest room when needed. I’ll be adding a desk lots of plants, pictures and a futon, making it a really cosy place to work and spend time, but then I can close the door at the end of the day and have the rest of the apartment to live in. I was renting with a friend before in London, so I was never able to have my own office.”

“I loved the spec of the apartment; it has everything I would want in terms of living space and layout and the interior is exactly what I would have chosen. The way it was styled is a really good base for me to complement it with things I have already bought and have on the way to add my own personality and design elements.”

Marc’s looking forward to seeing the community grow in the coming months: “It was exciting to be one of the first to move in and anyone I’ve met has been really friendly. I’m looking forward to meeting more neighbours as time goes on.”

Wapping Wharf Living is being developed by family-owned developer Umberslade and national urban regenerator, Muse Developments, in a joint venture.

Prices for a one-bedroom apartment start from £257,500; a two-bedroom apartment from £362,500; and a three-bedroom apartment from £525,000.

Follow Wapping Wharf Living on Instagram here and Facebook here.

Visit www.wappingwharfliving.co.uk for more details.

Main photo: Wapping Wharf Living

Read more: 75 per cent of homes snapped up in second phase of Wapping Wharf