A perfect marine fish friendly home

Mar 28 2019

Shiraz Nazeer, a 35-year-old Strategy Consultant, spent months looking for his first home that would not only be within walking distance of his office in Canary Wharf but crucially, would be spacious enough to accommodate his commercially sized 2,000L marine reef fish tank.

Shiraz eventually found a home that ticked all the boxes; a two-bedroom apartment for £600,000, purchased through Help to Buy, at Telford Homes’ Manhattan Plaza in Poplar.

Shiraz, a self-confessed Aquaphile, recalls that his motivation to join the property ladder came primarily from wanting to start a family with his partner while also realising that his hobby had out-grown the terms of his current rental agreement.

Shiraz says, ‘’I have always been fascinated by Marine Biology and my tank, that began with just a handful of fish and a couple of corals, has grown pretty quickly! I knew that the only way to continue the hobby was to buy a place of my own where I would be able take the tank to the next level without a landlord controlling the size and scale of it.’’

‘’The sales team at Manhattan Plaza were really understanding.’

‘’The sales team at Manhattan Plaza were really understanding. They hand-picked a corner plot for me to view on the fourth-floor with a huge living room. I knew that the back wall, facing the balcony, would be the perfect location for constructing my tank.’’

Shiraz’s tank required a team of structural engineers to assemble the tank on-site. Housing an array of colourful living species, Shiraz buys his sustainable corals from a handful of stores in London and suppliers in Tonga, Indonesia and Australia. Exploring the corals are around 20 exotic fish, each one with its own colourful pattern and identity.

The 21-storey Manhattan Plaza residential building has a spectacular residents-only roof terrace with 360 degrees views across the capital. As with any buzzing metropolis, Telford Homes have thoughtfully designed the development to accommodate green space and outside areas to relax and entertain.  

Shiraz says that he is looking forward to socialising with neighbours when the weather improves, ‘’I have been up to the roof several times, it’s amazing. Especially at sunset, you get a clear view of the sun going down just behind The Gherkin. It’s a big space so hopefully we can all gather up there in summer with a drink in hand.’’

The handful of remaining apartments at Manhattan Plaza come with high quality fixtures and fittings, an open-plan kitchen diner and each home boasts its own private balcony. On-site amenities include a large private resident’s gymnasium with state-of-the-art equipment, a dedicated 24-hour concierge service to tend to residents’ every need and secure bicycle storage facilities.

A handful of the final eight apartments are eligible for Help to Buy, encouraging first time buyers to get a foot on the property ladder. Shiraz says that without Help to Buy, his new home would have been a lot harder to buy.

He mentions that value for money was a prominent factor in his house-search, commenting that ‘’the development offers a lot for a good price, especially for the area. I’ve heard it’s a good investment too; this side of Canary Wharf is set to appreciate in value in the coming years, giving me confidence in my decision.’’

The development, conveniently located across the road from Canary Wharf, enables Shiraz to enjoy an enviable 12-minute walk to work each day. He credits Crossrail, the five billion pound railway for the recent surge of new, social facilities in and around the neighbourhood.

‘The shopping centre has all the shops you need, including boutique brands that saves having to battle the crowds in Central London’

‘’People are missing a trick if they are not coming to Canary Wharf at the weekend. For me, that’s the best time to go. The shopping centre has all the shops you need, including boutique brands that saves having to battle the crowds in Central London, but it also has excellent restaurant options that have recently opened up. My favourite is Sticks N Sushi, and now it’s just a walk away from my apartment.’’

Transport links from Manhattan Plaza are fast and convenient and with the forthcoming Crossrail station at Canary Wharf just a 10-minute walk from Manhattan Plaza, the service will offer accelerated travel times; reaching London Liverpool Street in six minutes, Stratford in eight minutes, Bond Street in 13 minutes and Heathrow Airport in 39 minutes.

Prices at Manhattan Plaza start from £570,000 for a two-bedroom apartment – Help to Buy is available on a limited number of remaining homes.

For more information on Manhattan Plaza, please call Telford Homes on 020 7538 3560 or visit Manhattan Plaza