The Pier, Greenhithe, Kent
Location:With its immediate access to the M25 the Dartford Crossing is now also home to Crossways, the countrys largest commercial retail park with its offices, commercial companies and three hotels.
Also taking advantage of its easy access to the M25 location is Bluewater, Europe's largest retail destination, and Greenhithes largest employer, which opened in 1999. Only ten minutes drive from The Pier, Bluewater has become a shrine to retail therapy and is visited by 27 million people every year.
Designed to be a day out destination for the entire family it offers a choice of shopping and dining.
More than 330 retailers including 50 restaurants, cafés and bars occupy this haven of shopping heaven. Also, extensive leisure activities, including rock climbing, golf, fishing, cycling, boating and a cinema complex. Bluewater has become the perfect place to visit during the day to shop or dine out in the evening.
Also, only ten minutes away is the Ebbsfleet International Railway Station which is due to open in 2007. Only a few miles to the east of The Pier, and with 12,000 car park spaces spread across six car parks, Ebbsfleet International Station will be served by Eurostar, with up to four trains per hour in peak time, as well as high-speed domestic services, with a 15-minute journey time to St Pancras.
Lifestyle:Here, space and light are part of the landscape. Mature woodlands, tree-lined boulevards and sweeping, river views calm the spirit and relax the mind. Architect designed houses and apartments set in distinct and individual residential areas reflect the natural diversity of traditional local communities. Created to enhance modern lifestyles, the past is part of the future at The Pier.
The magnificent setting of The Pier, with its sensitive recreation of close-knit village communities amid 72 acres of wooded parkland, encourages the freedom to roam and enjoy the pleasures of waterside living. Between the river's edge and wooded fringes of the park lie open space, leafy thoroughfares, mature trees and woodlands crossed by a cycle way and heritage trail, which takes in the mysterious Cave of the Seven Heads.
The broad expanse of the Thames estuary and the traditional charm of Greenhithe's maritime pubs and flint stone cottages are a short walk away, while just two miles to the south the beautiful countryside of 'The Garden of England' begins.
For those who like to eat out but not travel too far Bluewater offers a vast range of well-known restaurants that have menus that will satisfy any pallet. The main restaurants for either lunch time or evening meals can be found in The Water Circus, which marks the entrance to the 13 screen Showcase cinema complex, or The Village which can be found next to the House of Fraser departmental store.