Yahoo Movies Where is Bridget Jones' flat?
As Bridget Jones returns to the big screen with Mad About the Boy, take a look at where her London life began - and what the flat is like now.
Bridget Jones has certainly climbed the property ladder over four films – Mad About the Boy sees her living in a large family home in wealthy Hampstead. But Bridget devotees will fondly remember her early days as a singleton living in a London flat above a pub.
Although the early films were keen to show Helen Fielding's heroine as down-on-her-luck, not doing well in her career, and lagging behind successful acquaintances, Bridget's flat was actually in an enviable central location that would be completely out of the price range of many.
Iconic scenes from the first Bridget Jones's Diary film feature Renee Zellweger as Bridget welcoming her friends to a dinner party and serving up blue soup, as well as singing along to All By Myself in her pyjamas at the one-bedroom flat.
As a new Bridget Jones instalment opens in cinemas, we take a look at where the original flat is, how much it's worth now, and what it is currently being used for.
Where is Bridget Jones's flat?
The flat where we first meet Bridget back at the start of her story is one of the film adaptations' most recognisable locations.
But fans of the movies won't need to visit a film studio tour to see the set, as it is right in the middle of another very busy London tourist attraction.
The flat from her pre-Mark Darcy days is located at 8, Bedale Street in Southwark, South London. For those not familiar with the area, that places her smack bang in the middle of foodie paradise Borough Market.
While we're familiar with Bridget's living room and kitchen, the outside of the building is often featured on screen, too – the flat is on top of The Globe Tavern, a pub in the market that sits up against a train track from busy London Bridge Station.
The whole area is even busier now than when the first film was released in 2001 as Borough Market's popularity has rocketed and the Shard has been built nearby, bringing huge crowds to the area every day.
Bridget's flat was also very close to the home of bad boy love interest Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) – scenes at his apartment were filmed just a couple of streets away at Pickfords Wharf, a converted warehouse dating back to the 1800s on Clink Street which overlooks the Thames and the Golden Hinde.
How much is Bridget Jones's flat worth?
It comes as no surprise to anyone that flat prices in such a central part of London are eye-wateringly expensive, but even more difficult to swallow is the now relatively affordable price of flats at the time that Bridget was living there alone.
Property site Rightmove estimates that the average asking price for a one-bed flat in Borough, London in 2001 was just above £186,000, but that similar properties will now have almost tripled in value to an average above £549,000 – an increase of 195%.
Rightmove's chief data officer Steve Pimblett said: "Long-spanning franchises like Bridget Jones are a reminder just how much things have changed over the years, including property prices, with Bridget’s one-bedroom flat in the heart of London tripling in value since the film first aired in 2001."
Although property price information for Bedale Street itself isn't available, Pickfords Wharf apartments like Daniel Cleaver's sold for around £250,000 in 2001 and more recently are advertised at around £2m.
How you can visit Bridget Jones's flat
Bridget Jones superfans can treat themselves – or a date – to dinner at Bridget Jones's flat as it has now been converted into a restaurant, like many other properties nearby in the market.
It has been taken over by Thai BBQ restaurant Khao Bird, which has understandably gone heavy on the Bridget Jones marketing ahead of the release of Mad About the Boy.
Khao Bird regularly shares Bridget-themed posts on Instagram and offers a Bridget's Blue cocktail in tribute to the famous dinner party scene from film one where she accidentally dyes the soup blue. The restaurant said the cocktail was "our playful, totally drinkable twist on that infamous soup. We promise, it tastes far better than its inspiration!"
Tying in with the Valentines release of film four, Khao Bird is also offering a First Kiss menu on 13, 14 and 15 February with the movie-inspired tagline "wait a minute...nice boys don't kiss like that".
Where does Bridget Jones live in Mad About the Boy?
Bridget has gone up in the world since her early days in London – and no wonder, if her flat tripled in value.
In the new film, we see her living in a large Victorian home in the upmarket area of Hampstead, where she and Mark Darcy had lived with their children before his death.
Rightmove estimates that the average asking price for a Hampstead home is over £1,548,000, but it could be considerably more for the sort of house that Bridget is seen in.
She also spends plenty of time on Hampstead Heath, where she meets new, younger love interest Roxster (Leo Woodall) for the first time and their first date takes place in the Electric Diner on Portobello Road.
Bridget might have moved to West London these days, but look out for her taking a trip down memory lane as she and Roxster visit her old stomping ground of Borough Market.
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is released in cinemas on Thursday, 13 February.
