Whether you are looking to rent an accommodation in London or to buy a house, how can you choose the best neighbourhood for you? You’ll find a variety of London neighbourhoods with distinct characteristics, from trendy and central to quieter, family-friendly green suburbs.
There's so much more to London’s geography than just a list of 32 boroughs, or the coloured lines of the tube map. Some of the most popular areas for young professionals and family moving to London includes:
Soho
Always busy and forever changing, Soho is one of London’s most iconic neighbourhoods. Bordered by Oxford Street, Regent Street, Leicester Square and Charing Cross Road, it’s the heart of London’s West End, offering an exciting labyrinth of theatre shows, buzzing bars, and some of the best restaurant in London. Soho can be a rather nice place to live.
Especially for the elderly and children: old people can have a great time hanging out, and everyone looks out for local kids. Someone who recently moved to a shoebox Soho flat from a family house in Shepherd’s Bush says she and her daughter have found far more sense of community than they did in the “burbs”. If you rent (and how could you ever afford to buy?), the prices can be relatively affordable. OK, we said relatively.
It’s well connected. Soho is the very centre of London, with Charing Cross, Euston and King’s Cross stations all within walking distance.
Have you got children??? Let’s speak about Schools: S Parish CofE primary is “good”, says Ofsted – and they’re building a vertical climbing playground. St Joseph’s Catholic primary is “outstanding”. You have to look outside Soho for secondary schools: within the borough of Westminster, Grey Coat Hospital for girls is “outstanding”; Westminster City School for boys is “good”. One of the closest secondaries outside Westminster is the mixed Maria Fidelis Catholic school in Camden, which is rated “good”.
Shoreditch
The jewel in the East London crown, Shoreditch was an infamous area that reinvented itself in the 1990s to become a creative and tech playground and an attractive point of all things cool. Today, while the art scene still thrives, some of the best Shoreditch restaurants have Michelin stars, and many of the world’s hippest hotels have moved in. Shoreditchification, a term that doesn’t exactly trip off the tongue, was coined in this East End hub of all things trendy to describe the unbelievable rapid transformation of an area from the awful place to cool and popular area. The process begins with an invasion of artists and designers seeking cheap space, followed by curious professionals who want to know why a neighbourhood is suddenly so hip.
Then property prices start to rise, stratospherically in the case of Shoreditch, where the average one-bedroom flat now costs well over £500,000. It is also one of the few areas in London where it is possible to live and work in the same neighbourhood. Developers are building new co-working spaces in and around Old Street and the Silicon Roundabout to attract the hordes of young digital entrepreneurs dreaming of starting the new era….
What about the property scene? The Shoreditch Triangle, bounded by Old Street, Great Eastern Street and Shoreditch High Street contains some of London’s best warehouse conversions. There are “right-to-buy” flats on the mainly council-owned Boundary Estate, one of the country’s oldest council estates, opened in 1900. The five-storey Arts and Crafts blocks radiate off Arnold Circus, a raised garden with a bandstand. Around Columbia Road, site of the famous flower market, are two- and three-bedroom straight-off-the-street houses on the Jesus Hospital Estate. There are also new-build flats.
In terms of travelling, it’s well connected, Liverpool Street and Old Street Tube stations serve Shoreditch. Liverpool Street is on the Circle, Metropolitan, Hammersmith & City and Central lines and Old Street is on the Northern line. Shoreditch High Street Overground station has trains to Highbury & Islington and Canary Wharf via a change at Canada Water. Eleven buses run up and down Shoreditch High Street with the No 8 to Oxford Street, the No 26 to Waterloo, the No 135 to Canary Wharf and the No 205 to Paddington.
Notting Hill
Notting Hill’s image as the cool neighbourhood of West London has been somewhat overtaken by posh bathroom shops and tourists searching for Hugh Grant's blue door. But don’t let this put you off because you can still find the spirit of the real Notting Hill, you just have to know where to look.
It is very central and green (Kensington Gardens and Holland Park) the transport is fantastic, you can stay local if you want to go out for dinner, cinema, shopping, art galleries. Once a year there is the Carnival. Having taken place every August since 1965, Notting Hill Carnival is the largest street festival in Europe and is the most notable event in the areas calendar. Showcasing the best in Caribbean food, music and dance, this vibrant celebration of community has been bringing people together for decades.
Served by Notting Hill Gate Station on the central line, as well as in close proximity to Westbourne Park Station and Landbroke Grove Station, the areas central location makes it popular with tourists and city professionals alike.
You could also consider living in Little Venice, Hampstead, Belsize Park, they are more residential, but all very close to underground stations, green areas with lots of things going on. Portobello Road is of course world famous, but exploring the area you will find Golborne Road with lots of authentic Moroccan restaurants and pop ups with delicious food. It is a very diverse community, there is a visible divide between rich and poor, but since the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower community there is a new sense of solidarity.
From Caribbean immigrants filling the streets with vibrant sounds and smells in the 50s, Portuguese communities coming over in the 60s, plus the boho flower children of the 70s and corporate city bankers of the 80s; Notting Hill is constantly attracting new waves of residents.
This community atmosphere has also allowed many independent businesses to thrive, from vintage clothing to artisan pottery, you won’t have trouble finding a unique shopping experience. Plus, with countless charming coffee shops and coffees filling its bustling streets, you’ll always to be able to find a cosy spot for a quick drink and bite to eat in between exploring.
From pastel toned Victorian terraces to neighbouring council properties and converted homes, it is a modern cosmopolitan hub in the heart of the city. Famed for its colourful Victorian terraces, Notting Hill is far more diverse when it comes to property than you might think. From new build apartments to converted period homes, the eclectic architecture of the area has made it popular with families and city professionals. This is in part due to the size of properties available, with larger living spaces and communal green spaces on offer compared to other London areas.
These high prices don’t let up throughout the area, due to city centre location and trendy neighbourhoods pushing the average rental value up to a whopping £672 a week, equating to a £2,688 commitment each month. Whilst a rental price range of £350 – £2,950 per week does allow for more reasonable prices towards the lower end of the spectrum, it’s fair to say that the Notting Hill rental market is inaccessible for vast majority of us. With its quiet neighbourhoods and pastel colour facades becoming a thing of rental fantasy.
With a large proportion of affluent residents and larger properties, Notting Hill is a popular area for families in the city. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the many schools in the area are known for their high-quality teaching, with popular choices including Bassett house, Pembridge Hall and Ashbourne.
Hampstead
Classed as the world’s finest urban village in North London Hampstead is celebrated for its intellectual, artistic and musical associations, as well as the renowned Hampstead Heath, boasting one of the finest views of London from Parliament Hill. The area also has a lovely community feel to it, and anybody moving to Hampstead will feel that very quickly, and hopefully, want to add to it.
Hampstead is the proud home of the Freud Museum, situated at 20 Maresfield Gardens, where Sigmund Freud lived with his family during the last year of his life. Whilst psychology was his vocation, collecting was his favourite pastime, exemplified by the numerous cabinets filled with almost 2,000 items from Egyptian and Greek to Roman and Oriental. A variety of exhibitions inspired by his ground-breaking psychological work are held throughout the year.
Literary lovers should no doubt visit Keats House, which was once home to the Romantic poet, John Keats, during the early 19th century. Explore the museum and the magnificent gardens where Keats is said to have found inspiration for his famous ‘Ode to a Nightingale’ poem.
For designer labels, shoppers will find fashion favourites such as Hobbs, Kurt Geiger and Oliver Bonas on Hampstead High Street.
Hampstead Bazaar is an award-winning boutique specialising in bohemian-style clothing for women looking for a unique shopping experience and a wardrobe like no other. Del Maestro is the perfect place to find accessories to complete your favourite look, from eye-catching handbags to limited edition artisan jewellery. Antique enthusiasts will relish the fabulous finds at Hampstead Antique & Craft Emporium, housing anything from toy collectibles and paintings to garments and ceramics, plus a variety of vintage clothing and jewellery.
Hampstead is home to a plethora of restaurants offering a taste of dishes from around the world; tuck in to succulent steaks at Argentinian restaurant, Gaucho, or head to L’Antica Pizzeria for an authentic vibe and Neapolitan wood-fired pizza.
For a sumptuous dessert, La Creperie de Hampstead is incredibly popular with the locals offering sweet crepes dubbed the ‘best in London’. Enjoy a glass of your favourite tipple at The Spaniard’s Inn where highwayman Dick Turpin took refuge nearly 300 years ago. This famous pub was also mentioned in the Dickens novel, The Pickwick Papers.
Hampstead Heath is London’s largest ancient parkland, containing more than 800 acres of semi-wild countryside and one of the capital’s most treasured viewpoints from Parliament Hill. A unique feature of the Heath is its public access to three open-air swimming ponds, which were traditionally reservoirs for drinking water and sources of the River Fleet.
Head west from the Heath and you’ll find Golders Hill Park, boasting beautiful landscaped grounds, Mediterranean-style water gardens, plus a range of leisure facilities including a croquet lawn, tennis courts and a children’s play area.
Hampstead is renowned for its selection of schools, with the majority being private, independent establishments, including Hampstead Hill Pre-Preparatory and Nursery School, and North Bridge House School for primary, secondary and sixth form education for boys and girls.
Hampstead is also the location of the British College of Osteopathic Medicine and is within a 15 minute drive of London Business School, University College London (UCL) and Regent’s University London.
The Royal Free Hospital, part of the UCL Medical School – the first institution to train female doctors in the UK – is also in Hampstead, situated less than a five minute walk from Hampstead Heath mainline station.
Hampstead has a real mix of property, and many are incredibly attractive to look at. Georgian houses, cottages and large Victorian houses make up the long and winding roads, along with huge mansion flats, luxury penthouses and Edwardian mansions all placed with a little seclusion, for their wealthy owners.
Living in Hampstead will never be cheap, but, if you do have the budget to buy, the properties are very large, so there’s lots of space to enjoy if you do invest. Renting is also an option for anything from a relatively inexpensive small apartment, to luxury homes where prices seem to have no limit.
Hampstead is just over a 30-minute drive to the centre of London and only 15 minutes away from the M1 for journeys north towards Watford, St Albans, Luton and beyond. South End Green, just a two-minute walk from Hampstead Heath mainline station, is the area’s major bus terminus, which has linked Hampstead with areas such as Tottenham Court Road, Trafalgar Square and Pimlico for over 100 years.
Hampstead Heath railway station (Zone 2) offers London Overground services towards Stratford in the east (30 minutes), Richmond in the south-west (34 minutes) and Clapham Junction in the south (39 minutes). Underground: key destinations from Hampstead Tube station Northern line: Tottenham Court Road (11 minutes), Bank (18 minutes), Liverpool Street (20 minutes), London Bridge (22 minutes).
Moving to Hampstead is an excellent idea for young families, professionals and for anybody looking to sample a village-like feel with easy access to the Capital at the same time. The area is affluent, but it comes with many benefits and many people living in Hampstead consider themselves lucky to be residents in this area….
Wimbledon
The whole world knows about Wimbeldon’s tennis, but the rest of this south-west neighbourhood still remains somewhat of a secret.
It’s where you’ll find one of London’s biggest green spaces, along with a village that’s home to cute neighbourhood cafés, independent boutiques and popular stables. All this with reliable transport links into the centre of town (17 minutes to Waterloo). Having excellent transport connections typical of most cities mixed with village-style living is a prominent factor that causes many to decide to live in Wimbledon.
Wimbledon is a prime area for families as well as investors. From country cottages to luxurious mansions Wimbledon offers both ends of the spectrum.
Wimbledon has an abundance of things to do from theatre to museums; The New Wimbledon Theatre that dates back to 1910 is the eighth largest Edwardian Theatre in London!
The cultural side of Wimbledon keeps it high on the list of top London places to live. Having lots to do in the surrounding area helps increase the interest the area receives. A rich history that dates back to the Iron Age provides this area with depth that encourages people to look into buying in Wimbledon.
Transport is also a large factor which many take into consideration when purchasing a new home and can play a great role in determining property value. The typical travel connections that can be found all over the city can also be found in Wimbledon, making it a prime spot for commuters. Train services include District line services from Wimbledon Park, while the Northern line can be accessed from South Wimbledon. Wimbledon station is served by South Western railway and Thameslink. There is also easy access around Wimbledon via car, as it borders the A3 which provides even more connections to the city and Portsmouth.
Being able to raise children in a village-style area while still being able to easily commute to work in the city centre is one of the main reasons so many families have a vested interest in this South-West London location. Wimbledon offers something for children from primary school through to University level education.
Wimbledon is celebrated for the extensive amounts of open space that can be found, from Wimbledon Common to Cannizaro Park. Wimbledon has an endless choice of places to enjoy nature. There is also the benefit of having such a significant event like The Wimbledon Championships virtually on your doorstep which can also contribute to its appeal for many whether it’s tennis fans or investors. Certain areas of Wimbledon, reportedly, almost always see growth in house prices due to how much the areas offer, from the Wimbledon Championships to its expansive green space and transport connections, all contributing factors make this area in constant demand. If you are looking for a quiet but still lively of course I will recommend this area!
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