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Where to Live in London

Advice for people moving to London

Whether you’re an underpaid actor, sports fanatic, musician, Russian Oligarch, squatter or even an Australian, I Know London has some advice on where to live in London.

Good places to live in London 

The following are recommended as good areas to live in London, separated by price.

Extremely expensive places to live in London

Central London – Mayfair, Knightsbridge, Belgravia, Hampstead

Very expensive areas to live in London

Belsize Park, St. John’s Wood, Maida Vale, Marylebone, Pimlico, Kensington, Chelsea, Primrose Hill, Notting Hill, Chiswick, Richmond, Barnes, Kew.

Slightly less expensive parts of London

Hammersmith, Ealing, Fulham, Putney, Clapham, Battersea, Wandsworth, Balham, Streatham, Wimbledon, Anerley, Penge, Sydenham, Crystal Palace, Dulwich, East Dulwich, Greenwich, Blackheath, Docklands, Islington, Crouch End, Muswell Hill, Hornsey, Highgate, Finchley, Cricklewood, Kilburn, West Hampstead.

Cheap (er) areas in London

Merton, Raynes Park, Tooting, Greenwich, Charlton, Bethnal Green, Bow, Stratford, Plaistow, Stoke Newington, East Clapton, Forest Gate, Leyton, Shepherd’s bush, Acton, Willesden.

Probably best avoided

These areas are certainly not without their good points but they're generally regarded as bad areas to live in London:

Harlesden, White City, Stockwell, Camberwell, Brixton, Peckham, New Cross, Elephant and Castle, Canning Town, Woolwich and  large parts of Hackney.

Where to live in London...

Good areas for young professionals.

Islington, Fulham, Putney, Wandsworth, Battersea, Clapham, Balham, Streatham, East Dulwich, the Docklands. You may also find yourself drawn to the East End around Aldgate and Bethnal Green.

Trendy areas in London.

Stoke Newington, Broadway Market, Columbia Road, Hoxton, Shoreditch, Brick Lane, Bethnal Green, Camden.

Good Areas for Families in London

I've got friends who live in Central London with children but I probably wouldn't recommend it. It's extremely expensive and, that being the case, by far the majority of the accommodation is in (small) flats. For most of us, where you live is almost definitely going to be determined by your income - in general the further you get from Central London, the cheaper it gets. Family friendly areas that stick in my head would be mostly to the North - Islington through Crouch End to Muswell Hill (not cheap) and beyond. I do like much of the North-West - Kilburn and Willesden, etc. These areas are much more affordable but can be very mixed. By far the majority of West London is pleasant and family-friendly but, once again, it can be extremely expensive here.

Keep in mind that the overland trains will get you to Central London from most parts of SouthEast England surprisingly quickly so living some distance from Central London is a viable option (even if that's where you work). There are some extremely pleasant places that are close enough to London to commute from so that may be another option to consider.

Good parts of London for sports and fitness enthusiasts

You'll find and parks and sports fields all over London but for the sports fanatic I'd recommend Clapham in particular and most of the area of South London stretching from Streatham to Dulwich.

Good areas for cutting edge fashion / design / media.

Covent Garden, Soho, Hoxton, Shoreditch, Brick Lane, Tower Bridge

Recommended areas of London for an artist / musician / actor (successful, minted and sold-out)

Notting Hill, Primrose Hill.

Recommended for an artist / musician / actor (starving)

You’ll want to be in Hoxton and Shoreditch but can’t afford it so you’ll end up in Bethnal Green. I’ve met quite a few artists and most live in squalour in Brixton, Peckham and New Cross. London has quite a few live/work studios which are ever popular with artists (do a google). There are some lovely ones in Forest Hill. If your inspiration requires Fight Club levels of dereliction, industrial waste and danger then there are many such places in Hackney Wick.

I am an American relocating to London. I want cute cottages, double-decker buses, cricket pitches and cups of tea Goddamit!

Kensington, Chelsea, Hampstead, Richmond, Barnes, Wimbledon and Dulwich.

I am a banker

The Docklands, Limehouse, Wapping, Aldgate, Tower Bridge.

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written by helen, November 28, 2008
i am coastal girl living in newquay cornwall for the past 15 yr's thinking of doing a huose exchange , feel drawn to st john's wood or hampstead , what do you thinks.
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