Page 2 | If you live in London

NeverEndingSnorey · 2025-05-12T00:50:44+00:00

How do you feel about areas being called “zone” plus a number when used out of TfL context? Is this easier to understand where people are referring to? Is there any sense of identity loss for areas thar sit in the zones but whose names are used less? Or are they used less?What benefit, or otherwise, is there to having “zones” other than navigating TfL?

AgentJohnson · 12/05/2025 06:51

If people say they live in a particular zone, it’s just to give you an easily understandable indication of how far out from the centre they live. It’s not a substitute for place names or borough identities…

This

When I lived in London it was all about the post code ( 👋 SE22). Despite leaving London over 20 years ago, I still know my postcodes and do chuckle to myself when a London estate agent claim a property is in one area but the postcode says otherwise.

WoahThreeAces · 12/05/2025 06:50

The only time I think about the zones is for the cost of travel. I don't think I've ever described myself as living in zone 6

whitewineandsun · 12/05/2025 06:39

When I looked for somewhere to live in London, it was helpful to know the zones. I didn’t want to go further out than zone 2 for practical reasons, one of them being that my job was in zone 2 East London, and I needed the bus to get in every day.

PeloMom · 12/05/2025 05:44

I haven’t encountered this in real life but I’ve seen it on MN and presume it’s for privacy; it’s normally on threads for house pricing.

ArtemisiaTheArtist · 12/05/2025 05:39

It's just an indicator of how far from Central London a place is, and how much TfL will take from your Oyster card (best to be prepared). Some people can be snobby about living too far out though some of the poshest areas are in the outer zones.

Edited for typos.

Ankther · 12/05/2025 02:28

NeverEndingSnorey · 12/05/2025 02:17

Do they need for the zone at all in that context? I don’t think it adds anything, and that’s why I wondered if I am missing something.

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There’s a big difference between East London Zone 2/3 areas like Newham, Stratford, Mile End etc and East London Zone 6, which is basically Essex. So yes, it adds helpful detail without having to give away the specific borough an OP lives in, if they want to keep it vague.

MiloMinderbinder925 · 12/05/2025 02:19

NeverEndingSnorey · 12/05/2025 02:15

Absolutely, that’s why I was curious. I’ve come across it more and more at work, people talking about zones with no TfL or distance to the centre link context.

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They're talking gibberish. A Zone is a circle around London and being in a Zone means you could be anywhere in that circle: N,S,E,W.

Original poster

NeverEndingSnorey · 12/05/2025 02:17

Ankther · 12/05/2025 02:14

I’ve never seen people just state their zone when asking for recommendations. They usually say something like ‘SW London Zone 4’ or ‘E London Zone 6’, when they want to give a general idea of the location without naming their specific borough.

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Do they need for the zone at all in that context? I don’t think it adds anything, and that’s why I wondered if I am missing something.

OP posts:

Original poster

NeverEndingSnorey · 12/05/2025 02:15

MiloMinderbinder925 · 12/05/2025 02:12

It's highly unusual for people to say that as it's unhelpful.

You could say "I live in E London, zone 2" Because E London is a large area, it narrows down where in E London you live.

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Absolutely, that’s why I was curious. I’ve come across it more and more at work, people talking about zones with no TfL or distance to the centre link context.

OP posts:

Ankther · 12/05/2025 02:14

NeverEndingSnorey · 12/05/2025 02:10

Yes, totally understand it. However I have heard quite a few people say they live in, for example, “zone 3” instead of a borough.

I have read people talking about zones here, where being more precises would be useful. Eg, “i live in zone 4, any decent window companies”? How is the zone helpful in that context, as opposed to “I live in north London” or even just London.

I’ve never seen people just state their zone when asking for recommendations. They usually say something like ‘SW London Zone 4’ or ‘E London Zone 6’, when they want to give a general idea of the location without naming their specific borough.

MiloMinderbinder925 · 12/05/2025 02:12

NeverEndingSnorey · 12/05/2025 02:10

Yes, totally understand it. However I have heard quite a few people say they live in, for example, “zone 3” instead of a borough.

I have read people talking about zones here, where being more precises would be useful. Eg, “i live in zone 4, any decent window companies”? How is the zone helpful in that context, as opposed to “I live in north London” or even just London.

It's highly unusual for people to say that as it's unhelpful.

You could say "I live in E London, zone 2" Because E London is a large area, it narrows down where in E London you live.

Original poster

NeverEndingSnorey · 12/05/2025 02:10

Yes, totally understand it. However I have heard quite a few people say they live in, for example, “zone 3” instead of a borough.

I have read people talking about zones here, where being more precises would be useful. Eg, “i live in zone 4, any decent window companies”? How is the zone helpful in that context, as opposed to “I live in north London” or even just London.

OP posts:

Ankther · 12/05/2025 02:04

You understand that the zones are rings, right? People in Zone 6, for example, could be as far north as Enfield or as far south as Croydon.

Nobody is going to say they live in a particular zone when you ask them where they live. With the exception of Zone 1, which is just the very centre of London, zones are fairly useless as geographical indicators.

If people say they live in a particular zone, it’s just to give you an easily understandable indication of how far out from the centre they live. It’s not a substitute for place names or borough identities…