Please help me decide where to live in London

[OyOySavaloy]

Currently renting in Chelsea and it's lovely but the commute is a right pita. Not helped by all the bridges currently being shut off of course 😯. Currently working near Westminster ish and would like to be closer. Any suggestions? Must be a decent area, safe and handy for work. Am from oop norf, so am pretty clueless about London!

Won't stay anywhere ground floor!

There should be first floor flats around and it’s a lovely area.

Do you never use the tube or trains? They’re much faster than taxis (not from Chelsea Harbour though).

Yeah, trains n tubes dont work from chelsea harbour. Been too busy with work to really dedicate much time to working everything out properly. Just managed to land a great flat and then been flat out with work, doing 15 hour days. Just use taxis for convenience. Not got any real time now to dedicate to new flat hunting. Just need to find somewhere but hopefully closer to work this time.

Sounds like you barely have time to sleep. I’d just go with a secure, modern development near the office. Literally looking within 1/2mile of where you work. Bound to be many flats available.

Kennington. Loads of MPs live there becuase it's so close to Westminster but a bit cheaper becuase South of the river.

Really handy for getting into town, short walk to Waterloo too and quick bus to Brixton the other way. Rented there for 3 years, couldn't afford to buy and had to keep going further out to Streatham.

Savills have lots for that price around Westminster and Green Park/Mayfair.
search.savills.com/property-detail/gbwprewsl190106l

Just put in Westminster in zoopla and put the radius you’d be happy with

So you want north of the river westminster-ish. Bayswater? Cheaper than Kensington (and traditionally where the wealthy Kensington chaps housed their mistress across the park - that nugget always tickles me).

Vauxhall? The newish developments right on the river are nice and v easy to westmister

What about living in westminster itself?

Are you an MP? Nice flat in Smith Square ?

Its very residential down that way, just keep walking away from the HOP till you can afford it...

It's a bit further but I actually loved living in Kensington 25 years ago. I was not rich nor posh - flatmate and I were lucky and had a fairy tatty flat on one of those lovely gated squares - we had a key to the gardens which everyone joked was worth more than the flat ). We were not far from Gloucester Road. Downside: there were 65 stairs up to the flat and our landlord used to collect the rent in cash!

I'm not keen on the soulless new build in central London. With your budget you could rent two beds in old school style dolphin square Pimlico. Walkable to Westminster straight along Thames river bank and stones throw to Tate Britain. Lovely historic part of central London.

With your budget you could afford Westminster itself if you wanted it. Pimlico is also very nice but you need to be a bit picky as some bits are nicer than others. If you crossed the river there are the new developments at Nine Elms by the new American Embassy but it does all look a bit over developed now. THere are some nice flats in the old COunty Hall building on the south bank but it gets really clogged up with tourists in the summer.

For my money I'd look in Vauxhall. The Bonnington Square conservation zone has there is a nice community vibe to it although it doesn't come up that often. Otherwise the more established flats immediately to the west of Vauxhall Bridge are nice - this is perhaps a bit big but there is so much property to rent there due to the new development by the US embassy the rent is bound to be negotiable.

www.zoopla.co.uk/to-rent/details/45905166?search_identifier=a3463ee3569db4b07e158bf3a35c7824

New and soulless is fine by me! Security is really important, so a concierge and 10th floor is ideal.

Thanks for that link. Again, it looks just the job and I'll contact them now!

There are these things called buses and a short walk. Try the areas around Kilburn Park/Queens Park, where cycle options are reasonable (much across parks in central London).

Buses aren't suitable.

I've emailed lots of places around Westminster and Vauxhall, so fingers crossed. Thanks everyone for your help.

If you are happy to walk - but it depends where work is.