London areas? Which are most fun to live in as a newbie??

[IamtheDevilsAvocado]

Aibu to think London areas change quickly -ie ones thought of as 'dangerous' change to lovely village feel... Sometimes it feels within a few months...

Pal is thinking of moving to London, as am I. Both in health roles...

We're both flexible over geography...

Please tell us about your area of London and why you enjoy living there? ..

We love arty stuff, cinema /theatre /exhibitions... But would also like buzzy area with choice of places to entertain ourselves and choice of local shops?

Crouch End. I miss Crouch End.

Shadwell. Used to be very run down, now it’s great. It’s on the DLR and overground and you can walk to Tower Hill in 20 minutes.

Greenwich

Holloway. My friends pay £1900 for a huge 2 bed flat just off Holloway Road, when I go to visit I love it. The buzz, the area, being near the Arsenal ground and the fact everything is around on a short tube journey. If I was to move to London it would probably be around the same area or Finsbury Park, I much prefer it over other areas.

Woolwich is on the up, crossrail is due to open in a few months and it will probably fly. Would think Tottenham Court Rd would be perfect for lots of the UCLH hospitals. The trick is to find somewhere before it becomes the new fad, but a street feast has just opened and it’s really smartening up. Abbey Wood is a bit behind but you might just buy something.

I find it quite amazing that so many people (rightly!) recommend Brixton these days. When I moved to London many years ago, it was one of the areas you wouldn’t have touched with a barge pole. How things change!

yes Brixton is v popular these days. When I moved tehre, they still called Railton Road 'the frontline'...but still even then, it was getting popular with young singles.

If you apply to work in Kings, 20 mins on the bus will take you to Forest Hill. Between the two you have Dulwich, with a massive park, loads of boutique shops, indie restaurants and artisan markets. Forest Hill is a nice area, also has a tube line, and from there you can be in Islington/shoreditch in under half an hour . You can get a really nice 2 bedroom place for £1300 pcm. Like this: www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-66795433.html

I love Clapham. Easy to commute from too. If you’re working at the hospitals you’ll get a great social life, I did.

Another vote for Finsbury Park! I don't live there but for easy access to lots of transport links, places to go etc it's a great location! We live just beyond Walthamstow - E17 is great but a bit further out - however if you got work at UCHL it's 20m on tube to Warren St. Wanstead mentioned upthread, is mostly full of well off families with young kids - nice spot if you've got £££££ to spend on house/rent. But it's a torturous commute on the central line, especially in summer.

An area I really like is around Newington Green. There is no tube stop here, which makes it a little more chilled. You can take a bus from the Angel or Essex Road.

(actually scrub that, Essex Road station is like a vortex of all the underground dirt in London).

You have Clissold Park, Stoke Newington, and the wonderful Turkish shops of Green Lanes.

Waltham forest in general is quite nice and the over ground and the underground takes you into central. Chingford is nice but is a little further out and a little less exciting, walthamstow has its issues recently (as shown on the news ) but some areas are really nice and you can find good little shops. Close enough to central but far enough away. Leyton and leytonstone again the same as walthamstow but a little closer to central.

Everywhere has its issues and nowhere will be that cheap. You would need to look at what you could earn before knowing where you could move to and you won't feel like you get much for your money so I'd make sure you really wanted to do it if you are only going to be just getting by!

The trouble with London is that the fabulous parts are everywhere.

Fabulous parts are also expensive. What’s your budget?

I moved to Ealing on my own. It's lovely, feels very safe, not too central but 8mins to Paddington on the overground and on the Central and District lines. It was perfect for me.

Most hospitals have sold off their staff accomodation for luxury developments some still have emergency accomodation where you can stay for a week or 2. You need to ask each individual trust when you apply for a job

Peckham. Very arty, lots of independent small galleries, lots of bars and restaurants, cheapest cinema in London. And you can walk to Kings.

Interesting to see Brixton being recommended. I know it has gentrified in recent years but you couldn’t pay me to live there. It’s the only place in London where I have witnessed antisocial behaviour every single time I’ve been there, even during the day. Clapham and Balham are nicer.

A lot of hospital staff live in Whitechapel because it's where the Royal London is (and only 15 mins on a direct line to Barts). Rents are still fairly reasonable but flats in the nicer blocks get snapped up quickly.

Walking distance to Shoreditch/Brick Lane/Spitalfields. Whitechapel Gallery is excellent. Wilton's Music Hall within walking distance and it's a short hop to the Troxy. Good travel connections (5 tube lines within easy reach plus Overground trains and Crossrail opens in Dec). There's always something going on. Usually many many things. Some people find it a bit too urban but the hipsters have really moved in over the last few years and Tower Hamlets are pouring money into the area (including moving the town hall for the Tower Hamlets mayor to Whitechapel). It will only get busier and more popular.

I live walking distance to Clapham (common end) and Brixton, and they would both meet your needs (Brixton feels younger). Heard good things about Camberwell, near Peckham and Goldsmiths so lots of art students around. I’ve heard Hither Green is nice, but might just be people bigging up their area as only been there a couple of times. Brockley. Hearne Hill?

I have friends in Finsbury Park/Clapton areas and don’t ‘get it’ personally. Crouch End is nice but feels more like a suburb than a part of London that you seem to be interested in.

Maybe visit and have a nosy round - it’s a very personal thing!

Bermondsey for st Thomas?

What’s your budget?
Assuming your are doctors/surgeons/highly paid...

I’d go Primrose hill side of Camden, Highgate, angel or Shad Thames (be careful which bit in both of these), kings road/Chelsea, Wandsworth, lavender hill is okay.
Dulwich/Wimbledon and Earlsfield are further out but nice and have things to do.

It really is subjective though. A few people recommended Finsbury Park and Balham - I personally think they are both a bit of a dump . For the money I’d rather get something in Brixton/dulwich.

I reckon Camden, Finsbury Park, Bow. Hilarious people think Holloway Road is fun, I can see it if you are younger but it's a bit shit imho.

Brixton and Peckham still a bit much for me, I hate the vibe. I lived in Tooting once and it was a total dive. Ditto Clapham, but maybe South London isn't my cup of tea. Islington quite good generally but expensive and near Angel it feels a bit transient. Stoke Newington is nice.

Do hospital still require some staff to live within a certain commute of the hospital. Someone I knew had to live within 20 mins of the hospital.

£1900 for a two bed on Holloway Road?! Must be pretty pos me to be that expensive!