What’s it like to live in central central London?

[bridgetreilly]

I am probably moving to central London for work in a couple of months. Accommodation is provided within easy walking distance of work, which itself is just a few hundred yards from Oxford Circus. So it really is really central!

I wondered if anyone has any experience of living somewhere like that. How do you manage normal daily life? What are the advantages and disadvantages you might not realise until you actually try it?

AIBU to even consider it?!

We used to live in Pimlico, just behind Tate Britain. Could hear Big Ben from our bedroom.

I loved it. You do end up discovering little local pockets, even very close to tourist areas. For example, less than 10 minutes walk from Westminster Square, there's Strutton Ground, a street with a row of shops, a weekday food market with affordable prices, and a fantastic gelato shop.

We were lucky to have a decent sized Sainsbury and M&S and did Sainsbury delivery too. If we wanted to eat out, there was so much choice. I loved having free art galleries within walking distance too.

Disadvantages:
• You ALWAYS have to be aware with your phone. I recommend a wrist strap. Phone snatching is crazy.
• Sometimes the tourists will get on your nerves. I had to laugh at myself for thinking "move! No one cares about the changing of the guard! You're making me late for pilates!" when I had sessions booked the other side of St James Park.
• Lack of open space or free play space for kids can be a bit sad. For example, we couldn't just go to play badminton in the park like you might be able to in an area with larger green spaces.
• When I had pregnancy insomnia, hearing Big Ben chiming my night away drove me bananas.

I always say i’d love to live in central London for a year. Absolutely love London. Lived 30 mins train drive away for 25yrs having grown up in North Wales and I never tired of going into the city. I recently moved locations and now 20 mins train ride to Liverpool one way, Chester the next. Two other great cities but I’ll never tire of my love of London, though as i’ve got older the businesses has started to bother me, so much quieter pace of life now on the Wirral. Go and enjoy it!

Repeating what PP said: you’ll find plenty of hidden pockets. I really enjoy the seemingly teeny alleys off Oxford Street that look like they are leading to a site for bin storage but actually take you to courtyards of eateries and residential flats that survived WW2 bombings, such as St. Christopher’s Place. So much character.

I’d be living off too good to go bags from the posh places if I lived more centrally.

Hope you enjoy.

id not be able to cope with the crowds so close to home, especially during Xmas lights.

Will the pedestrianisation of Oxford street cause issues with deliveries etc? With all the traffic having to go elsewhere.

Make the most of it. Fabulous opportunity.

I’m a Londoner born and bred (now in the burbs) I’d bite your hand off to be in your shoes. I’m very very jealous. Enjoy!

Pets are tricky.
Limited gardens / outdoor space for many in central London (but make the most of window boxes etc if you have access).
Noise levels can vary a lot - current Z1 is surprisingly quiet, our friends in rural areas seem to have more traffic noise which always surprises me.
Access to a big supermarket can be a bit limited.
Make the most of bike schemes - I love cycling everywhere l can.

You will be living in the centre of the best city in the world (or one of the best). Everything is in walking distance and there is a lot of really good stuff going on.

For food, I do lots of small shops for fresh stuff and an occasional delivery for heavy /bulky stuff but that is because there are four of us. The mini supermarkets have less choice than the big ones you get further out.

It is always busy. There is a very slight lull in tourists around late January and February but it is absolutely heaving most of the year. It can mean it is noisy at night (I like to have the window open). However you only have to be just off the main drag for it to be quieter.

Buying household items is harder because you can't just drive to a shop and bung things in the boot. So things like rugs, kitchen bin, shelving and plants are a bit of a faff. You have to get everything delivered. If you are only there for a short time that won't really be an issue though.

Not relevant but intrigued to know what work you do

I travel a lot to London for work and stay central (Liverpool street is where I am based). I do after a couple of days crave a bit of peace but I am from Yorkshire from my window see miles and miles of countryside normally, so I feel a bit closed in and crowded in London.

If I was to move there for work I would prioritise getting out to the country side or coast at weekends, I think my mental health would suffer as I would always feel on and alert if I stayed I the city.

Also aircon would be an investment I would make - a portable unit, staying in hotels with aircon this summer and it was still extremely hot and sticky at night

All a matter of perspective. Your 'disadvantages' might be someone's advantage. We all like and want different things and that's ok!

My friend lives in Covent Garden and absolutely loves it.

I lived close to Marble Arch. It was an amazing place to live. It wasn't noisy and I found it easy to shop. The only problem I had was at night walking alone when I could have made a lot of money from the offers I got from men!

Any kind of food you fancy always available.

I agree does feel hotter during Summer

If you are high enough up you’ll be able to see the fireworks on NYE

No need for a car unless travelling beyond London

Grey gunk accumulation in one’s nose over time

Weird glue rain

You might just have enough of it one day and long for rural life. 😂 or not!

I lived in St Christopher's Place as a child! It was fabulous. Just prior to Sunday trading laws too, so we learned to ride our bikes up and down there on Sundays and Oxford Street was quiet!

Go for it, OP. You'll love it.

Im just really intrigued as to what kind of job it is! Defo legit? If so, fabulous opportunity and i would do it in heartbeat

It does make me laugh the way some people talk about London on here as if it was Mars. London is a normal place like other places and Londoners are humans too.

Yes it's expensive, yes it's busy. If you're on a busy road it could be noisy (depending on how well insulated/sound-proofed it is).

But it's not going to be wildly different from living in downtown Birmingham, or Manchester, or Glasgow or Bristol, just bigger and more of it. People seem to be going out of their way to find negatives about it (as they always do when talking about London). A Leon lunch in London is not going to be more expensive than a Leon lunch in any other city. And if you live very centrally you won't have the commute issue which is one of the main reasons people moan about living in London.

It sounds bloody great to me if accommodation isn't a concern. You'll have access to an endless amount of things to do, contact with a huge variety of people.

Why wouldn't you do it?

@cocochoola

my dd has this option, mod, she’s avoiding it though. I keep telling her to go for it so I can get a prom’s season ticket and camp out at hers for the summer She prefers rural areas though so chooses other assignments

Noise? Heat? Lack of garden? Crowds? Pollution?

There is so much free/cheap stuff to do in London. Almost every museum is free. You could walk to and around a new neighbourhood everyday looking for blue plaque signs and making your own historic tours. Get on a random city bus, grab the top front seat, and see the sights. Go to the British library and learn about the world. Request any object in storage at the V+A east and get up close and personal with an important historic artefact (free). Picnic in any of the many beautiful parks. Wander around South Bank. Walk through borough market eating the free samples. Walk through carnaby street and Liberty and window shop. None of those things cost a meaningful amount of money.

Yes lived in zone 1 a long time. Was super convenient, easy to get places but v noisy and crowded and couldn’t use the front rooms for sleeping as the noise was horrendous.

Wow what an opportunity! I lived in Bayswater in the eighties in company accommodation and it was wonderful to walk everywhere and enjoy all London had to offer.

I want to live there after reading your post 😃

Oh wow op that sounds amazing, I have a dream to rent my house out and live in central London for 2-3 years, just to live the city lifestyle as I didn’t get chance in my 20s. I know I wouldn’t want to do it forever, but just a couple of years of theatre, galleries, restaurants just like in the films lol, then I’d find a small holding and be a country bumpkin 🤣

I would absolutely love this! Now we no longer commute we visit London often just for pleasure. I have a book called Secret London walks which is great for exploring pockets we didn’t know about. It is really easy to get away from the crowds by just going back a street. Wigmore St rather than Oxford St for example. Enjoy your adventure OP.