Is there anywhere in Zone 1 you wouldn't live?

[LaurieFairyCake]

I'm eyeing up the regeneration zone round the Elephant and Castle which looks as if it's on the up. I'm guessing it's the least nice

What about other not-so-nice areas in Zone 1?

OP, I work around the corner from Minories. It's a great area and because of the Tower, Spitalfields, St. Catherine's Dock etc., it's not as dead at the weekend as it might be in other parts of the City. It's also a stone's throw (if you have long arms and walk fast) from Barbican and things.

All that said, Minories is a busy road, it's quite grubby and dirty and it will definitely be noisy and busy during the week. So long as you have double glazing can cope with that, you'll be fine!

You will have to embrace online shopping though - unless you want to do all your shopping in small shops, as I have no idea where the nearest decent supermarket is! There's a Sainsbury's Central on Fenchurch st and a reasonably sized Tesco central on Great Tower St, both in easy walking distance. Oh and the big M&S on the corner of Fenchurch St and Gracechurch St.....so quite a lot actually.

Walking distance to Southbank:

1 bed, £330k www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/33194691#AAHWdpWfGGkhBLdI.97

1 bed, £385k www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/35142871#tAUMU8l57SpW92pd.97

1 bed, £375k www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/34958236#B0VPgUiVst6ejZLS.97

1 bed, £387,500 www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/34937060#rbicbRXgOzpHvOPO.97

2 bed, £375k www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/34623454#xpicKquyPcU6ipyD.97

I used to live in Covent Garden (Garrick St) and wouldn't do that again - or anywhere around Leicester Square, Haymarket, Piccadilly circus - simply because it's so sodding noisy. The rubbish vans are out collecting bottles at 2am and they're not delicate about all that glass. I also got a lot of hassle from drunks who assumed that if you're a girl living so centrally you're on the game - lots of comments as you go in through your front door. not nice.

Pimlico on the other hand was great, & has so much in walking distance and lovely battersea park.
Notting hill was absolutely lovely, as was Kensington but alas those days have gone (I paid £80 / week for a gorgeous 1 bed flat on one the loveliest roads in Kensington because that's what I told the LL I could afford...!)

Look at Kennington, Vauxhall and Lambeth.

Actually, now that I've RTFT, TreadSoftly is right about the pubs on Minories - the two late night ones would be a nightmare. Especially on a Thursday and Friday.

But there is a lot of regeneration in this area....so something else might come up! I wouldn't write it off.

Haven't ready the full thread but there are some nice roads going off Cally Rd up towards High&I, although it's practically Barnsbury really, which is not cheap. Personally I'm not keen on the area round London Bridge, not really sure why. If I had my time again I think I'd look round Canonbury

That 2 bed is great and balcony too!!!

Isn't it just! If you took the bathroom out and put it in the smaller bedroom you could have a great eat-in kitchen and a spacious bathroom.

Neither kitchen nor bathroom is nice enough to worry about ripping out.

Nice big windows and a fireplace with a good size bathroom too :)

And I bet there's real wood under that laminate...

I lived just off the Old Kent Road Elephant and Castle, right by the big Tesco, it was fine if you want to use the bus, just over the Blackfriars bridge into the City but not handy for Tube but the area around the tube isn't as quiet desirable.

I would look at Vauxhall/Stockwell areas if moving back.

Blu you are right. Those lovely old streets by Waterloo, just off The Cut! Would love to be back in the City!!

Yes that 2 bed flat is a lovely generous size but its 3 floors up with no lift and it will have those horrible stair wells and I'd have to carry my shopping

Ive just realised that Minories one with the pub underneath has the pub shut at 11pm on Friday and not open til 11 on Monday so it would be lovely and quiet - I imagine it will go quick

The Lower Marsh one is just far too small for the money, it's been on the market more than six months so maybe overpriced

That's not a balcony either, just a corridor to the front door next to other front doors so there's no privacy

Don't think anyone's mentioned the Old Street area yet - I used to live just off East Road by Hoxton Square. It's got pretty good access to Angel/Hoxton/the City, not so great for the Southbank though. It's walkable to London Bridge, about half an hour to 40 minutes when I used to commute. Plus, you can get a 2 bed with a decent sized first bedroom of the price of a 1 bed in the posher bits.

I like E&C too though. Wouldn't want to live near Kings Cross, or Pimlico. Neither of them are really near anywhere I want to go, which is the main reason.