Anyone live in the City of London?

[EPluribusUnum]

Right in it, I mean?

We live in zone 3 in our family home. Kids have now left home so we no longer need so much space. I work in Canary Wharf, DH works in Farringdon and we need to be able to get to Maidenhead easily to visit his parents.

I've been thinking about the area around Farringdon/Barbican or Liverpool Street- no commute for DH, I can do 2 stops on the Elizabeth Line and we can also use the Elizabeth Line to visit his parents.

I wondered whether anyone lived in this area and how you found it? Key things for us are access to transport for work and a reasonably peaceful flat (obviously bearing in mind we are talking central London not the Scottish Highlands). In spare time we like to go to concerts and galleries so central London would be great. I always think of the City as dead at the weekend but perhaps that's not so true as it used to be?

Is there something I'm missing, beyond the fact we'll have a lot less space? We won't generally use a car much but I'd like to have one somewhere- a res park space 5 mins away would be fine if I can generally find one, don't need my own space.

Thanks for any advice!

I used to live a few minutes walk from Liverpool St (on Middlesex St).
I absolutely loved it! I loved being right in the heart of the city. I had very easy access to everything - transport, entertainment, activities, food, culture.
The whole area had a wonderful vibrant energetic buzz during the week, and was peacefully calm at weekends - I loved the contrast.
My council tax was tiny because City of London borough has so many business paying high rates.
I would happily have lived there forever but I wanted to buy a flat and it was too expensive there, I've moved further out to buy now.

There are always comments about how you can walk everywhere in Central London, but unless you're happy to spend a big chuck of your day walking, or never venture to central places outside your locality (e.g. Kensington), you'd still be using public transport a lot.

It's like how posters here often say they live somewhere outside of London but can be in London in 25 mins etc. The train may take that long but the actual journey end to end is longer!

@Septsmile haha I am that annoying person who loves walking everywhere, if it’s under 90 minutes and I have time I refuse to get on a bus or tube. But yes, good point, it’s a proper walk as opposed to what most people would consider ‘walking distance’ from a convenience standpoint. I take it back!

Oh, and I regularly walk from my office in Liverpool Street to where I now live in South Ken! It does take nearly two hours so I only do it once every 1-2 weeks and as PP have said, it’s a large chunk of the day. But it’s definitely possible, and I find it’s a great way to clear my head, get some steps in, and really take in London. Again though, everyone else seems to think it’s nuts!

I live in Central London- Westminster
You get a residents parking permit- mine is about £150 a year
You can then apply to pay on 10% congestion charge- so If I move mine during the zone times it is £1.50 a day which is about £6 a month usually as I tend to leave London early and return late.

The city is much busier at the weekend than it was and much more open. 30 years ago there were no pubs etc open. I walk my dog up there sometimes along the Thames from Westminster and Argos up there is the only 1 that ever has anything in stock for same day collection!

A few things to look out for.

Find out whether the property is in the City or in another borough. For example, Waitrose is in Islington, but Golden Lane estate is in the City. There isn't that much difference, but it can be frustrating. For example, City residents didn't use to be able to use Islington children's centres which were often much nearer. Also, City healthcare is largely provided by Hackney.

If you live in the Barbican, then you get a magic key which opens all the residents' areas such as the gardens. This is a real plus. One of the downsides of the area is that you are relatively far away from any parks, so having the gardens available is great, but that only applies if you live in the Barbican.

Barbican flats facing inside the estate are very quiet. Those on the outside less so eg facing Barbican tube. There is also a lot of construction work which tends to frustrate residents - City of London School for Girls being a frequent offender.

The Barbican has loads of underground parking which the City struggles to rent as few people use cars, so you could put your car there. It also has a 24 hour porter who will receive deliveries for you.

In terms of things being open on the weekend. Most things around Smithfield's and Farringdon are open. Old St is normal. Most things around St Paul's are open as well. As is anything east of Liverpool St. If you like eating out you have loads of choice

Waitrose is open every day as is M&S by St Paul's . Many of the small shops like Tesco are open 6am to midnight every day. Essentially, it may be quieter but there is still a lot of stuff.

It's a great place to live and you will be spoilt for choice with transport.

@GreatContinental
I thought the resident discount rules changed a couple of years ago?

anyone who already had the discount could keep it but it closed for new applicants?

For congestion?

they suspended it during lockdown but has been restored for at least a year

All I will say is absolutely do your research. Some lovely areas. But I once lived in Shoreditch and was woken every single day at 4am by a bin lorry reversing. Ruined the whole experience and what was a really fun area otherwise. I’d be very wary of some areas simply because of that especially anywhere near to shops etc.

Smithfield market is moving to Dagenham and the Museum of London is moving to the old Smithfield site. Pretty sure the market has been gone a while, I've passed it a few times and it was shut up.

We lived in the City and I loved it. It was my childhood dream come true and I’m so glad I got to do it. Everything being so accessible was amazing. It really isn’t dead on the weekends. There are some great communities on some of the estates (inc Barbican). We did owned a car for a while and paid for a permit to park it in the Barbican car park (which was just round the corner from us, so pretty convenient).

Some downsides, off the top of my head

• pollution - lots of black black dust on the window sills all the time.
• a sense that, when walking about, the neighbourhood didn’t ‘belong’ to us because so many workers, visitors, tourists around. I remember noticing this most one Xmas day morning when we went for a walk and there were loads of tourists milling around at a loose end cos everything was shut
• the City of London ‘council’ is shit and corrupt. They side with businesses rather residents most of the time. This can be really frustrating as a resident.
• Loads of construction all the time. The estate we used to live on is now hemmed in by shiny new buildings full of empty £1m flats owned by overseas investors.

I lived on Rosebery Ave until very recently, ds went to school just off Drury Lane.

Always had a car and so much to do at weekends. I agree with poster above, sometimes that bit around Mount Pleasant/Fabric/Smithfield can get very congested.

I miss it terribly, but 100% do it, it's a wonderful place to live.

it is my dream to live Central - we always talked of retiring to town

If you do need parking, you can get season tickets at various NCPs. Our local one is full of beautiful sports cars, kept under wraps.