What area of London will we like?

[Zzinkk]

Currently live in Notting Hill. Love it here. We rent. Want to move to a bigger flat but also be well connected & have that “Old London” feel. New build areas are a no no for us. Our budget is about £2,500 for a two bed. We work in the City.

Maida Vale

• Angel/Islington/Highbury
• Pimlico
• Belsize Park
• Hampstead Heath area

Greenwich

Wapping. Loads of warehouse apartments. Lovely community feel with active residents keen to ensure the area is looked after. DH walks to office in the City for daily exercise.

Streatham, Whitechapel, Shepherd's Bush, Hammersmith. They might fit the bill.

Angel/Islington
Greenwich

Herne Hill.
Thameslink, walking distance to Brixton for cinema and theatre and bars etc. farmers and artisan market, great cafes and pubs, across the road from Brockwell Park, Lido and Gym,

Richmond.

West Hampstead? Jubilee line to Canary Wharf

Presumably you want cheaper than Notting Hill / Belsize Park / alternative lovely chintzy bits are not going to do it.

Kensal might be a shade cheaper - but also might not. Victoria Park village Id love to say was more affordable than Notting Hill still but probably ain’t. Worth a look though, ditto Columbia Road / Arnold Circus.

Nunhead and Brockley maybe? Stroud Green / Crouch End maybe? Transport not awesome though.

But honestly I’m not sure rentals vary as much as house prices do - seems pretty set to how far out you are and the further out you are the less Notting Hill it is.

I love Herne Hill (and live here), but it doesn’t have “the Old London vibe”, or feel well connected compared with Notting Hill. Those are pluses for me (I like the villagey feel and I cycle to work), but probably not for OP.

How about Camden/Kentish Town/Tufnell Park/Finsbury Park? I would say Stoke Newington, but I suspect that will also be too far out/suburban.

There's Ealing which is on the Central line and dead easy to get into the city. Some really lovely parts of Ealing, and lots of bars/restaurants etc - might be a bit too suburban for you though?

Hampstead
West Hampstead for somewhere cheaper
Greenwich (Greenwich itself, not North Greenwich)

Archway /Tufnell Park area

Kentish Town
West Hampstead

If you work in the city and like the idea of a short commute then Islington seems the obvious pick, although you could also look at Belsize Park. If you want to stay in West London then in my experience it's a well-worn path from Notting Hill to Hammersmith/Brook Green/Shepherd's Bush for slightly cheaper flats - and later on Fulham/Chiswick for a family house.