London’s most walkable / friendly / lovely neighbourhoods?

[Bagggy]

I feel like I live in my car and I live in a popular, expensive London neighbourhood.

Where do you think I’d get all of the above in my title? Walkable (as in, no one drives around really), friendly, lovely, great atmosphere generally?

I’m in East Finchley and used to live in Muswell Hill, you could do almost all of that on public transport and by foot. We only drive if we’re going out of London.

I live nearby too and only drive to go on holiday. I find the buses much more convenient and quick than driving.

You do need to really embrace buses, especially being in MH. I love them!

I despise buses in London these days, though the clientele might be better in north London. I don’t think I’ve been on a bus for years that hasn’t had some inconsiderate twat imposing their phone on everyone else in the bus, or eating smelly food, painting their nails etc.

Forty Hill, Trent Park? Those are in Enfield.
But more centrally walking along the canal from Hackney to Camden is cool.

I love the Thames, so walking along the pathway on either side. A boat trip from near Waterloo to Chiswick/Kew? Or the other way to Greenwich.

Clerkenwell, Barbican, Holborn, Kings Cross, Old Street areas all have interesting walks, pubs etc.

Do you live in a caravan by any chance?

My son lives in Belsize Park / edge of Hampstead ( shared flat I might add) - fits the criteria to me - We lived in Teddington at one point - that was good too

@BobbyBiscuitsyour son is my neighbour then! It’s a fantastic area.

It depends how far you live from transport and amenities surely? I have friends in z3 who drive everywhere and friends in z4 who hardly use their car.

You must be in Zone 6 if you're in your car.

You can't know London very well!

Going from sw to se can be a bit of a pain by public transport

I like Teddington & Wimbledon Village for amenities on your doorstep

When I lived in Highgate (just in z3 I think) people would drive all the time (by drive, I mean sit in massive traffic jams), it was madness. We only drive to get in and out of London, it’s never occurred to me to drive.

Decades ago now, but I found Muswell Hill tricky without a car (we were on the Highgate side). Too much time waiting for buses up the hill, lovely as it was when we got up there. We ended up moving to Finsbury Park for the tube and walkability to Islington etc. Made all the difference, but depends what life stage you're at, as they're pretty different!

Wrong tag, but youre not wrong, it is!

Muswell Hill has loads of bus routes?

@BobbyBiscuitsoops!

Why on earth do you go to the gym in Mill Hill if you live in MH?

To be honest, I toured the Lab - both Ally Pally and the Mill Hill one and I liked the Mill Hill one better. My membership allows me access to both, but the Mill Hill one is quieter and I really like the pool and the atmosphere there. I’ve definitely done that journey to myself! (It’s a monthly rolling contract though so I can change that anytime.)

But I’m not a (short) walk from the Ally Pally Lab anyway.

Highgate tube is maybe a 20 min walk. Sometimes I get my partner to pick me up from the tube station!

I think Muswell Hill is lovely but I’ve set it up so that I can’t actually get anywhere I want to be quickly and easily… unless I’m in the car! And I’m not really part of the neighbourhood (no local friends etc).

I really do need to move closer to where all the things I want to access are and within a walking distance or a very easy bus / tube. It’s tricky as the green spaces here are great.

Oh, and I drive to work. I’ve never done that before! But there’s parking where I work, and it’s 20 mins as opposed to 45 mins on buses!

Fair enough! The Mill Hill Lab is lovely. I love the fact that most of the members are a bit old and doddery, rather than intimidatingly buff.

Yes!!! I agree!

If you spend a lot of time coming East, why not move this way?
Walthamstow Village is very walkable, one of the first mini-Hollands so very little traffic. The rest of E17 is walkable too. I'd say the same of Hackney, Dalston, de Beauvoir etc - it's not all leafy and lovely (though plenty is) but it's full of energy.

I do think that part of North London works best if your friends & activities are local and then you're just going into town and back. Going east or west is a pain without the car IMO. I don't get the 'big shop' thing though - MH has Aldi, M&S, Waitrose and (I think?) Sainsburys. Easy to keep everything topped up.

I’ve never lived anywhere in london that wasn’t walkable and friendly. If you live in Muswell Hill, walk down Fortis Green then get the East Finchley tube? Or get the bus down the hill to Turnpike Lane tube.

Where do you friends live?