London is England’s capital, but in many ways a global capital too. It is a global hotspot for the financial industry, for technology, for culture and for so much more besides; put simply, there are countless reasons for which someone might find themselves looking to move there.
If you are one such someone, you might be feeling a little overwhelmed by the sheer potential of London as a city. It isn’t just a dense urban hub; it sprawls. As such, picking where to start as your base is extremely difficult. Here, we’ll look at a few different options for locations to live in, according to different needs. If you want to move to London, it’s highly likely you’ll find your perfect next neighbourhood right here.
Peaceful Neighbourhoods for Families
If you’re moving for work, but bringing a bustling family household with you, it wouldn’t make much sense to cram spouse and children into an expensive one-bedroom studio flat in Canary Wharf. In order to live the comfortable family life you all collectively deserve, you should be looking a little farther afield than London’s bustling centre. Luckily, London isn’t just skyscrapers.
There are many different leafy suburbs in London suitable for families, but one of the more popular areas to end up – quite literally, if the opinions of retirees are much to go by – is North London. More specifically, Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner. These Zone 4 regions are well-connected to central London, making for an easy commute as well as some good connection to schools and amenities.
Neighbourhoods For Young Professionals and Social Life
If you’re arriving in London as a solo young professional, or with London’s vibrant culture firmly in mind, you want to be as close to the action as possible. You also don’t need the breathing space afforded by London’s outskirt regions, meaning you can look at apartments to rent in London that suit your needs all the more.
As someone juggling work and play with the energy only a twenty-something can conjure, you want to be somewhere central; for all the best grassroots culture on your doorstep, you might look towards Shoreditch or Camden; Stoke Newington is a little further out, but also on the doorstep of Dalston. The road that connects them is a hotbed of cultural activity, and well-connected for work too.
Areas Combining Convenience and Community
Sometimes, it takes a village. London is, in many sense, a global village – as evidenced by the many boroughs which benefit from a close-knit sense of community. While Kensington & Chelsea might be better-known for their ultra-expensive residential properties, they are also incredible for local community, with a rich seam of charitable organisations and lifelong neighbours all there to be the village you may need.
If Kensington and Chelsea don’t do it for you, you might instead look towards Islington – Jeremy Corbyn’s constituency, and a location that again benefits from a community-first approach, top-down as well as bottom-up.
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