Where to live in London on the DLR line

We’re continuing our posts based around the theme of ‘where to live in London’ on a particular tube line – today we’re describing 5 residential areas that each have a station on the DLR line. The DLR stands for ‘Docklands Light Railway’ and serves 45 stations in and around the developed Docklands area. There are various different branches on the DLR, the services run as follows: Bank to Woolwich Arsenal, Bank to Lewisham, Stratford to Lewisham, Tower Gateway to Beckton, Stratford International to Woolwich Arsenal and Stratford International to Beckton.
If you happen to work in Canary Wharf or even the City (using Bank or Tower Hill as your station) then you could really benefit from living in an area that has a station on the DLR line.

Limehouse
This area is a mix of old and new. The old is represented by the historic part of the East End bordering Stepney Green and Bow. The new features the swanky riverside apartments and trendy bars down in Canary Wharf. The prettiest part of Limehouse can be found on Narrow Street which has a handful of pubs on the river as well as converted warehouse apartments. To find out more about living in Limehouse please read our full area guide.

Greenwich
The DLR station in Greenwich can be found at North Greenwich. Central Greenwich (the bit by the river) is one of the more attractive parts of London and is like a magnet to tourists, particularly during the summer months. It has a number of sightseeing options including the Cutty Sark, the National Maritime Museum and the Royal Observatory (which sits high above the popular Greenwich Park). For those of you who don’t know and are afraid to ask, Greenwich Meantime Time (GMT) used to refer to a time system used at the Observatory to measure ‘mean solar time’. Greenwich has some lovely riverside pubs and restaurants, great independent shops, a thriving market and magnificent views over the Thames. To find out more about living in Greenwich please read our full Greenwich area guide.

Bow
Bow is served by various stations in it’s area (including Bow Road and Mile End), but Bow Church is the station that can be found on the DLR line.
Bow is located in E3 in the East End of London. It’s popularity in recent years is undoubtedly due to it’s proximity to both Canary Wharf and the City of London. Properties are a little more attractive than in neighbouring Poplar and Stepney/Whitechapel also. On the northern borders of the area you can find Victoria Park, which is a beautiful green space in the midst of East London. In recent years a few gastropubs have popped up in Bow, but the area is still dominated by ‘old man’ pubs and lacks a decent supply of restaurants – but none of this is a problem, as you’re a short bus ride/walk away from more quality options. To find out more about living in Bow, please read our Bow area guide.

Stratford
Stratford has changed beyond recognition in recent years – as you’ll all know it’s home to London 2012 this year, but has also recently seen Westfield Stratford shopping centre open up since late 2011. It is currently the 3rd largest shopping centre in the UK (based on retail space) and includes a Waitrose supermarket, John Lewis and M&S department stores and a 17-screen VUE cinema. You can also find no less than 70 restaurants on site. To find out more about living in Stratford, please view our Stratford area guide.

West Ham
West Ham is located in E13, which is in East London in Transport Zone 3. Property prices are much more affordable here than any of the other areas on the DLR that we’ve mentioned above. But this doesn’t mean that West Ham has nothing going for it. Perhaps the biggest draw to living in West Ham/Plaistow (same postcode) is the fact that the area has great transport links into better places such as Central London, Canary Wharf and Stratford. All are very accessible and offer more in terms of amenities than West Ham itself has. So if you would like to live in a large, affordable property but hang out in trendy areas within 20 minutes, then West Ham should not be overlooked. To find out more about living in West Ham, please view our Plaistow and West Ham area guide.

Residential areas within walking distance of Central London

Most of you who are moving to London will have to rely on the transport system in order to get from A to B. Sometimes our transport system lets us down, for instance if there is a tube or rail strike, bad weather conditions or terrorist threats. On these occasions, London descends into chaos as Londoners do everything they can to get from home to work and back again using as many inventive methods of travel as is humanly possible.

So how can you get around this?

Well many of you will just learn to live with it and not worry yourselves about something that only happens on a few random days of the year. Others will decide that they’d rather live somewhere within walking distance of Central London, so that they can travel to work on foot on either a regular basis (it’s a great way to exercise and to see our great city) or in case of a travel emergency.

Whilst many areas within easy reach of Central London are understandably expensive, there are other more affordable areas that are well worth a look at if you have your heart set on donning a pair of trainers every day.

Here are 10 areas within walking distance of Central London that you might want to consider living in:

Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green is situated in East London in the postcode area of E2. Famed for it’s association with the Kray brothers, it’s extremely handy for nearby Shoreditch and of course the City of London. It’s approximately 1.5 miles from Bethnal Green to Liverpool Street making it perfect for those who want to work in the country’s financial capital. If you’re more brave and fancy walking to the West End, then it’s about 4.5 miles away.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate .

Kennington
Kennington is situated in South-East London in the vicinity of the Oval Cricket Ground. It’s a reasonably trendy area to live in with some good local pubs. In terms of walking distances, it’s a brisk 2.5 miles across the river into Victoria where there are plenty of offices located. If you need to get to the West End, then that will take you a further 20 mins.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.

Islington
Islington needs no introduction. It’s an extremely popular area for graduates and young professionals to live in. The area is centred around Upper Street which is lined from top to toe with trendy shops, bars, restaurants, pubs and cafes.
The distance between Islington and the City is approximately 2 miles.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.

Bayswater.
Bayswater is situated in West London approximately 2.3 miles from the West End, which is perfect if you happen to work on or near Oxford Street or Soho.
A walk between the two usually involves walking through Hyde Park, so it really is a lovely commute.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.

Stepney Green
Another area located in the East End of London is Stepney Green. Although it could arguably be described as being historic more than it is glamorous, it is in a perfect location sandwiched between the City and Canary Wharf which are both 2 miles away.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.

Battersea
Battersea is located in South London. As it’s only a short distance across the river from Sloane Square, parts of the area attract the wealthy, although you can also find some decent, affordable flatshares and property rental here.
The distance from Battersea to Victoria is approximately 2.6 miles, but if you need to go further into the West End, it’s more like 3.5 miles.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.

Hackney
Hackney is another favourite East End haunt that is probably most famous for the Hackney Empire and it’s market. Hackney is referred to as both a council borough and a town, but in this instance, we’re talking about the town.
Hackney is most appropriately located for those who want to walk to work in the City of London which is approximately 3.2 miles away.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.

Stoke Newington
Stoke Newington is located in North London. Slightly further out than some of the other residential areas mentioned on this page, it is an area that has recently ‘up-and-come’. Stoke Newington is often described as being great for families and has a young atmosphere to it. The popular road to hang out on is Church Street. A journey into the City of London covers approximately 3.5 miles of road.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate..

Peckham
Most people don’t hear ‘Peckham’ without conjuring up images of the Trotters living in Nelson Mandella House. Well it’s a long time since ‘Only Fools and Horses’ was on our screens and in that time, Peckham has moved slowly up the ranks and is now considered a satisfactory place to live, not least because of the fact that some decent watering holes have opened up and that it’s close proximity to Central London. The distance between Peckham and London Bridge is approximately 3.2 miles.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.