Where to live in London on the London Overground line

moove2london on 08 Jul 2012

Continuing our series of ‘where to live in London’ posts, this article discusses 5 popular areas to live with stations on the London Overground network, which you may find useful if you need to take this route to your workplace. The London Overground currently serves 5 rail routes around London which includes 83 stations. These lines are the North London line, the West London line, the East London line, the Gospel Oak to Barking line and the Watford DC line. At the end of this year (2012), the South London will be added which will run from Dalston Junction to Clapham Junction via Surrey Quays. London Overground may not be classed as the ‘tube’, but the trains are extremely regular and it’s nice to be a large air-conditioned carriage which is mainly above ground – much more pleasant that a hot, sweaty tube journey on a hot summer’s day.

There are many areas to choose from if you wish to live near a station on the London Overground line, but here are 5 popular places that you may consider living in:

Highbury & Islington
Technically more Highbury than Islington as the station is situated at the very far north end of Upper StreetA. But either Highbury or Islington are both crazily trendy and popular areas to live in, with beautiful period properties, a buzzing social scene and great independent shops to stroll round on a Saturday morning with a coffee cup in your hand. In terms of open space you’ve got the Highbury Fields right next to the station which happens to be the largest park in the borough of Islington (although still pretty small in terms of many parks and commons across the capital). Prices aren’t cheap here, but if you want to live here try to stretch your budget as much as possible as you won’t regret it, it’s a great area. For more information about these two areas, please view our Islington or Highbury Area Guides.

Hampstead Heath
The beautiful rolling grass of the heath lies to the north of the station with Highgate High Street and village only a stones throw away to the west. Hampstead is extremely posh and crawling with celebrities who want to do ‘normal’ things like going for a pint in the Flask or Holly Bush pubs. The village is full of independent and vintage shops. It’s ubercool, but very charming. If you think about what an American expects London to be like, this is it. The heath is just shy of 800 acres large and is full of wildlife such as squirrels, deer, foxes and even grass snakes!!! To find out more about living in Hampstead, please view our Hampstead Area Guide.

Crystal Palace
This hilly area is situated in South East London. Also known as Upper Norwood, the Crystal Palace Park is the site of the ill-fated palace which burned down in 1936. The park itself is beautiful, yet functional and is home to a small farm (free to visit), the Victorian dinosaurs, remnants of the palace itself (the terraces and Brunel Water Tower), a museum, a cafe, playground and probably most famously the National Sports Centre. Socially, the heart of Crystal Palace lies around the ‘Triangle’, which is a collection of 3 roads jampacked with pubs, restaurants, independent food shops and bric-a-brac shops. It also has a great (yet undiscovered by many outsiders) market called the Haynes Lane market. Although the pubs are always full, the nightlife in Crystal Palace isn’t quite as happening as it is down the roads in Brixton or Clapham – people who live there tend to be in their 30s rather than 20s. But it’s a green and safe area well worth considering. For more information on Crystal Palace, please view our Crystal Palace Area Guide.

Hackney
Don’t be put off by East End tales of living in Hackney, these are largely in the past, although it does still have it’s dodgy parts. However, Hackney is now a magnet for trendy 20 somethings who are into fashion, art or music. A particular lovely part of Hackney is situated to the north of Victoria Park and is called Victoria Park Village. You’ll find it to be filled with quality pubs (some on the park), organic food shops, wine merchants, restaurants and even a smattering of designer clothes shops. Hackney is well placed for quick and easy journeys into Central London, or into nearby Shoreditch and Hoxton if that’s more your scene. To find out more about the area, please view our Hackney Area Guide.

Clapham Junction
To start with, Clapham Junction is confusingly located in the Battersea area, but it’s a short bus ride away from Clapham Common and high street.
A quick walk down the Northcote Road in this location will tell you why it’s such a popular place to live. Pubs, bars, restaurants, street cafes and independent shops line the long road which runs from Clapham Junction up to Wandsworth and intersects with Battersea Rise (upon which you’ll find more of the same). Even though it’s not Central London, the establishments on this road are packed every night of the week with drinkers. It’s a very sociable place to live indeed. For functional shopping, you’ll find a Debenhams department store in the area and a huge Asda store. The train station is absolutely huge and can get you into many parts of Central London, or a multitude of other places, within a few minutes. Depending on what you’re looking for, prices aren’t too dreadful in this area – there is quite a bit of decent ex-council housing available to live in, or period conversions on roads off Lavender Hill or St John’s Hill. For more information on Clapham Junction, please view our Battersea Area Guide.

Re-opening of the East London Line

moove2london on 14 Apr 2010

UPDATE: The former East London line is now open and running from West Croydon, Crystal Palace and New Cross in the south, to Dalston Junction in the north.

ORIGINAL: The former East London line which has been rebranded and is joining the London Overground network, will partially open tomorrow. The route between Dalston Junction (in East London) and New Cross Gate (in South-East London) will open between 7am and 8pm and will be part of a ‘live testing operation’. Stations served in this test phase include Haggerston, Hoxton, Shoreditch High Street, Whitechapel, Shadwell, Wapping, Rotherhithe, Canada Water and Surrey Quays.

The remainder of the line is due to open on Sunday 23rd May, 2010 and will extend down from New Cross Gate to West Croydon (with a branch line to Crystal Palace) and will include stations at Brockley, Honor Oak Park, Forest Hill, Sydenham, Penge West, Anerley and Norwood Junction.

Whilst this long-anticipated service, which will interchange with stations on the London Underground network such as Canada Water (with the Jubilee line), Whitechapel (with the District and Hammersmith & City Lines) and Shadwell (with the DLR), should benefit the communities of people who have previously been living in areas deprived of a tube line, the service has also attracted a lot of criticism and petition-signing. This is because some existing train services are being cut to make room for the new London Overground trains.

However, on the plus side, for those people who are living in South-East London and working in or around the Shoreditch or Canary Wharf (change at Canada Water) areas, your journey time will be significantly reduced.

This could also potentially push property prices and demand up in the area, so if you’re thinking of moving here, then do it while you can!

Where do young professionals live in London?

moove2london on 06 Apr 2010

One question we get asked a lot here at Moove2London, is ‘where do young professionals live in London?’. Whilst we place a lot of emphasis on helping you to work out the best place to live, based on your specific set of personal cirumstances, we do also understand that sometimes it’s nice to have a bit of  a push in the right direction.

With this in mind, we’re listing 10 areas of London that are seen as popular places for young professionals to live in. Bear in mind that we’re not saying that these are the top 10 best or most expensive places to live in London, because you’re probably reading this as a young professional, rather than an A list celebrity with bucketloads of cash! Instead, these are areas where young people earning an average amount of money, might live in a shared house, with a partner or by themselves.

You can find much more information about each area on their own dedicated area page. Have a read through, pick an area you like the sound of and then go to Easyroommate to look for flatmates.

Clapham

Clapham (SW4) is located in South London in Transport Zone 2. It’s an extremely popular area with young professionals, probably due to the huge selection of pubs, bars, restaurants and late-night venues in the area. Clapham Common is an enormous, flat open space where Londoners bask during the summer months. Prices here are somewhat higher than neighboring areas, but worth every penny.
Accommodation and flatshares in Clapham

Islington

Located in N1, Islington centres around Upper Street which is lined from one end to the other with fashionable pubs, bars and restaurants. Islington is located a stones-throw from Central London and is therefore quite an expensive area.
Accommodation and flatshares in Islington

Stoke Newington

Stoke Newington has become really quite popular in recent years. The area is still overlooked by some, due to it’s lack of tube station, but the residents will tell you that they’re very happy with the bus and train routes. Stoke Newington Church Street has a number of lovely eateries, but the real benefit to living in the area, comes from the close proximity to Clissold Park.
Accommodation and flatshares in Stoke Newington

East Dulwich

Located in South London and also absenting itself from the tube map is East Dulwich. The area centres around one very long road called Lordship Lane which has loads of restaurants, a number of decent pubs and quirky shops. Connections into Central London using train routes are both frequent and fast. The area is reasonably affordable in comparison to the neighboring Dulwich Village which is beautiful and within walking distance.
Accommodation and flatshares in East Dulwich

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace, or Upper Norwood is located in a hilly area of South London. The park used to contain Paxton’s Crystal Palace which sadly burned down in 1936. However, you can still see the Victorian dinosaur exhibition in this lovely and historic park, as well as the remains of the Italian terraces. Also in the area, is the ‘triangle’ which is an arrangement of 3 roads packed full of great food and drink options. SE19 is very affordable with loads on offer.
Accommodation and flatshares in Crystal Palace

Bow

Located in former Kray brothers territory, this East End area is almost within walking distance of the City of London (our financial district), making it an extremely attractive prospect to high-fliers. Although you can still tell that you’re in the East End of London, there are a handful of decent gastropubs. The main draw to the area though, is Victoria Park at the top of the postcode. If you want to live in an area full of history and minutes away from your job in Bank/Liverpool Street, then this is the place to be.
Accommodation and flatshares in Bow

Balham

Balham is much smaller than it’s posher neighbour, Clapham but it still has loads to offer in terms of pubs, bars, restaurants and shops (including Waitrose and M+S for supermarkets). It is also surrounded by massive open spaces in the form of Wandsworth Common, Tooting Common and Clapham Common.
Accommodation and flatshares in Balham

Camden

The diverse area of Camden is located in North London and is synonymous with market stalls, music and fashion. The atmosphere in Camden is a real hustle-bustle of daily activity and it’s an exceptionally popular place for going out in.
Accommodation and flatshares in Camden

Ealing

Ealing is quite a leafy area located in West London. It’s popular with people from Australia and New Zealand, which makes it a fun place to go out in. Ealing is reasonably affordable and it’s handy to get into Central London from, as it’s located on the Central Line offering easy access into both the West End and the City.
Accommodation and flatshares in Ealing

Crouch End

Crouch End is located in North London and is an area with a real village feel to it. The concentration of pubs, bars and restaurants is around the high street called ‘The Broadway’. The area is home to one of London’s most famous comedy nights – Downstairs at the King’s Head. Crouch End is an affordable place to rent in, buying here is much more expensive.
Accommodation and flatshares in Crouch End