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.

Where to live in London on the Victoria line

moove2london on 13 Jun 2012

Here is the latest instalment in our series of ‘Where to live in London’ on a particular tube line posts. In this article we’ve chosen 5 residential areas of London which have stations on the Victoria line.
You might choose to live somewhere with a station on this line if you work in places such as Victoria, Oxford Circus, Euston or King’s Cross.
The Victoria line uses a light blue colour on the London tube map. It is a short tube line and only serves 16 stations.

Stockwell

Stockwell is located in South London and is flanked by Clapham Road and Brixton Road all the way up to Kennington. An interesting fact about Stockwell is that it contains the largest Portuguese population outside of Portugal (an estimated 27,000 people). This means that Stockwell has a fantastic selection of Portuguese restaurant and food options, particularly on the South Lambeth Road. Stockwell is a really quick tube or bus ride into Central London and a stone’s throw away from Clapham or Brixton for a night out, although it still boasts plenty of pubs of it’s own. For more information on Stockwell please read our Stockwell Area Guide.

Brixton

Brixton is infamous for many reasons, some of them bad, some of them good. The area of Brixton is absolutely buzzing with activity in the form of live music, cuisines from around the globe, market stalls and er yes you’ll sometimes come across the whiff of something illegal in the air. Brixton locals are extremely proud of their town and have even lauched their own currency, the Brixton Pound which has been in use since September 2009. Brixton is at the very end of the Victoria line, which is a good thing as it means you can often get a seat on a north-bound train. For more information about Brixton, please read our Brixton Area Guide.

Pimlico

Pimlico is situated in the SW1 postcode which confusingly for some is actually north of the river in the borough of Westminster. Although it’s in the centre of the town there is a great deal of ex-council and housing association accommodation which makes living in Zone 1 an affordable option for some. There are plenty of cultural and sightseeing activities for you in or near Pimlico including trips to Tate Britain, Buckingham Palace, St James’s Park and Palace, Westminster Abbey and of course you can always wander alongside the river. For more information about living in Pimlico, please read our Pimlico Area Guide.

Highbury

N5 can be found to the south of Finsbury Park and to the north of ever-popular Islington, so it’s a perfect location if you’re looking for close proximity to amazing nightlife, bars, restaurants and independent, swanky shops. Highbury itself offers the largest park in Islington, called Highbury Fields, the Highbury Swimming pool and great transport connections into Central London. Accommodation here comes with quite a high price tag, but you get what you pay for, so if you can afford it you won’t be disappointed. To find out more about Highbury, please read our Highbury Area Guide.

Walthamstow

Quite different to Highbury is the E17 postcode of Walthamstow which is famous for THAT boyband and the former dog racing track. This is an affordable part of town to live in which is located near to the open spaces of Waltham Forest. It’s found at the northern end of the Victoria line, which is perfect for getting a seat on for that early morning south-bound journey into work. For more information on Walthamstow, please read our Walthamstow Area Guide.

Residential areas within walking distance of Central London

moove2london on 09 Sep 2010

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.

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

London Council Tax

moove2london on 09 Feb 2010

The amount of London Council Tax that you have to pay, varies depending on which area of London you live in. There are 33 different council boroughs in London from Barnet & Dagenham to Wandsworth and they each set quite different rates for residents of their own borough.
For a full explanation on council tax and the different payment bands, please read our Council Tax in London article.

Here are a list of current council tax rates for each different council borough in London for 2009/10. All rates are in GBP and are the annual figure which is due.

Barking & Dagenham

Band A: 844.20

Band B: 984.90

Band C: 1125.60

Band D: 1266.30

Band E: 1547.70

Band F: 1829.10

Band G: 2110.50

Band H: 2532.60

Barnet

Band A: 948.68

Band B: 1106.79

Band C: 1264.91

Band D: 1423.02

Band E: 1739.25

Band F: 2055.48

Band G: 2371.70

Band H: 2846.04

Bexley

Band A: 951.33

Band B: 1109.89

Band C: 1268.44

Band D: 1427.00

Band E: 1744.11

Band F: 2061.22

Band G: 2378.33

Band H: 2854.00

Brent

Band A: 912.51

Band B: 1064.59

Band C: 1216.68

Band D: 1368.76

Band E: 1672.93

Band F: 1977.10

Band G: 2281.27

Band H: 2737.52

Bromley

Band A:  859.32

Band B: 1002.54

Band C: 1145.76

Band D: 1288.98

Band E: 1575.42

Band F: 1861.86

Band G: 2148.30

Band H: 2577.96

Camden

Band A:  887.57

Band B: 1035.49

Band C: 1183.43

Band D: 1331.35

Band E: 1627.21

Band F: 1923.06

Band G: 2218.92

Band H: 2662.70

City of London

Band A: 628.53

Band B: 733.28

Band C: 838.03

Band D: 942.79

Band E: 1152.30

Band F: 1361.81

Band G: 1571.32

Band H: 1885.58

Croydon

Band A: 965.14

Band B: 1126.00

Band C: 1286.85

Band D: 1447.71

Band E: 1769.42

Band F: 2091.14

Band G: 2412.85

Band H: 2895.42

Ealing

Band A: 913.17

Band B: 1065.36

Band C: 1217.56

Band D: 1369.75

Band E: 1674.14

Band F: 1978.53

Band G: 2282.92

Band H: 2739.50

Enfield

Band A: 940.11

Band B: 1096.79

Band C: 1253.48

Band D: 1410.16

Band E: 1723.53

Band F: 2036.90

Band G: 2350.27

Band H: 2820.32

Greenwich

Band A: 860.49

Band B: 1003.90

Band C: 1147.32

Band D: 1290.73

Band E: 1577.56

Band F: 1864.39

Band G: 2151.22

Band H: 2581.46

Hackney

Band A: 872.18

Band B: 1017.54

Band C: 1162.91

Band D: 1308.27

Band E: 1599.00

Band F: 1889.73

Band G: 2180.45

Band H: 2616.54

Hammersmith & Fulham

Band A: 764.48

Band B: 891.88

Band C: 1019.30

Band D: 1146.71

Band E: 1401.54

Band F: 1656.36

Band G: 1911.19

Band H: 2293.42

Haringey

Band A: 996.11

Band B: 1162.11

Band C: 1328.13

Band D: 1494.14

Band E: 1826.06

Band F: 2158.22

Band G: 2490.24

Band H: 2988.29

Harrow

Band A: 997.58

Band B: 1163.84

Band C: 1330.11

Band D: 1496.37

Band E: 1828.90

Band F: 2161.42

Band G: 2493.95

Band H: 2992.74

Havering

Band A: 1007.33

Band B: 1175.22

Band C: 1343.11

Band D: 1511.00

Band E: 1846.78

Band F: 2182.56

Band G: 2518.33

Band H: 3022.00

Hillingdon

Band A: 948.50

Band B: 1106.58

Band C: 1264.67

Band D: 1422.75

Band E: 1738.92

Band F: 2055.09

Band G: 2371.25

Band H: 2845.50

Hounslow

Band A: 933.65

Band B: 1089.25

Band C: 1244.87

Band D: 1400.47

Band E: 1711.69

Band F: 2022.90

Band G: 2334.12

Band H: 2800.94

Islington

Band A: 847.80

Band B: 989.09

Band C: 1130.40

Band D: 1271.69

Band E: 1554.29

Band F: 1836.89

Band G: 2119.49

Band H: 2543.38

Kensington & Chelsea

Band A: 719.42

Band B: 839.31

Band C: 959.22

Band D: 1079.12

Band E: 1318.93

Band F: 1558.73

Band G: 1798.54

Band H: 2158.24

Kingston Upon Thames

Band A: 1086.84

Band B: 1267.97

Band C: 1449.12

Band D: 1630.25

Band E: 1992.53

Band F: 2354.81

Band G: 2717.09

Band H: 3260.50

Lambeth

Band A: 823.41

Band B: 960.64

Band C: 1097.88

Band D: 1235.11

Band E: 1509.58

Band F: 1784.05

Band G: 2058.52

Band H: 2470.22

Lewisham

Band A: 901.28

Band B: 1051.50

Band C: 1201.71

Band D: 1351.93

Band E: 1652.35

Band F: 1952.78

Band G: 2253.21

Band H: 2703.85

Merton

Wimbledon Common Area

Band A: 968.62

Band B: 1130.05

Band C: 1291.49

Band D: 1452.92

Band E: 1775.79

Band F: 2098.66

Band G: 2421.54

Band H: 2905.84

Other areas in Merton:

Band A: 952.40

Band B: 1111.13

Band C: 1269.87

Band D: 1428.60

Band E: 1746.07

Band F: 2063.54

Band G: 2381.00

Band H: 2857.20

Newham

Band A: 836.97

Band B: 976.46

Band C: 1115.96

Band D: 1255.45

Band E: 1534.44

Band F: 1813.43

Band G: 2092.42

Band H: 2510.90

Redbridge

Band A: 936.90

Band B: 1093.05

Band C: 1249.20

Band D: 1405.35

Band E: 1717.65

Band F: 2029.95

Band G: 2342.25

Band H: 2810.70

Richmond Upon Thames

Band A: 1064.81

Band B: 1242.27

Band C: 1419.74

Band D: 1597.21

Band E: 1952.15

Band F: 2307.08

Band G: 2662.02

Band H: 3194.42

Southwark

Band A: 814.64

Band B: 950.41

Band C: 1086.19

Band D: 1221.96

Band E: 1493.51

Band F: 1765.06

Band G: 2036.60

Band H: 2443.92

Sutton

Band A: 967.14

Band B: 1128.33

Band C: 1289.52

Band D: 1450.71

Band E: 1773.09

Band F: 2095.47

Band G: 2417.85

Band H: 2901.42

Tower Hamlets

Band A: 796.90

Band B: 929.71

Band C: 1062.53

Band D: 1195.34

Band E: 1460.97

Band F: 1726.60

Band G: 1992.24

Band H: 2390.68

Waltham Forest

Band A: 974.69

Band B: 1137.13

Band C: 1299.58

Band D: 1462.03

Band E: 1786.93

Band F: 2111.82

Band G: 2436.72

Band H: 2924.06

Wandsworth

Main part of the borough

Band A: 454.54

Band B: 530.30

Band C: 606.06

Band D: 681.81

Band E: 833.33

Band F: 984.84

Band G: 1136.36

Band H: 1363.62

Commons Area:

Band A: 470.76

Band B: 549.21

Band C: 627.68

Band D: 706.13

Band E: 863.05

Band F: 1019.97

Band G: 1176.89

Band H: 1412.27

Westminster

Band A: 458.41

Band B: 534.82

Band C: 611.12

Band D: 687.62

Band E: 840.42

Band F: 993.23

Band G: 1146.03

Band H: 1375.24