Where to live in London on the Central Line

We’ve been doing a series of articles on ‘where to live in London’ on each of the tube lines. In this article, we feature 5 residential areas of London which happen to have stations on the Central line. The Central Line runs from West London through Central London and through to East London and even out to parts of Essex. It serves 49 stations. You might choose to live in these areas if you take the Central line to your workplace in somewhere like Liverpool Street, Bank, Holborn, Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Circus, Bond Street or Marble Arch.

Ealing

Ealing is located in West London and is often thought of as a town in it’s own right. It is a large area made up of 3 suburbs – South/Little Ealing, Ealing Broadway and Ealing Common. Ealing is full of pubs, restaurants, shops and all other day-to-day facilities you could possibly need. Perhaps because it is situated far enough outside of Central London, it has a really ‘leafy’ feel to it, yet you can be in Zone 1 in superquick time thanks to the excellent transport facilities of many varieties that Ealing has to offer. For a comprehensive guide to Ealing, please check out our Ealing Area Guide.

Bethnal Green

Absolutely perfect for those who work in the City of London, as you can pretty much walk to work – you could even consider going home during your lunch break if you were so inclined! Bethnal Green is the heart of the East End of London and was home to the likes of the Kray brothers. It’s also located extremely near to Brick Lane for amazing curries and Shoreditch for jaw-droppingly trendy bars. Bethnal Green isn’t 100% glamorous, but it’s location on the edge of the City makes it well worth investigating. For more details on what Bethnal Green has to offer, please visit our Bethnal Green guide page.

Shepherd’s Bush

Shepherd’s Bush is a perfect place to live if you’re into your shopping. You have the choice of the Shepherd’s Bush Market, which is a real locals market selling fresh produce, fabrics and household goods. But if you’re more shopping mall than market stall, you’ll be thrilled to learn that Westfield Shopping Centre is on your doorstep here. Shepherd’s Bush boasts good transport links and is popular with the Aussie and Kiwi communities which gives it a lively vibe.
Check out our Shepherd’s Bush area guide.

Stratford

Stratford has changed beyond recognition in the past 10 years. No longer an unattractive East London suburb, it is now a major hub which at the moment is synonymous with the London 2012 Olympics. Stratford is well positioned for quick trips into the City, into the Docklands and Canary Wharf and for City Airport. Since September 2011, it has also been home to Westfield Stratford shopping centre. For more information on Stratford, please view our Stratford Area Guide.

South Woodford

South Woodford is one of the most far-reaching East London postcodes before you hit Essex. The area feels both safe and suburban and is popular with footballers and their WAGs. It is both near the countryside of Epping Forest whilst still being reasonably convenient for getting into London (a tube journey takes around 30 minutes). The high street contains the usual suspects as well as independent boutiques and gastropubs. The local cinema is also a big draw. For more information on South Woodford, please read our South Woodford Area guide.

Where do Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans live in London?

Those of you familiar with our Moving to London from Abroad page, will know that we already have heaps of information on arriving in London from overseas. For example we have advice on visas, finding temporary accommodation and flatshares, airport transfers, how to go about getting a NI number and much more.
What we’re going to be doing in the next couple of weeks though, is to launch pages for each of the following groups of expats moving to London:

• Australians moving to London
• New Zealanders moving to London
• South Africans moving to London
• Canadians moving to London
• Americans moving to London

Where do Australians live in London?
When most people think about Aussies living in London, they tend to think about Earls Court (known affectionately as Kangaroo Valley) and at one time they’d have been right as this area of West London was the first port of call for many Australians arriving in the UK.
But rental prices are quite high there, so people gradually drifted out to nearby Shepherd’s Bush instead. Nowadays though, it is Fulham and Clapham in South London where the largest population of Aussie expats are to be found. Balham, Streatham and Tooting also being good local (but often cheaper) options.
You can start searching for accommodation or people to share with, before you even leave Australia. Sign up with Easyroommate for FREE.

Where do New Zealanders live in London?
In general, many Aussies and Kiwis live in similar areas to each other. Although the two nations are extremely different and there is a decent amount of friendly rivalry between these two Southern Hemisphere countries, Australians and New Zealanders living in London tend to have a lot in common with each other in terms of being far away from home and having similar urges to see a lot of Europe whilst they’re over here. Therefore, you’ll also find a lot of Kiwis living in areas such as Clapham, Fulham, Ealing and specifically Acton (tends to be favoured more by Kiwis than by Aussies). Both Australians and New Zealanders can also be found in the north-western residential arc of London which includes areas such as Willesden, Queens Park and Kilburn.
Again, to start searching for accommodation before you’ve even stepped onto an aircraft, try signing up with Easyroommate , who are one of Moove2London’s favourite flat-finding sites, because they’re totally FREE to sign up with!!!

Where do South Africans live in London?
South Africans in London have in recent history previously formed a huge community living in Leytonstone (East London), although reportedly this community has decreased quite a bit in the last 18 months.
Other areas of London that South Africans tend to gravitate towards, include Southfields and Wimbledon in South London, Enfield in North London and also Clapham Junction alongside the Aussies and Kiwis.

Tube Station Fancy Dress Party

Fancy dress parties are very popular in London and amongst the many bizarre themed parties that people throw, one of the most common is the ‘Tube Station’ theme, where you’re expected to come dressed as any of the tube stations on the London Underground map. The great thing about this theme is that there are so many stations that there’s plenty of room for inspiration. However, if you’re lacking in the creativity department, then use the list below to help you throw an outfit together. Some of these require next-to-no-effort, others might require a little forward planning and a trip to London’s most famous fancy dress shop – Angels , who also offer mail order delivery with express options for those in a real hurry!

The most obvious tube stations

You will definitely see the following at any tube station costume party:

1. Angel – real girly girls love wearing a halo and some wings. Check out this Angel costume for an idea.

2. Cockfosters – various versions of an empty can of Fosters beer, hanging out of a zipper.

3. Wimbledon – simply come armed with a racket.

4. Maida Vale – attach a bride’s wedding veil to your head and you’ve ‘made a veil’ – geddit?

5. High Barnet – think Patsy from Ab Fab. Pile your hair high, invest in some maximum strength hairspray and push all thoughts about the environment to the back of your mind for the evening.

6. Grange Hill – dress up in school uniform and look like someone from kid’s TV show ‘Grange Hill’.

For football fans

For loyal football fans, simply come in the kit of your favourite club:

7. Arsenal

8. Tottenham Hale

9. West Ham

10. Liverpool Street

For couples

11. Barbican (Barbie and Ken)….. persuading your boyfriend to dress up as Ken might be difficult, unless he’s a real poser!

12. Elephant and Castle  – you’ll have to decide between the two of you, which one is the elephant and which one is the castle. Some cardboard cut to the shape of  the top of a turret should be fairly quick and easy to make.

Quick and Easy Costumes

13. Hatton Cross – wear any hat and a cross around your neck.

14. Tooting (Bec or Broadway) – get a whistle and blow it a lot- this works particulary well if your name’s Rebecca (Bec!).

15. Hanger Lane – get creative with some clothes hangers.

16. Bow Road – wear a big bow, either in hair, around your neck or on a dress.

17. Oval – cut out a large oval-shaped piece of cardboard and attach it to your costume. Alternatively you could come dressed in cricket whites.

Famous Characters

18. Bond Street – be shaken, not stirred and come as James Bond. 1 x suit and 1 x dickie bow and you’re sorted!

19. Chigwell – for those of you who remember the 90s sitcom ‘Birds of a Feather’, you could dress up as Dorien Green. Put on your highest heels, get your cleavage out and put on some very long nails.

20. Notting Hill – no we’re not thinking Hugh Grant…. why not be the far more amusing character of Spike, played by Rhys Ifans. Remember how Spike answers the door to the paparazzi dressed only in his undies?

21. Paddington – you’re going to need marmalade, wellington boots, a suitcase, duffle coat and a waterproof hat.

22. Barking – try and buy a Scooby Doo costume for £14.99 and be one of the world’s most famous dogs. Alternatively, you could just go round woofing at everyone all night.

23. King’s Cross – buy an Elvis (the King) costume and make sure you have a large cross around your neck.

Slightly more difficult costumes

24. Baker Street – you could either dress up as Sherlock Holmes, or get a baker’s outfit – the baker’s hat would be the most important accessory for this choice.

25. Shepherd’s Bush – you’ll need a cuddly or blow-up (!) sheep and lots of twigs and greenery attached to your hair and clothes. We’re sure there’s a ruder variation of this you could come up with too, if you set your mind to it.

26. Leicester Square – you could come as a giant SQUARE piece of (Red) Leicester cheese. We don’t actually recommend that you add edible food to the costume, cheese isn’t the most attractive smell.

27. Swiss Cottage – dress in the stereotypical Swiss costume. Girls may want to plait their hair and wear a short checked dress or skirt, whilst men may opt for the ‘lederhosen‘ look.

28. Blackfriars – you’ll need to dress like a monk , complete with bowl hair-cut, friar’s habit and large cross around your neck.