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.

How to maximise your free time in London

London is a hectic and busy city. The average commute into work (even from somewhere like zone 3 to zone 1) can be between 45 minutes to an hour. So many of us feel sometimes like we don’t have enough time to ourselves in the evenings and weekends. Luckily we’re here to provide you with a list of ways to maximise your free time in London, so you feel like you have time to breathe at the end of the day!
Not all of the ideas on this list are particularly affordable, but then not all of you who are moving to London will be on a tight budget, so you’ll have to tailor the list realistically to your own financial circumstances.

• Get your supermarket shopping delivered. Why waste an hour getting to the shops, ramming trolleys with other stressed out shoppers and then carting everything home again, when you could just sit in the comfort of your own home and wait for your shopping to be delivered to you? If you shop with Sainsburys, you can choose your delivery date up to 21 days in advance and amend it up until 11pm the night before your delivery. You can choose substitute preferences in the event that an item you’ve requested is not available. They deliver from 9am-10pm Monday to Friday, from 11am-8pm on Saturdays and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays. The delivery charge is as little as £3.50, but you can qualify for free delivery if you spend over a certain amount. Once you’ve had your shopping delivered once, the Sainsburys system, will remember your ‘Usuals’ and you can quickly select them again, or add/remove things from your usual order. It’s a brilliant way to save yourself some time and we can’t believe that not all Londoners do this! Visit Sainsburys now for more information.
• Get a cleaner. Ok, this is quite indulgent, but there’s nothing worse than waking up on a Saturday morning, looking forward to relaxing for the weekend and realising that you need to hoover the house from top to bottom, dust the furniture and clean the bathroom. Instead, consider getting a cleaner to visit you once a week, once a fortnight or once a month for some extra help. Make sure you do your research before you commit to employing one. You’ll want to see references and recommendations from other people in your local area. An average cost for a cleaner in London would be GBP 10.00 per hour, usually for a minimum of 2 hours at a time.
• Is there time to watch TV if you’re a busy Londoner? Of course there is. But there are even ways to maximise your TV viewing time. Pick your favourite shows and record them. That way, you can then skip through the adverts (which often take up as much as 20 minutes of a 1 hour show!!!), giving you more time for other things… or more TV-viewing! If you get Sky Plus installed (currently the box and installation is free), then you’ll be able to quickly ‘series link’ your favourite shows and leave the box to work it’s magic.
• Ok, this is a boring one and is often unrealistic, but if you want to maximise your free time, then try not to drink too much the night before. Particularly on a Friday or Saturday night. You’ll spend the next day sobbing in bed and wishing that you had the energy to a)play football, b) take a walk in the park, c) go shopping….
• Time manage your London social life. If you have 3 friends who all know each other really well, then why are you seeing each of them separately, when you’d be just as happy killing 3 birds with one stone and going for one night out with everyone. Obviously, this is totally dependent on your social circumstances, but if you can merge a couple of evenings into one, then both your wallet, your liver and you will be happy about it.
• Do as much as you can online. Aside from ordering your food shopping, which we’ve already discussed, try and set up all your bills to be paid by direct debit, or at least be able to pay them quickly online. There’s just no need to go to the Post Office or be sat in a phone queue once a month, when there are other options available to assist with your admin.
• Use your travelling time wisely. If you take the tube every day, then try and find the time to read the paper or a book. If you take the bus or train (e.g if you’re above ground and have a phone signal) then use the time to call someone – your girlfriend, your best mate, your mum, whoever. If you just sit there waiting to arrive at your destination, then you’ve potentially wasted an average of 90-120 minutes of the day as a London commuter.
• If you’re single, then why not try speed-dating in London. This is the ultimate way to maximise your dating time. Sign up with Speed-dater who are the leaders in this particular type of dating.
• If you’re a gym-goer, then try and find time to go either before work (can be difficult) or at lunchtimes. You’ll find many branches of major gym chains in the West-End and City, so you should be able to squeeze in 30 minutes on the treadmill or a yoga class at lunch rather than having to wait until the evening, when you’re tired and just want to mong out in front of the telly with your dinner! The downside is that central London gyms can be much more pricey than suburbian gyms, so you’ll need to weigh up what works for you.
• Try and book for as many things as possible. If you’re going to a restaurant, then book in advance so that you don’t find yourself waiting at the bar for a table for half an hour. If you’re planning on a particular club or bar, then get yourself on the guest list in advance so that you’re not left queuing outside in the rain!