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@turpe
Oh, man, I grew up there. Leaving that place was the best decision I ever made. It's gone from cute, friendly, little town to mean, dirty provincial sh!t-hole in the last ten years or so... I blame the insatiable desire of the local council for building new shopping centres in the middle of town. Good art school, though.
Having made the leap from Naaaridge to London myself, and lived in many areas of our nation's capital, I would have to echo Roxy's sentiments and advise you to look East. Bethnal Green, Hackney, Clapton (the nicer bits), Dalston... they're all good places to live and really convenient for getting into town. I would also say that a nice house share there would be well within your budget. I used to live in a great place near London Fields, and another on Hackney Road - both good locations and nice houses.
Portobello and Maida Vale are also nice areas, but can be a little more pricey. Plus, I wasn't really as enamoured by the social scene in the West as I was the East. I'd probably avoid Camden if I were you (although that's just my personal opinion of it as one of the worst places on Earth). The nicer end of Highbury is also worth a look (around the old Arsenal stadium and Blackstock Road).
A lot of people complain about the crime in East London, but if you keep your wits about you, it's not nearly as bad as it's made out to be - it's certainly no worse than anywhere else. Just use common sense and you'll be fine. One word of warning, however - find a home with indoor bike parking.