Buying/Renting property in London: Where would you live?

try forest hill/new cross/peckham rye

lol

Whaaaaaaaa???

You just listed the top 3 hipster infested areas .. cant be cheap.

I'd live someplace that is awkward for public transport and not so "happening" and cycle for both those requirements.

#SouthWest

Yeah the problem is ill be cycling to dalston, so want to be in range for that but my gf needs transport links to central london, east london thats cyclable distance to dalston and affordable seem to have terrible transport links

it seems 2 out of the 3 are my only option, long commutes for my ahoy

Seven sisters

cheers jv, i hadnt looked there that could be a good idea

There's a reason Seven Sisters is cheap...

It's a bit rough but everywhere gets gentrified these days

cheers jv, i hadnt looked there that could be a good idea

I live in Seven Sisters. I wrote a good n bad summary here: http://www.lfgss.com/post3739729-3152.html

Happy to answer any questions...

Basically there's a lot going for it and it's a lot less dodgy than most people assume, but it is scruffy and it's not for everyone.

Liz

+1 to seven sisters rogan

And this:

Basically there's a lot going for it and it's a lot less dodgy than most people assume

It's a bit rough but everywhere gets gentrified these days

Consider Walthamstow too.Covers your east access via bike and central access by public transport.

• job on Wardour Street in Soho soon
  
• nice,
  
• cheap,
  
• average price there
  
• not too far out if possible, say 3-4 miles.
  
  

Ta

Warning long post...

First it's not about distance, it's about connections. You can be fairly close geographically and yet ages away in terms of transport. Second , even if she cycles if she has just moved here I doubt she'd want to be too far removed. So she wants somewhere which is a) easy to get to work, and b) close to places to go out.

Next everyone's definition of "nice" varries. Lots of people like places like putny, clampam, balam , cheap /remote bits of wimbolden because they're a bit more spaced out and have a more suburban, white middle class feel... If that sounds like your sister, look there. basically no one can really advise you on that without know your sis. Also you'll often find very smart and fairly rough areas side by side, so location wouldn't necessarily gauratee any more safety.

Cost is also similar. To me cheap is anything below £600pm. I don't know about her. Sounds obvious but remember you have to budget for council tax and bills.

Personally I would get her to look for a young, big flat share - at least 4ppl. If she's just got her and doesn't know people the last thing she wants is to be alone or move in somewhere with a few people who already have very set social groups. They will also be the cheapest deals which will give her more £s to go out. There are lots of downsides to big flat shares, but for the first year or so it's worth it IMO.

In terms of where to look avoid gumtree unless you are looking to take a whole flat/house. Moveflat is good and spare room. I'm sure there are others but you seem to get nice well rounded people on those.

Location...

... Most people have a N/S bias. The furthest south I would probably ever consider is Borough. So always bear that in mind when people give you advice.

My suggestions would be;

• Mannor House. It is not "nice", but it's on the Picadilly and Finsbury Park is one stop which gives you the victoria so she'll be able to get into soho relatively easily. There are lots of good bus routes as well. It's also cheap. There's Finsbury and Clissold Parks nearby which are great in the summer and it's not too far from Stokey.
  
  

Bethnal Green again it's not nice but it's on the central line so good links. It's also near old st and shoreditch. There are also really good bus connections and plenty of parks nearby for the summer. Plus lots of other young people move there when they first get to london so it's a good place to meet people.

1 bed flats are shit vfm wherever you are in London. You're effectively paying lots so you don't have to live with other people.

Having lived in north west London for my entire life (bar 3 years at uni in Brighton) I moved to Herne hill in July - I can thoroughly recommend it. Just far enough from Brixton and Peckham hipsters, but near enough to visit if I want. Trains to London bridge (north dulwich), Victoria (HH), kings cross/farringdon/city (HH) and 2 stops on the London bridge train to Peckham where you can get on the overground to shoreditch etc. It's also near enough to Kent for easy access to the lanes. Oh and there is a velodrome here too.

So you're saying that the transport connections are so good you can get a train *to *a tube so you can actually go somewhere in London?

;)

In all seriousness though London is so big and varied that it depends what you're priorities are.

Contracts are only a year and often have a 6m break so wherever she goes it's not forever.

If she is young, doesn't know anyone, then I think the main thing is to go to an area with other people in the same boat.

Opinion is always going to differ on this subject but I'm a big fan of South London - specifically the Stockwell/Clapham/Brixton area. Very fast into central & a great atmosphere. If I ever move back to London this would be the first place I'd start looking, though if priced out I'd start looking further out - towards Dulwich & all the places ending in "Hill" rather than further along the Northern line.

I've lived in Manor House, Seven Sisters, Finsbury Park, Highbury, Archway, Islington, Mayfair, Honor Oak, Deptford, Blackheath and Forest Hill.

Anything with an N postcode is a desolate, howling waste-land full of crack heads and cunts, for which you'll pay a huge premium for some reason.

South of the river is significantly better- far fewer crack-heads per capita, and the houses are both larger and more affordable.

Plus you are not living in the North, which is a massive bonus just on it's own.

Deptford is now becoming too overdeveloped, Greenwich has had most of the character stamped out of it in recent years to service the influx of new residents.

Blackheath is nice, I'd live there again.

Herne Hill is really nice, that whole area has a very pleasant relaxed air to it.

I like Forest Hill, but with the direct train to Shoreditch it is undeniable that we're filling up with Hipsters- the house prices are going up dramatically.

I'd have a look at Crystal Palace- still affordable, good transport links, great view.

South East London is cheaper, but not that well connected. Dulwich and Peckham are pretty popular at the moment. Deptford bubbling under as the next big ting.

.

Deptford is the new Haggerston. Fashionable and now expensive while still being a total hole in my experience.

Brockley was quiet, cheap and similarly well connected to Deptford but is sadly being Dulwichified very quickly. Still some good value only a little further out towards Hither Green, if you can handle Zone 3.

^^ Usual Dammit anti-north bollocks ;)

I think Walthamstow is a good suggestion, if your sister can run to that.

I'm sure all these south of the river suggestions are valid, although if your sister is planning on cycling it's worth thinking about the roads between where you live and town.

The problem with some areas south of the river is accessing a lot of areas means negotiating some roads which most people would find pretty horrible...

If she can be flexible on areas she's probably better off looking for a good value place in any one of a short list of areas, that's the best way to get a good deal.

+1 on Forest Hill hipster early warning.

Stick on the Catford side of the postcode to keep it real.

Fox I've lived in those places and they are shitholes, FACT.

You've lived in everywhere with an N postcode?

Are you telling us that Highbury is a shithole? I mean, unaffordable, yes, shithole, clearly not.

I lived in Muswell Hill (N10), Dartmouth Park (NW5) and Newington Green (N1).

I didn't actually like N1 that much to live in, but I wouldn't call any of these areas a "desolate, howling waste-land full of crack heads and cunts", or a shit hole. The biggest problem with N10 is whining middle class people, the same thing could be said of Dartmouth Park, where my neighbour's biggest concern was our not clearing the snow from the pavement outside our house (seriously) and the actor who played one of the Mitchell brothers in Eastenders buying a big motorhome and parking it on the road, apparently it blocked their view...

I also lived in NW10, which you could legitimately argue is a desolate, howling wasteland full of crack heads and cunts.

Neil I lived in NW London for the best part of 30 years and contact with crack heads was pretty minimal, even in shitty places like South Kilburn.

Should also add, If you are going to live in NW London, do not - I repeat - do not live any further north than Willesden Green. To be honest, even that is pushing it.

South of the river is significantly better- far fewer crack-heads per capita, and the houses are both larger and more affordable.

Too many lightweights, though. :)