Living In London

As of 1st September, I will be starting work as an Account Manager at a music marketing company based in Dean St., Soho. This'll be my first experience of London beyond going to gigs and the odd day trip so I wondered if anyone had any advice regarding the place? I'm also trying to find a place to live and it looks like I'll be sharing with randomers. Just wondered if anyone had any experience that they could feed back to me. I'm excited but a little nervous, though I'm sure that's to be expected.

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Nice one James. It's an incredibly obvious point but one worth making nonetheless...plan your living around the tube network. i.e. aim to live where you can get easily to a tube station that is ideally then on the same line as where you work. Just the extra hassle of a complicated tube jouney in can make such a difference to your commuting sanity.

Ditto the above - North of the river for sure.

Try loot.com or gumtree for places to live.
I disagree with the E-postcode/south of the river thing, a friend of mine lives in Blackheath and it's lovely ... and my sister lives in Bethnal Green which is easy for town/Liverpool St and has loads going on. She used to live in Plaistow though which is a right shit hole.

Yeah, I'm looking at north. Stoke Newington is somewhere a few friends live...

If I was going to move to London I'd look for somewhere in Harringay, on the 'ladder' of side streets north of Finsbury Park / Manor House tube. Affordable, shops open all night, and very safe unless you're involved in obscure Cypriot turf wars.

I've lived both south of the river (Brixton) and at several 'e' postcodes, including Walthamstow and Forest Gate, and never had any problems, so I'm not sure quite what the issue is there. Like ozzy says, get yourself on a convenient tube line, Picadilly line I guess would be a good one for Soho, or the Victoria line. Don't, under any circumstances, live somewhere that relies on an overground train station - delays, cancellations, overcrowding, it's just not worth it. And trust your first instincts when you're walking round the area where you're intending to live...try and find time to wander around late evening so you can see what it's like at night.

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East can be nice, my friend lives in Hackney and loves it, but she has a fair amount of cash so maybe that makes a difference. Depends what you want. Get friendly with the bus system and if you are very confident on a bike think about biking, everyone says "oh no horrors don't do it" but you save a lot of money. Also, and this is kind of obvious, you can do lots of amazing stuff for free, like the tate modern and walking along bankside etc etc. And for finding a place to live, it's the same as anywhere, it's a numbers game. Go and see as many houses as you possibly can.

A friend of mine cycles from Brixton to work in Central London every day. He says it's fine and much better than standing in someone's armpit on a sweaty tube. He also works for TfL so gets free tube travel, but would rather cycle!
He is a cyclomaniac though and cycled from London to Glastonbury once and also Cambridge to Turkey!

Oh yes and I'd live on the ladder or stoke newington. I have friends in Stamford Hill/ Stoke newington and they're really happy, beautiful flat. There are a fair amount of guardian readers around though.

yep, I'd echo other people in saying Harringey ladder is pretty good for housing... wightman road area. Or Stroud Green (half way between crouch end and finsbury park), finsbury park, crouch end (though it isn't great for transport), highgate (though it isn't great for transport)

Finsbury Park has really good transport with night buses (camden and loads of other places), mainline station, victoria line (kings x, oxford circus, victoria, brixton, etc), piccadilly line (kings x, covent garden, leicester square, heathrow), and of course easy access back to cambridge.
Also it is zone 2 which may save money.

Definitely buy an oyster card.... cheapest way to travel.

the other best advice i have is to basically go and get 'lost' on a saturday afternoon... you'll start piecing together the centre of the city really quickly and realise that a lot of tube journeys are unnecessary because you can walk it in 10-15 mins. It's pretty amazing how much is crammed in to a small space between oxford street and the river.

I'll take Guardian readers over stabbings.

>I'll take Guardian readers over stabbings.

You're a braver man than I am.

You north londoners with your prejudice! Brixton/ gipsy hill/ crystal palace for me. Cheaper than you and more pleasant too. The only time I got mugged in london was when I lived near Holloway Road which is chock full of loonies and "i'm in a band" leather jacket wearing cocks to this day.. Stoke Newington is alright, but it's kind of full of hipsters/ affluent post hipster families pushing massive designer prams.. East is nice, Joe from jonson family lived in Walthamstow when he was in london and he had a nice house for fairly cheap. Easy to get into the centre and easy to get out of town too (M11 within easy reach). I lived in London for 10 years and then just out of it for another 2 (in surrey).. I lived in north london (holloway) west london (hammersmith) zone 1 south kensington south west london (wimbledon/ southfields), south london (brixton) and south east london (ish)( gipsy hill). All had their up's and downs and I was very glad to be out of it by the end.. I think my tip would be screw the tube and live near an overland station you save loads of rent money and if you can get a train to charing cross you can walk to anywhere in the west end, failing that the buses are a better bet than the tube. So hot in the summer and you end up paying through the nose for the pleasure of living close enough to the stinkiest parts of town. In fact my top tip actually be walk, It's amazing how small most bits of London are, get an A to Z and look at the west end.. it's tiny. If you're looking for somewhere to practice with TTG I recommend bally studios. It's in Tottenham Hale so it's easy to get to from Cambridge and it's pretty good rates for London.

http://www.ballystudios.co.uk/

Live on a bus route to the centre that is 24/7... the 91/N91 from Crouch End via Holloway Road, Camden Road, Kings Cross, Euston, Aldwych, the Strand was my lifeline.

If you're going to be involved in the music industry then being close to Camden is a plus point.

First thing to do is fuck off the tube system and learn the bus routes and understand how many tube journey's are pointless...

If you have froends in London already then try to live as near to them as you can. You don't want to be popping to the pub and it taking you an hour like.

Learn the cycle routes too... don't be a fucking tourist and ride the tubes all day, it's just such a part of living in London you can avoid for the most part. What is the point of living in one of the world's greatest cities and running around in tunnels like rats.

If you do go South of the river then a good tip is to have your local over ground train going into London Bridge or Charing X... again, makes life so much easier. Coming into Waterloo isn't too bad but Victoria is a nightmare...

Work out on a map of where you work, where you will want to play and where your friends are...

The last place I lived in London was just off of Holloway road up near Nag's Head... everything nearby... tube stations... 3 of them 10-15 mins away, buses a-plenty and a nice area with a hell of a lot of local amenities. I had 4 of the best kebab shops I ever used in London within 15 mins walk and two within 7 mins. Holland & Barrett, Waitrose, cheap supermarket, all kinds of stores close by. Decent pubs nearby and plentiful parking.

I have to say living in Crouch End was the best. The only place I ever felt "at home" but I lived top of the hill just up from Archway/Suicide Bridge... 10 mins walk to Highgate... nearest tube was 15 mins to Archway but then the 41 bus went from Archway every 5 mins so it was always easy to hop on. It was a 20 mins walk to Finsbury Park or a 5 mins bus journey.

And remember, Croydon is NOT London!

There you go you heard it from DS and me, screw the tubes!

There a a few cross-reference points in the above posts from people who lived in London for a few years. Those are the key issues to take into account.

PS good things in South London.

1) CHEAPER HOUSING
2) all of the below
The Windmill in brixton (the pub and the actual windmill)
Clapham Common
Crystal Palace park
Antenna and doghouse (studio and skate/ guitar shop) in Crystal palace.
the Crow on the hill and Warrior (second hand CD place) in Crystal Palace
Greenwich Market, and the park, the observatory etc.
Battersea arts Centre
The Drum Shack on Lavender Hill
The Grosvenor in Stockwell (replaced the swan for hardcore gigs that has)
Brixton market (first call for pigs' foot and TING)
Brixton Academy
Beggars group (4AD, X L, too pure, etc) their offices are in Wandsworth!
London's oldest toll road
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Paying-the-toll-College-Road-London...

3) Most importantly My best mate's house in East Dulwich (although I like to say it's in Peckham really to pretend it's more REAL)

Up yours north londoners.

Clapham is full of young rich kids ...

oh Claarm you mean

i've got a friend who has just moved out of brixton after 6 months.... in that time he was mugged twice, his flatmate was mugged 4 times, their flat was burgled, they had dealers 'working' outside their house every night and they absolutely hated it.

i'm not saying this is typical of brixton or that the same couldn't happen in north london, but it does help me believe that south london sucks ass.

backatcha scanlon! ;-)

Henrythebear - Erm, Croydon is London actually.

Most parts of Croydon are nice too (no less proportionsl nice parts than anywhere else!), and it's easy to get to Cambridge from (East Croydon to St Pancras International in just 25 mins, then cross the road and you're at Kings Cross in three minutes). So you can cross London and avoid the tube easily. It's also a straight train to Brighton, and just 20 mins by train to Gatwick.

Croydon are nice too

jesus, it must have changed since last time i was there!

if you were considering going that far out of town, i'd recommend teddington/kingston

What seedy part of Croydon did you end up in then alternation?? ;-D Croydon has plenty going for it!

If you decide on Hackney, and you get mugged, can you ask for my watch back please Jim.

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i'm not sure MR.... was a long time ago though, probably over 15 years, so it has had plenty of time to change!
Really wasn't pleasant there then though

Erm, I left Croydon about fourteen years ago and it was a lovely place to grow up!

Thanks for all the advice though, to be honest, I still have no idea where I'll live just yet...

SOUTH EAST FOR LIFE.
i lived in camberwell last year and it was sound, buses to everywhere, about a 5 minute walk to brixton etc. it was lovely

What you talking about willis.
:)

From my experiences of driving Resistance types to gigs, Croydon has the most perverse one way system I've ever attempted to drive around.

its definately all about North London... I lived in Camden for three years which was awesome but pricey (although I could walk to uni which saved money). I've recently moved to between stoke newington and manor house tube which is pretty awesome as we found a killer flat!

my advice James is figure out your budget for rent and stick to it! Also have a look around Angel/Highbury. Congradulations on the Job!

Thanks, and Rahaha, do I know you in person at all?

The hardest thing at the moment is finding people to live with. As I left uni three years ago, most of my mates are settled in places already.

I'll be moving down that way funny enough from mid august, got a job with a large venue doing event production and managment as well as starting a degree in PR. I've just been looking at gumtree too, and for a budget of around 500 a month prob gonna get somewhere nice....been looking at Angel, stoke newington (snap) and camdem all close to where I'll be working and studying. I have to say that transport is the main concern as having spent last year working in west london having to commute every day there was allways probs with the tubes.

So 500 a month, looking at a nice room in a nice shared house, maybe a warehouse conversion. selling all my stuff here before i go tho...

Anyone want my washing machine, one carefull owner, 3 years old light usage over that period, still very quite on the spin cycle. offers around 100, bosch!

Croydon will NEVER be London to me... having lived IN London and had friends FROM Croydon.,.. they were Croydon proud and even though the "London spread" is taking in places like Croydon and Kingston (upon Thames, Surrey anyone??)... the place is as far from Kings Cross as Cambridge is (time-wise anyhow).

Transport is THE issue... you woprk in Camden... you don't wanna be coming in from parts of "London" like Croydon...

Harlow will be "London" within 5 years... Cambridge in 15.

If you like Effe's Turkish lager (and I did) then the Ladder roads in Hornsey are pretty cool... not a big fan of the area though.

I lived briefly on the South Bank too (Aquinas Street) when the area was pretty run down... Waterloo underpass pre-Imax... 100 plus tramps living under there... pretty scary... awesome place still mind. London has changed an awful lot and continues to do so... the areas which were shitty, run down, cheap, interesting, vibrant and with edge are now glossed over, over-priced and full of Katie Melula fans. Mudder fuggers.

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Croydon is the Cambourne of London. "It's London you know", "I live in Cambridge"... technically, you are somewhat correct... realistically you are having a bubble.

I used to go to Croydon once a week... It was a trip out of London... I have friends from Croydon who moved TO London to get out of the place.

I guess you have to have lived in London to "get" the whole Croydon thing... everytime I have been there I have been so happy to leave. The vibe, the people... it's so close, yet so far removed from London. It's a bit like Stevenage but close to London and Brighton.

Nestle' chocolate does rule though.

Kingston however, is very nice for the most part.

I don't think i've ever heard anyone claim Cambourne is part of Cambridge.

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I'm actually really looking forward to going now, have been on about it for months but didn't have a plan. now with both job and uni to look forward to its fast becoming a reality.

Been dreaming away the evenings looking at all the adds for places on gumtree and other sites and from today have started emailing for viewings.

Stoke newington does seem to be the place to move to, trendy and close to central london but not to pricey. As I said also been looking at warehouse conversions which look amazing but are mostly located to far fom my work and uni.

With the congestion charge, does it make cycling safer or easier? did see loads of people on bikes whilst working down there last year but that was notting hill so prob in fashion to be on a bike or something.

As i said, have a whole household of stuff to sell, tables, chairs, leather sofas, kitchen stuff including appliances.All in nice condition...Will post add soon...will be cheap to as I just want to F* off!

I\'m actually really looking forward to going now, have been on about it for months but didn\'t have a plan. now with both job and uni to look forward to its fast becoming a reality.Been dreaming away the evenings looking at all the adds for places on gumtree and other sites and from today have started emailing for viewings.Stoke newington does seem to be the place to move to, trendy and close to central london but not to pricey. As I said also been looking at warehouse conversions which look amazing but are mostly located to far fom my work and uni. With the congestion charge, does it make cycling safer or easier? did see loads of people on bikes whilst working down there last year but that was notting hill so prob in fashion to be on a bike or something.As i said, have a whole household of stuff to sell, tables, chairs, leather sofas, kitchen stuff including appliances.All in nice condition...Will post add soon...will be cheap to as I just want to F* off!

Croydon will NEVER be London to me... having lived IN London and had friends FROM Croydon.,.. they were Croydon proud and even though the "London spread" is taking in places like Croydon and Kingston (upon Thames, Surrey anyone??)... the place is as far from Kings Cross as Cambridge is (time-wise anyhow).

I am from Croydon, and whether or not it's London to you Henry it's still London! Address-wise Croydon is London too and it was great to grow up in! You're just jelaous that you haven't made it down there yet, you're still welcome to come try it out some time, I know you'll like it, just like you love Romsey Town... ;o) Croydon to Kings Cross in
a little over twenty minutes...

Yes, I know it's all part of Greater London, but the point was, we were giving James advice on where to perhaps live in London. If he's working for the music industry on Central London then he certainly does not need to be in Croydon does he?

Somewhere like Loughton, which is outside the Greater London catchment barrier, is serviced by the Central Line and very pleasant (if not a bit chavvy... not unlike Croydon). It's categorically NOT London but is serviced by LONDON Underground.

When I used to stay in Kingston in was "Kingston-Upon-Thames, Surrey"... now it is Greater London.

Stumble out of a bar in Soho at 4am and see how much a cab will cost you to Croydon... "Hello mate, taxi to South London?" "Sure, what part of South London?"
"Croydon", "I don't think so mate, I don't go that far out, go on, hop it".

If you told my mate Sweet Pete that he was from London he would tell you to fuck off as he is Croydon through and through. Croydon pride is very real... fair enough.

But in terms of giving James advice, my advice would be live as central as you can on a decent bus route.

Ah, the old North/South London debate rages on! I lived for 10 years or so in North London (Holloway, Muswell Hill and Palmers Green) but know a lot of people who have always lived South and would never consider doing otherwise. Personally I like the fact that there's a tube service in the North but I know one person who swears by the bus services in the South (and he lives in Denmark Hill/East Dulwich and works in Shepherds Bush).

Grumpy Old Man and staunch South Londoner Arthur Smith, the self-declared Mayor of Balham ("Night mayor, I don't work days") defines the difference thus: "In North London they have blue plaques commemorating the famous people that have lived there; in South London we have big yellow signs saying 'Did you see this murder?'".

Henrythebear makes perhaps the best point in suggesting living close to where you already know people; for a while around 96/97 pretty much everyone I knew lived on the two pages of the A-Z that cover Camden/Holloway/Highbury and it was often possible to just show up a pub and find someone there. However some of us lived in right s**tholes!

Without mates close by, London is the loneliest of places.

I miss it terribly, but I couldn't begin to re-create what I had there back in the late 90s. If I did go back then after seeing some old friends this weekend past, I may give South London a try totally because of some good mates there.

I never liked West London... Notting Hill fine for a day or two... not my bag.

I must admit this is my one fear. Where I live at the moment, York St., is just 2 minutes walk from The Dobblers, 5 from The Blue or The Swan and only 15 minutes from town. As such its always as simple as calling up a mate and meeting up, especially as a lot of us live round the Sturton/York St./Mill Road area.

London however, I have a few mates from uni there and a few from school but not what I would call my close circle of friends. And I'm moving to a company of only five employees. I was initially moving down to London to live with the gf, but then things went a bit sour. So I'm not sure what's happening there either. Now I'm moving for my career. It's all a bit daunting but I'm still quite excited. I hope it works out!