Where to live in London?

Subject: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Feb 14 - 11:00 AM

If I was moving to London where is the Folkie buzz with reasonably priced accommodation?
Keith

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 06 Feb 14 - 11:36 AM

Camden Town edging northward?

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST,Billy the [provincial] kid
Date: 06 Feb 14 - 11:52 AM

London.. "reasonably priced accommodation"!!!??? ha.. ha.. ha.. ha.. ha.. ha ..ha.. ha.. ha.. ha......

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/how-to-find-the-perfect-flatmate/4od#3606425

"This film follows some of the 'Generation Rent' as they brave an increasingly brutal and judgemental rental market, where finding somewhere to live can be more like a bloodsport than a marketplace."

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Feb 14 - 12:44 PM

Sheffield

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST,Jack Campin
Date: 06 Feb 14 - 01:23 PM

Might be more realistic to commute from one of the more subtropical parts of Aberdeen.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 06 Feb 14 - 01:26 PM

Down where the drunkards roll.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 06 Feb 14 - 01:31 PM

Don't know if "reasonably priced accommodation" is possible any more - it was once in another life.
Wherever you end up, use London to the full, it has a lot to offer, otherwise you don't "live" there, you only exist
There isn't as much music as there was, but it's still around understand - particularly Irish music.
If you get a chance, have a pint in 'The George, Borough High Street in Southwark - surely one of the most beautiful historic pubs in the world - but go out of season to miss the coachloads of 'emmets'
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 06 Feb 14 - 02:07 PM

Manitas' suggestion isn't as daft as first looks suggest. How about living on a boat on the Regents Canal or at Camden Lock itself? If you have money I know where there is a superb boat for sale with lots of room. Otherwise renting a boat would be cheaper than a flat.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Feb 14 - 02:15 PM

Have to move down there in a fortnight to work in Oxford St so where do I live, having no knowledge of London.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST,Billy the [provincial] kid
Date: 06 Feb 14 - 03:00 PM

Where to live ?

... realistically, probably somewhere crap, at least 45 mins tube ride in from the outskirts;

- somewhere really crap like Barking or Ilford might still be 'affordable' ???

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 06 Feb 14 - 03:57 PM

Reasonable???

What do you call reasonable and what are you looking for? a bed sit a house? Purchase or rent?

Prices are horrendous anywhere in London even the "crap" places.

Hoot

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: Bert
Date: 06 Feb 14 - 05:38 PM

...somewhere really crap like Barking or Ilford... OI! watch it mate.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Feb 14 - 05:45 PM

Chelsea

Wonderful FOLK

Central to everything GOOD.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST,Ebor_Fiddler
Date: 06 Feb 14 - 07:14 PM

But why?

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 06 Feb 14 - 08:10 PM

How long is this for?

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Feb 14 - 03:39 AM

Jack 2 to 3 years.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 07 Feb 14 - 04:23 AM

A few details? Where are you coming from? By yourself? What is your age?

If you are a lone male, not too old, surely the most economical option would be a flat share with other young[ish?] people.

Try googling London flat-share and see what you can find.

~M~

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 07 Feb 14 - 04:34 AM

It really depends what you want in terms of accommodation, and whether you're prepared to live somewhere a bit "edgy". You can still find "reasonably priced" accommodation not far out of the centre.

My son, for instance, has lived at various times in the last 7-8 years in Bethnal Green, Hackney and Dalston. At present he's in a flat-share in an "ungentrified" part of Dalston, where he pays £95 a week for a room and shared kitchen/ sitting room in a reasonable flat...."reasonable" meaning in good decorative order and not a "studenty grot-hole". The flat's decent, but it's on a street above a market, and noisy during the day. But as he and his flat-mate are out working while the market's operating it doesn't bother them, other than Saturdays.

I'm quite happy to visit where he is now, and was happy to visit his previous place, about 3/4 mile away. I *wasn't* happy to visit his place when he lived in Bethnal Green. I always felt nervous on the street there. The ethnic and social mix wasn't much different from where he is now but the street itself "felt" much more intimidating....and he is noticably more relaxed where he is now when out and about.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST,John from Kemsing
Date: 07 Feb 14 - 04:49 AM

"OCCUPY"

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Feb 14 - 05:31 AM

Thanks for that Rob

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST,North Londoner
Date: 07 Feb 14 - 05:34 AM

I'm probably not too au fait on where has a great folkie vibe but if you mean Irish music/sessions/etc then Kilburn - or more reasonably priced Cricklewood - is probably your best bet. If you mean folk clubs and the like, there's always been a very good one at Walthamstow that shouldn't be too expensive by London's ludicrous standards.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 07 Feb 14 - 05:44 AM

What Rob Naylor said above re. Dalston is good advice, and rings very true to my own experiences of living in London. Though, as a caveat, Dalston is quite pricey now too. And Bethnal Green has smartened up to a large extent.

Most of my friends (none of whom are on megabuck salaries) can't even afford Dalston now and have gone further East, to Clapton.

Walthamstow and Tottenham are still affordable (though many would consider Tottenham too 'edgy' – depends what you're used to). Walthamstow has the benefit of the weekly Walthamstow Folk Club of course. And it's on the Victoria line, so would be very handy for Oxford Circus tube.

At the opposite end of the Victoria Line is Brixton, where I live. That would be super-handy for Oxford Circus - only takes 15 mins on the tube. Brixton used to be cheap and 'edgy' - I rented here throughout my 20s, with uni and school mates. I now own a flat here, so can't comment on rents here now, but everyone says they've gone up massively. Still, worth a quick look. There's a lot going on around here in terms of music – lots of folky stuff at Brixton pubs like the Grosvenor, the Windmill, the Queens Head and upstairs at the Ritzy Cinema. Plus you've got Goose Is Out folk nights at East Dulwich.

Cheaper, affordable rents can also be found in other south London areas - a lot of my friends live in East Dulwich (pricier), Nunhead, Peckham, New Cross, Brockley, Lewisham: basically the south-east London quasi-suburban hinterland. Not as convenient for central london, but still good rail links – over the last few years, London's got much better connected. New Cross/Peckham have a lot of studenty things going on in terms of music, bars and restaurants, mainly due to Goldsmiths Art College being there, though neither are pretty.

Oh, speaking of south london, Crystal Palace is nice... Well worth a look. That ought to be affordable. Decent rail links. Lots of pubs with acoustic nights, some actual folk stuff at the Gypsy Hill Tavern. Nice big park.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 07 Feb 14 - 05:51 AM

...if you want any more suggestions, find me a on Facebook (mattmiltonperson is my Facebook URL name). I can bang on boringly about different areas of London all day.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Feb 14 - 07:03 AM

Thanks for that Matt some good info.My 24year old Melodeon, Anglo playing, Border Morris dancing son is heading down. I have passed on your info to him
Keith

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST,Billy the [provincial] kid
Date: 07 Feb 14 - 09:55 AM

If you must move to London,
I seriously suggest you take a look at the recent documentary I linked to earlier above..

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/how-to-find-the-perfect-flatmate/4od#3606425

It's still available to watch for free, and only requires quick simple registration for a channel 4 account
as it's an 'archive show'.

"FIRST BROADCAST: 10.45pm Wed 23 October 2013C4
DURATION: 46:29
At some point most of us have lived in a shared house or flat, with all that that involves:
stolen cheese, weirdo housemates and passive aggressive Post-it notes on the bathroom mirror.
But we never expected it to last into our thirties.

How to Find the Perfect Flatmate is filmed in London, where 800,000 people flatshare,
often with people they have never met.
The documentary is Michael Beilinson's directorial debut and part of the First Cut strand
for new and upcoming directors.

With the average age a Brit expects to be able to buy their first home reaching 38,
competition to find the perfect flat, or flatmate, is intense and involves everything from speed-flatmating events
to elaborate interview processes.

This film follows some of the 'Generation Rent' as they brave an increasingly brutal and judgemental rental market, where finding somewhere to live can be more like a bloodsport than a marketplace."

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 07 Feb 14 - 10:26 AM

Hi, Keith, both my sons moved down to London but it was some time ago.

Youngest started off in Kilburn sharing, then they both shared together in Cricklewood. Youngest is now in Lee and oldest is buying in Barnet. Both had decent jobs.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Feb 14 - 06:09 PM

Not Tottenham (Broadwater Farm, east of Wood Green) or Edmonton at the moment - there's a real gang war going on between them, and the surrounding areas (Crouch End, Muswell Hill) are targets for the criminals, in the top 10 nationally). Walthamstow and Hackney have gangs waiting to jump on the survivor too. See the Guardian Enfield Experiment pages too.
The houseboat idea on the canal up through Dalston to Tottenham Hale is a good one, the community's liberal to communard with several pro performers and folkies in their number. There are also extended loft communes south of the shopping centre at Tottenham Hale.
Croydon and Camberwell are not that clever either at the moment.

Perhaps the best thing is to post possibles here and get comments.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST,roderick a warner
Date: 07 Feb 14 - 06:48 PM

Re above - Dalston maybe a good bet - my nephew used to live there and said it was rough but ok. I go there every couple of months from the sticks because it has imo best music venue in London - Cafe Oto - wild mix of free jazz/experimental/out musics, including a lot of 'folk' related stuff from performers pushing boundaries. I know the area from hanging about before gigs and general wandering and seems ok, with the market next door as well, but I'm used to cities so don't get paranoia, just step wisely. Good bus service round the clock. Used to live in London back when and if I was returning, this is probably where I'd look for somewhere relatively 'cheap.' Big city, big city prices but always deals to be had - flatshare seems best for initial step, I would have thought. Vortex jazz club as well, but Oto has a great vibe and refreshing to see such a mixed audience re age - from young to old.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 08 Feb 14 - 05:57 AM

We lived in scenic downtown Peckham in a cheap (and very grotty) flat for 5 years in the 70s and managed to save up enough for a deposit on a house in Stanmore, North London. I could walk to work from the first and had several alternative routes to central London when I changed jobs(from Stanmore,Canon's Park,Harrow, Harrow & Wealdstone))from the second. I suspect South London has now gone up in price & desirability since then.

RtS

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST,Essex Girl
Date: 08 Feb 14 - 07:56 AM

Two bedroom flats in Greenwich £400-$600 per week (new build), and there's lots of them along the river, so if there are 4 of you to share it could be affordable. Excellent links to central London and a great musicians evening on Tuesdays.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 08 Feb 14 - 01:53 PM

It isn't statistically significant but we were burgled twice in the 5 years we were in Peckham and not at all in the ten years we lived in Stanmore!

Rts

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST,Calum
Date: 08 Feb 14 - 05:06 PM

The trade off that you need to make is between where you work, where you play, and where you live. There is no right answer. My wife and I choose to pay a king's ransom to live centrally (Elephant) because we both hate the very thought of commuting. But I look around me and see small flats being sold for a quarter of a million pounds. It's insane. Our rent is at £1300 a month and we consider ourself lucky to get a two bed with a separate kitchen for that.

Anything too good to be true almost certainly is. There are a lot of scammers out there.

If you can find a private landlord, it will be cheaper, probably better, and probably more stable.

The only other piece of advice I will give is this: don't buy. Either London will enter a period of long term decline as the world economy reshapes itself, or a future government with a pair will lay waste to the suburbs and build five or ten times the number of houses overnight. Either way you will lose.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Feb 14 - 03:42 AM

Thank you everyone for some good info a another week to go then the hard decision to make of where to rent.
Keith

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 09 Feb 14 - 05:33 AM

'Course, it may well simply come down to the people that seem nicest in whatever houseshares/flatshares he finds on Gumtree or wherever. Which is much more important than where you are.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 09 Feb 14 - 05:37 AM

At the moment Hayes is not too expensive , and good access to Paddington . Lord knows what will happen once crossrail gets going !!

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: Nick
Date: 09 Feb 14 - 08:20 PM

Both my sons currently live there (early/mid 20's) one shares with ex-university friends in Southwark and the other further out in East Finchley.

Weird thought that when I first moved back to London on the princely annual salary of £2400 I paid £87 a month to share a house in Regents Park Road in Chalk Farm which was a BRILLIANT place to live.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: Bert
Date: 09 Feb 14 - 10:15 PM

And get yourself a bike. When I lived in Streatham years ago I worked in Euston Road. The first day I went by car and it took me an hour and a half, the next day I went by underground and it took me an hour. The third day I got my bike out and it took me twenty minutes.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Feb 14 - 02:01 AM

Streatham to Euston Rd is 9 miles - you did 27 mph on your bike?

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 10 Feb 14 - 05:55 AM

I can't believe in 1969 I moved from Birmingham to London on the strength of a £50 pay rise!

RtS

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 10 Feb 14 - 09:08 AM

...and, YES, that was per year! Mind you, there was another reason I wanted to move...we got married a year later and still are!

RtS

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Feb 14 - 02:42 PM

When young and eager in London, I reckoned to keep pace with any bus on the open road, and far outpace it in traffic: I'd say 20 mins is doable, from Streatham Hill to Brixton 5 mins or less straight downhill, Brixton to Waterloo 5 mins or a bit more, then straight through Kingsway. It's only 7 miles, so speed 21mph. Anywhere in Streatham, add another 5 minutes.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 10 Feb 14 - 10:16 PM

Cycling in London you're either very brave or very mad. Probably both. The actual distances aren't bad. I had a friend lived in Ealing and he and his wife worked at King's Cross, and she came by tube, and on a good day he could beat her on his bike. Mind, he was a hell of a biker. And quite mad.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 11 Feb 14 - 03:14 AM

Cycling in London is alright. In my 20s I used to cycle everywhere. I used to cycle from Brixton to Covent Garden, where I worked for 10 years, Mon-Fri, come wind or shine. Then I'd frequently cycle from work to Dalston, where I used to go to music jams, then cycle home to Brixton at midnight.

Cycling during rush-hour in London, however, I would agree, you need to keep your wits about you. As much because of all the other cyclists on the road as motorists. I'll never understand anyone who cycles on a busy main road while listening to their iPod. But still, I did it every working day for 10 years, and never had any crashes. Came off my bike once or twice (literally once or twice, which is pretty good for 10 years): once for having to brake hard because a cyclist in front of me stupidly and suddenly stopped in the middle of the road to pick up something that had fallen off his bike; and another time when I went straight into a pedestrian who stepped directly into the road without looking.

But as far as I'm concerned, cycling in London is just something you do when you're in you're 20s - just like living somewhere a bit ropey. (Unless you're megabucks minted...) And there's often something really magical about cycling round London at night.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Feb 14 - 03:04 PM

Yes, you're probably right, it's other cyclists spoiled it for everyone. Back in 1979, all you had was other racers and drivers didn't hate you. Now they do, because of all the Boris buckers. And those who get caught on the inside? It's because they're too slow to take the outside.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: Nick
Date: 11 Feb 14 - 08:23 PM

>>I had a friend lived in Ealing and he and his wife worked at King's Cross, and she came by tube, and on a good day he could beat her on his bike.

Oo er missus

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST,Calum
Date: 12 Feb 14 - 01:35 PM

"Cycling in London you're either very brave or very mad."

Most cyclists don't have any sense of roadcraft. I do, having grown up on the roads. I cycle through rush hour, on some of the busiest routes, and I don't feel in the slightest bit threatened. Take your lane and take it early and there's not much to go wrong.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Feb 14 - 01:50 PM

motorbike is the best way to get round london

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST,Emily
Date: 12 Feb 14 - 04:38 PM

Hi Keith, I'd second Matt's suggestion. South London isn't as cheap as it was but I think North is still dearer. In the Peckham/Nunhead/Camberwell/Catford area there's a friendly scene with regular Goose Is Out! gigs, and sessions in various pubs through the week; singarounds; and various other stuff going on like a folk choir and a folk orchestra.

It's true South London has got better connected as well especially with the Overground - so 10 minutes from Peckham Rye or New Cross Gate into central.(Matt: Peckham Rye Park is pretty!) :)

Having said that there is tons going on elsewhere around London so you're bound to find what you're looking for.

Best of luck!

Emily

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 12 Feb 14 - 05:47 PM

yeah Emily, but Peckham Rye park isn't exactly Peckham is it... it's East Dulwich really...

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 12 Feb 14 - 09:07 PM

As an Ex Biker and Ex Cyclist , with the way so many clowns drive in London I would NOT be happy on only two wheels - Far too vulnerable .

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST,Dáithí
Date: 13 Feb 14 - 07:51 AM

£1800 per month to rent a 2 bed flat????

You must really HAVE to live in London to pay those prices. I've just bought a house but till last month was renting a 3 bed detached house by a lake , surrounded by farmland and a half hour's country drive to the nearest city where I work. Rent...£500 per month.

IMHO London is congested,dirty, impersonal, chillingly expensive (travel costs, food, drink, accommodation) to folks on "regular" incomes;I can't understand why people keep going to live there -and thus perpetuate matters.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST,Reynard
Date: 13 Feb 14 - 07:54 AM

Because there are more jobs there?

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Feb 14 - 08:16 AM

" I've just bought a house but till last month was renting a 3 bed detached house by a lake , surrounded by farmland and a half hour's country drive to the nearest city where I work. Rent...£500 per month."

One answer to your question about why anyone would want to London is right there: you have to drive for half-an-hour to get to the nearest city. I like cities, I live in one, and I don't drive.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Feb 14 - 05:53 PM

Son lives in Clapton, 400+ a month for a room and shared kitchen/ diner. As far as housing, he copes. Life is something you do with friends anyway.

Houseboats are politically problematic at the moment. The number of boat dwellers has increased markedly since the criminalisation of squatting to protect the investments of the ultrarich , and the newly formed (last year) waterways "charity" River and Canal Trust is getting vicious about boats that don't move on within a day or two. They are intending to patrol the whole of the Grand Union, Regent's and Lea Navigation in all the cenral areas and boats without mooring permits are to be ordered to move on (FOAD).

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Feb 14 - 09:38 PM

Not a wise idea on the Lea, the community may react. And beneath it is the bloke in the bowler 'at. And that's that.

Subject: RE: Where to live in London?
From: JHW
Date: 14 Feb 14 - 06:51 AM

Roger the Skiffler a relative of mine commuted to central London from Birmingham (last century)