Advice on where to move - NW London
Discussion
I'm hoping the southern PHers here may be able to offer advice.
I'm moving to London in a few months, but need to decide on areas to look for a flat in.
My budget for a 1 bed flat is ~£1100 per mth. I want a proper flat, not a studio, and need parking.
I will be travelling to Angel daily so somewhere on the Northern Line is perfect so I wanted opinions on the following areas - both cost wise and quality of living wise (eg. safety, pleasantness, amenities etc).
Brent Cross
Hendon
Colindale (I lived here when I studied 10 yrs ago, it was a s
t hole, but seems to have had a lot of development lately)
Burnt Oak
Edgware
Finchley
Woodside Park
And any suggestions for other areas that are an easy commute to Angel would be welcome.
I have been looking at Hendon so far, simply because I lived in Colindale and knew Hendon well and it seems reasonable in cost and seems like a decent area.
Any help would be much appreciated!
I'm moving to London in a few months, but need to decide on areas to look for a flat in.
My budget for a 1 bed flat is ~£1100 per mth. I want a proper flat, not a studio, and need parking.
I will be travelling to Angel daily so somewhere on the Northern Line is perfect so I wanted opinions on the following areas - both cost wise and quality of living wise (eg. safety, pleasantness, amenities etc).
Brent Cross
Hendon
Colindale (I lived here when I studied 10 yrs ago, it was a s
t hole, but seems to have had a lot of development lately)Burnt Oak
Edgware
Finchley
Woodside Park
And any suggestions for other areas that are an easy commute to Angel would be welcome.
I have been looking at Hendon so far, simply because I lived in Colindale and knew Hendon well and it seems reasonable in cost and seems like a decent area.
Any help would be much appreciated!
vinnie,
the far end of the northern line i.e. edgware, colindale etc are real s*itholes. however, i can recommend stanmore as a good place to look. Jubilee line at Stanmore or canons park (and very easy to get into edgware for the northern line)
that sort of budget will get you a decent flat round here.
the far end of the northern line i.e. edgware, colindale etc are real s*itholes. however, i can recommend stanmore as a good place to look. Jubilee line at Stanmore or canons park (and very easy to get into edgware for the northern line)
that sort of budget will get you a decent flat round here.
How old are you ? Single ? Good places to go out etc ?
Couple of areas not on your list that are just in budget and are popular places to live....Stoke Newington and West Hampstead or Queens Park. Parking would be on street more than likely in both cases.
Stoke Newington used to be rough as aholes but is now very popular with families and single people alike.
Oh and there's Kentish Town, Tufnell Park, Camden all would be in that budget I think.
Kind of depends what you want...personally I'd try and minimise the commute.
Couple of areas not on your list that are just in budget and are popular places to live....Stoke Newington and West Hampstead or Queens Park. Parking would be on street more than likely in both cases.
Stoke Newington used to be rough as a
holes but is now very popular with families and single people alike. Oh and there's Kentish Town, Tufnell Park, Camden all would be in that budget I think.
Kind of depends what you want...personally I'd try and minimise the commute.
Cheib said:
How old are you ? Single ? Good places to go out etc ?
Couple of areas not on your list that are just in budget and are popular places to live....Stoke Newington and West Hampstead or Queens Park. Parking would be on street more than likely in both cases.
Stoke Newington used to be rough as aholes but is now very popular with families and single people alike.
Oh and there's Kentish Town, Tufnell Park, Camden all would be in that budget I think.
Kind of depends what you want...personally I'd try and minimise the commute.
I can vouch for Queens Park. Have lived in Kensal Rise and Queens Park since 1997. Easy commute into town via the Bakerloo Line (if you are in the southern part) or Jubilee (to the north). Plus quite a few overland lines which handy if you are trying to get to he east or SW. Close to M40 and M1 when you need to drive. Handy for Paddington, Marylebone and Euson/Kings X/St Pancras. Plenty of local bars, cafes and restaurants. QPR are the local team. Eimirates also easy to get to. Craven Cottage not too far away either. Stamford Bridge if you must...Couple of areas not on your list that are just in budget and are popular places to live....Stoke Newington and West Hampstead or Queens Park. Parking would be on street more than likely in both cases.
Stoke Newington used to be rough as a
holes but is now very popular with families and single people alike. Oh and there's Kentish Town, Tufnell Park, Camden all would be in that budget I think.
Kind of depends what you want...personally I'd try and minimise the commute.
Wouldn't live in any of the places you listed, especially if you're young. I would think Stoke Newington and parts of Hackney must be affordable and are pretty trendy these days. If I were you though I'd look at a flat share in Angel or other parts of Islington. Can find yourself an even nicer place, very central and will save you money. You may even bag a hot flat mate.
I live in Whetstone - Woodside Park is my local station.
It's a lovely area to bring up a family (for London!) - quiet, safe, and decent schools, but if you're after a decent pub/club culture you're not going to find it here.
I'd also definitely avoid the Edgware branch of the Northern Line unless you're a big fan of suburbia. Wembley/Brent Cross is grim.
Stick to areas either side of Camden if you're in your 20s.
It's a lovely area to bring up a family (for London!) - quiet, safe, and decent schools, but if you're after a decent pub/club culture you're not going to find it here.
I'd also definitely avoid the Edgware branch of the Northern Line unless you're a big fan of suburbia. Wembley/Brent Cross is grim.
Stick to areas either side of Camden if you're in your 20s.
MadProfessor said:
Wouldn't live in any of the places you listed, especially if you're young.
Me too. In London you need to live as close to work as possible and be in an area where there's good restaurants/bars for evenings and weekends. If not get outside the M25 and enjoy the benefits of living in a more rural area.Being stuck in suburbia which is how I think of the OP's original areas named is the worst of both worlds IMHO.
Thanks for the replies so far guys, maybe a little more info about me/what I want would help.
I am seeing a girl from Ilford, but she drives also - she visits me most weekends in Leicester so a drive across London will be fine.
I will be popping back to Leicester quite often, and also as I will be keeping my company running I will need to travel to random destinations in the UK every now and then.
I am not looking to share - I am doing an access to medicine course for a year, and I need to pass with distinction in order to have a chance of getting into university - I don't want the risk of someone disturbing or distracting me.
For this reason, I'm not overly concerned about the local nightlife. I'm more than happy to jump on a tube to go somewhere to have a meal if need be... nice bars/restaurants would be a bonus, but lively bars and clubs is a no no.
Parking is a must - I need my car so there must be easy parking. I won't be driving to college, but will need the car close by should I need to go and see a client.
Ideally, a nice modern apartment in a trendy looking apartment complex or the like would be ideal. I'm not a great fan of the decor in many of the house conversions I've seen - they're often run down or very old fashioned.
I would say a priority is a close walk to a tube station that is easy to get to Angel - fortunately Kings Cross is easy to get to from most places so this seems not to be problematic. I would love the commute to be under 30 mins, but could live with up to 45-50 mins.
I will probably be spending a lot of time at the flat both studying, working, and with the o/h so the preference is the flat is nice as opposed to a shoe box in a very trendy area.
ETA I'm 30.
And I cannot stand dirty or dingy looking bathrooms - hence a great preference for a newer property!
I am seeing a girl from Ilford, but she drives also - she visits me most weekends in Leicester so a drive across London will be fine.
I will be popping back to Leicester quite often, and also as I will be keeping my company running I will need to travel to random destinations in the UK every now and then.
I am not looking to share - I am doing an access to medicine course for a year, and I need to pass with distinction in order to have a chance of getting into university - I don't want the risk of someone disturbing or distracting me.
For this reason, I'm not overly concerned about the local nightlife. I'm more than happy to jump on a tube to go somewhere to have a meal if need be... nice bars/restaurants would be a bonus, but lively bars and clubs is a no no.
Parking is a must - I need my car so there must be easy parking. I won't be driving to college, but will need the car close by should I need to go and see a client.
Ideally, a nice modern apartment in a trendy looking apartment complex or the like would be ideal. I'm not a great fan of the decor in many of the house conversions I've seen - they're often run down or very old fashioned.
I would say a priority is a close walk to a tube station that is easy to get to Angel - fortunately Kings Cross is easy to get to from most places so this seems not to be problematic. I would love the commute to be under 30 mins, but could live with up to 45-50 mins.
I will probably be spending a lot of time at the flat both studying, working, and with the o/h so the preference is the flat is nice as opposed to a shoe box in a very trendy area.
ETA I'm 30.
And I cannot stand dirty or dingy looking bathrooms - hence a great preference for a newer property!
Edited by vinnie83 on Tuesday 7th May 14:36
If you're driving in and out of town a lot I'd look at somewhere within 10 minutes of the M1....last thing you want to be doing when you drive back into London from Leicester is slapping across London too. The areas you originally talked about are more likely to have new devlopments than the more central areas...that said West Hampstead and Queens Park are both 10 mins form the M1.
Ease of parking is really down to the individual property....I live in an area which is very bad for parking but just by pure fluke of the street I live on I rarely have to park more than twenty yards from my front door....my old flat was a total nightmare and that is only a few streets away.
Ease of parking is really down to the individual property....I live in an area which is very bad for parking but just by pure fluke of the street I live on I rarely have to park more than twenty yards from my front door....my old flat was a total nightmare and that is only a few streets away.
Cheib said:
MadProfessor said:
Wouldn't live in any of the places you listed, especially if you're young.
Me too. In London you need to live as close to work as possible and be in an area where there's good restaurants/bars for evenings and weekends. If not get outside the M25 and enjoy the benefits of living in a more rural area.Being stuck in suburbia which is how I think of the OP's original areas named is the worst of both worlds IMHO.
I live a little further out in Enfield (although hopefully not for much longer) and that sort of outer area of London has always struck me as possessing most of the disadvantages of city life with very few of the perks.
Several friends really rate Stoke Newington, but I think the term encompasses quite a broad range from the genuinely nice to the really quite s
tty. Avoid Edmonton unless you have a stab vest handy.I work just up the hill from Woodside Park tube and it's a pleasant enough area by North London standards. It's not especially cheap, though. There are a reasonable number of pubs and restaurants stretched along the High Road, but nothing exceptional that I'm aware of.
Swoxy said:
My brother is a lettings agent in Colindale so, if despite the above posters' advice you decide to go for that area, he can show you what you can get for your money ...
Hendon is an area I'm definitely looking at so if you could PM me his number I'd like to have a chat. Thanks!Gassing Station | London | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff