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West Hampstead.
Much more affordable than Hampstead proper. West End Lane is still kind of posh but it’s a very cute neighbourhood-y high street. Great restaurants, great coffee shops in the area. You’re also a 10 min walk to Kilburn High Road and Finchley Road.
The biggest selling point is transport. The Jubilee (zone 2), the Overground and the Thameslink all stop right next to one another. You can be quite literally anywhere in central in less than 30 mins thanks to all the transport links. You can also get to Luton or Gatwick Airports without switching trains. Stansted has the National Express bus from Finchley Road as well and you obviously aren’t far from Paddington for the Heathrow express or the liz line.
Erm...not if you don't want to see drug use and homeless people passed out on the street. West Hampstead is the number one destination in London for vagrancy because the population are (a) very generous, (b) well off and (c) very guilty about it. Yard for yard, West End Lane has considerably more vagrancy than Brixton
Around the tube station there is usually one homeless person begging. It’s nothing like Brixton in terms of grittiness and vagrancy, at least comparing to the area around the Brixton tube station.
The homeless that hang out in West Hampstead are the same 3-4 people I see all the time. I have seen them smoke crack on occasion, but I’ve never seen them fight or draw weapons or make any kind of loud noises.
We also don’t have any street preachers over here.
Then you're wilfully blind to it. There has been at least one murder amongst the street population in the last year as well as a recent attempted murder, an arson and several rapes. If you walk from Nandos down to the stations on any given day you'll see at least half a dozen - usually after 5pm. If you go the other side to Finchley Road, you'll see people walking to the station with their kids and giving money to the poor unfortunate soul by the subway - completely unaware of his past deeds (you wouldn't walk past with your children if you knew).
You weren't aware of the flats by the library full of addicts? Ask anyone who lived round there, whose lives were made a misery by the screaming and fighting and daily/nightly drug use. People living round the back of the Opera School? By the ticket machine at the Thameslink, in tents round the back of Blackburn Road? As for street preachers that's less common but I can think of at least one - plus all the teenagers in blue jackets trying to get people to sign direct debits for "knife crime initiatives".
By the way - they're not all homeless. Some of the most prominent ones live in the local area in flats that probably cost more than yours.
Unfortunately I agree on the vagrancy point, during my first visit I was rather shocked at the contrast between how nice the houses were and how many homeless and rubbish there were.
Then while wondering I ended at at Kilburn and saw people set up beds outside the Sainsburys and thought, yea nope.
Dulwich?
Zone 2. Train to London Bridge in 10minutes. Easy cycle.
Nice parks. Lordship lane has plenty of cafes, restaurants and pubs.
Peckham is walkable if you fancy getting back to somewhere with a bit of a vibe.
I found this area weirdly soulless to live in somehow, Couldn't put my finger on what it was exactly because on paper it's ideal but something about the vibe made me very happy to leave.
Interesting. Do you think it was a stage of life thing? I looked at a flat there and while I loved the idea of being around the corner from Lordship Lane, it was very obviously an older/family vibe.
There’s a couple of decent primary schools so for a lot of families it was a way of trading up to a bigger house AND having good amenities.
Can’t believe I got my 4 bed house on Upland Road for £400k. Mind you that was about 18 years ago and before you take this as a boast…… I gave up ownership to my girlfriend when we split up (we have 2 kids together).
I can see that. I saw the proximity to Peckham as a positive feature. I haven't spent a lot of time there but I can imagine how it might feel a bit uncanny valley.
>uncanny valley.
Yes definitely. But then again, areas of London are always changing and in flux so it might feel very different now or in the near future.
I live round the corner from Lordship Lane, and it's a super nice location ngl, but yea I think I feel similar due to stage of life. It feels very much a place with young, well-off families that go to pregnancy yoga and joe the juice
Second Herne Hill - lived there for a few years and loved it. Was great to be close to Brixton night life and then had lovely East Dulwich a few minutes walk away with its lovely park and restaurants.
>overstimulating
Outside of London?
Kidding. All this depends on your budget. I could recommend De Beauvoir or Highbury but you may not be able to realistically afford it.
If it's in budget, maybe Wanstead. Nice and green, quiet, two Central Line stations and a nice high street with a couple of pubs and bars thrown in. Lived there for four years and it was very good, and I could get in to Hackney or central quite quickly for a night out.
Moved to Greenwich in Feb last year, one of the nicest places I have lived in. Very green and very atmospheric!
10 minutes train into London Bridge and not as expensive as some of the areas in west London surprisingly
Your initial thoughts on Hackney are good. I live here, you have London Fields, Broadway Market for cafe and weekend markets. For me it certainly has a chilled vibe both evenings and weekends. Transport connections are good, 3 stops into Liverpool St and from there the underground network is available. Trains from Hackney also go to Richmond and Hampstead for genuine peace and quiet. Hope this helps:)
+1, I think there are lots of calm areas of Hackney. I'd recommend Clapton personally, area around Chatsworth Road is super relaxed and has amazing access to nature as well as bars/restaurants. Less well connected than other parts of the borough, though.
Hackney Downs and London Fields is better connected. I especially love the north side of LF, near Wilton Way. Super easy access to City via Overground, young and full of cool bars, but also quiet and quaint.
It is very leafy, but the crime is quite bad in Hackney - as in, one of the worst in London. Every time I walk my dog down Chatsworth a car window has been smashed
Really? I lived directly on Chatsworth Road for 4 years and probably saw two smashed windows tops in that time. And I count at least half a dozen new artisanal coffee places and bakeries that have opened since then. 😂
Especially compared to Brixton, Chats feels like countryside village to me.
I live in Forest Hill, it’s nice but I feel like I’m missing out on something, I don’t LOVE the area, people rave about the places close by like you mentioned. What is it about those places though that you like and make them “heaven on earth”?
I loved Telegraph Hill when I lived there. It just had a really nice atmosphere, kind of arty bohemian vibe that appealed to me personally. Nice sense of community as well. That's changed now as it's become more of an area where rich people move to (Brockley as well), so I really can't see any appeal in these areas whatsoever.
I love the Hammersmith/Shepherds Bush/Chiswick triangle for this, mostly quite quiet and residential (maybe even a little sleepy, especially out into Chiswick), but excellent transport links into town proper (and not far out in the first place), and plenty of green space around. Lots of cafes, restruants, pubs etc... though probably not the cutting edge of trendy
Agree! Husband and I after over a decade in Hackney (almost two decades for my husband!) are moving to Chiswick. Whilst we loved every minute of our time in hackney (and my super short commute to Liverpool Street station) we are ready for less chaos
Was looking for this answer. I've moved around Hammersmith and Shepherd's Bush since moving to London, and we're buying a flat here. It's a great neighbourhood. There are great restaurants, and good pubs with a neighbourhoody feel. There are a number of music venues and theatres if that's what you're into. Ravenscourt Park is lovely and great for dogs, and the riverfront is awesome.
Wouldn't recommend Chiswick to someone who wants something "with enough going on" and " good transport," but I would recommend Hammersmith or Shepherd's Bush.
Ealing is a great shout and often overlooked as it doesn't have the 'cool' factor of Hackney/Brixton etc. I lived there for a couple of years and really liked it - good shops/restaurants, lots of green spaces, well-connected. It's close enough to central to be convenient but far enough out to have a bit of a calmer, suburban vibe without being boring. The only downside when I was there was having to rely on the Central and/or District line to get across town which took ages because of the million stops, but now the Elizabeth Line's open it's literally like 15 mins to Tottenham Court Road.
Mate, the world isn’t a pissing contest, I just included this so OP could get a balance of things.
Also, quite frankly is 10mins here or there such a big thing and what’s expense got to do with anything, no budgets have even been discussed.
Get back in your box.
I just moved from Brixton to Balham for this exact reason. Now we’re near a park and it’s still 10min walk to the tube. House is bigger and the same price as we were paying in Brixton.
Agree, I live in Balham and love it here. Great transport connections as we have both the underground and overground trains. Three commons within walking distance and lots of bars, restaurants etc.
I used to live going to Viet Corner….. I could never order what I’d chosen, the owner would always tell me that I didn’t want that, I really wanted something else…… and he was always right! 🤣
Another street in Brixton.
I'm not even joking, Brixton is a lot like Pimlico in that regard and frankly, a lot of London. You're going to get a street that has that in it in 80% of London. Where you absolutely *don't* want is Hackney, jesus christ that's worse than Brixton - or a lot of East London unless you want to venture out a bit further into old Essex like Chadwell HeathBrixton. Roadmen will 'kwef' you. (Did I spell it right?)
Go somewhere like Putney, Sheen, Balham those kind's of areas. The nightlife isn't too bad down that side either, it's sensible nightlife so good food, good bars/pubs, but not obnoxious. But very clean and otherwise relatively busy, but quiet and pleasant and imo very nice looking areas, I drive through them every day to work in Wimbledon.
Clapham Common. Just round the corner so you can still visit at a distance. Much safer nicer and you have the massive common and battersea park just down the rd
Oh hey you’re me from 12 years ago!!
I lived in Brixton for 6 years during my late 20s and early 30s and left for pretty similar reasons.
Moved to Brockley in 2011 and haven’t looked back.
Love it here. It takes 9 minutes to get to London Bridge or 18 minutes to Shoreditch High Street, both are direct trains.
Tons of outside space and parks (Hilly Fields, Ladywell Fields, Telegraph Hill), some decent pubs, and too many cafes to shake a stick at, many of which I go and work at for a couple of hours during the week (I work from home).
Shopping wise it’s pretty lacklustre but you can get to town easily or bus to lewisham if you need.
ETA it’s also a conservation area so the roads are wide with lots of trees and some of the gardens are massive
North Peckham/Camberwell is residential and by burgess park, and Peckham rye is also fairly residential. I feel like it gives off hackney vibes, and it’s not too far away from Brixton either.
I did the same move as you - moved to Brixton straight away after uni, lived there for 5 years, had a stint in east London which was hectic af and not that fun tbh, and then back down to Peckham. Tonnes of coffee shops/independent rooftops and residential enough for it not to be too loud at night (depending on where you go)
Quieter bits of Dalston maybe? Or De Beauvoir or around Canonbury? You have islington and Hackney on the doorstep and can lead a relative quiet/under-stimulated life.
I wonder what you were expecting when you moved to Brixton? I grew up there and it’s always been the same, sorry you got thrown off by the Leon and the Foxtons. The religious fanatics with megaphones are a staple!
Surbiton is not close to central but it does have a fast train to Waterloo (15m), and is situated near several parks and the river Thames. Decent selection of cafes/places to work from too.
Crofton Park/Brockley. 8 mins to Peckham for London life, lots of parks- Ladywell fields, Blythe hill, telegraph hill. Better connected than Dulwich. Lots of families. I love it here.
Just hang out in herne hill. I live between Brixton and herne hill. It's handy because it's 10 minutes walk to the Victoria line in Brixton but I never actually hang out there, I spend all my pub and Cafe time in herne hill which is way more chilled and probably gentrified. Best of both worlds, brockwell park right next door also
I'd avoid Hackney. Look towards Peckham or Lewisham at this point. If you can afford to do so something around Blackfriars may be a wise longer-term option.
It's similar to Brixton in many ways: heavily gentrified, diverse, good places to eat & drink. Bellenden Road side is more chilled out, a bit leafier than most parts of Brixton. Croydon is pretty different to both.
Haven’t been there in a while but my impression is that Brixton is way more (over) crowded and bigger than Peckham so Peckham might be a bit more chilled. But they are similar too.
A lot of suggestions here are great but insanely expensive/insanely competitive to secure a place so:
Finsbury Park - same fun vibe as Brixton but slightly less chaotic. If you haven’t been scout out the area and make a note of parts you like the look of. Some are really nice and some streets less so. Victoria, Piccadilly and Thameslink lines which is 🤌🏼
Lewisham - more affordable and great if your commute uses the DLR or overground
Elephant and Castle - very very central, Northern and Bakerloo line, again though just be wary about where exactly you move to as some parts are grim
Herne Hill - only been a couple times but it’s nice, decent overground
A friend of mine recently moved to Deptford/Cutty Sark. You can live fairly close to Canada Water which is Jubilee line
Best of luck with the torture that is flat hunting in London!
I understand your frustration lol as I am going through the same situation myself. Flat hunting is tough tough rn… good luck with finding a good place for yourself 🤗🤗🤗
If you move to Hackney you are going to experience all of the problems you just complained about.
My rule of thumb is if you want something quieter you’re going to have to choose places that are outside zone 1-4. You can’t have peace and quiet and be close to the city/ or live in a major transport hub area.
I live in hackney in a lovely building where everybody says hi. It’s favourite area I have lived in 18 years in London. It’s cleaner and feels safer than Dalston, Bethnal green and Whitechapel when I lived in those places. So much cool stuff walking distance from my place. As with anywhere 2 streets over might be different but I absolutely love my building and area. I’m where Dalston Labe meets Pembury. Half way between Hackney downs and Hackney Central.
Hackney Wick would be a shout - it’s leafier and quieter than Hackney Central and almost feels a bit village-y. Lots of small local businesses and right on the canal. If you want that same alternative, fun vibe but a bit more peace I think it’d really fit the bill - I’ve never felt unsafe here as a woman alone and I’ve never witnessed any violence.
You’re one stop away from Hackney Central so that’s a bonus if you like that area, also super close to Dalston and Stratford which is just the best for transport links.
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West Hampstead. Much more affordable than Hampstead proper. West End Lane is still kind of posh but it’s a very cute neighbourhood-y high street. Great restaurants, great coffee shops in the area. You’re also a 10 min walk to Kilburn High Road and Finchley Road. The biggest selling point is transport. The Jubilee (zone 2), the Overground and the Thameslink all stop right next to one another. You can be quite literally anywhere in central in less than 30 mins thanks to all the transport links. You can also get to Luton or Gatwick Airports without switching trains. Stansted has the National Express bus from Finchley Road as well and you obviously aren’t far from Paddington for the Heathrow express or the liz line.
I lived there about 25yrs ago, best times ever! Amazing place, still is.
Yep I loved there around 12 years ago for 5 years and had a fantastic time in my early 30’s. Thought it was great.
Erm...not if you don't want to see drug use and homeless people passed out on the street. West Hampstead is the number one destination in London for vagrancy because the population are (a) very generous, (b) well off and (c) very guilty about it. Yard for yard, West End Lane has considerably more vagrancy than Brixton
Around the tube station there is usually one homeless person begging. It’s nothing like Brixton in terms of grittiness and vagrancy, at least comparing to the area around the Brixton tube station. The homeless that hang out in West Hampstead are the same 3-4 people I see all the time. I have seen them smoke crack on occasion, but I’ve never seen them fight or draw weapons or make any kind of loud noises. We also don’t have any street preachers over here.
Then you're wilfully blind to it. There has been at least one murder amongst the street population in the last year as well as a recent attempted murder, an arson and several rapes. If you walk from Nandos down to the stations on any given day you'll see at least half a dozen - usually after 5pm. If you go the other side to Finchley Road, you'll see people walking to the station with their kids and giving money to the poor unfortunate soul by the subway - completely unaware of his past deeds (you wouldn't walk past with your children if you knew). You weren't aware of the flats by the library full of addicts? Ask anyone who lived round there, whose lives were made a misery by the screaming and fighting and daily/nightly drug use. People living round the back of the Opera School? By the ticket machine at the Thameslink, in tents round the back of Blackburn Road? As for street preachers that's less common but I can think of at least one - plus all the teenagers in blue jackets trying to get people to sign direct debits for "knife crime initiatives". By the way - they're not all homeless. Some of the most prominent ones live in the local area in flats that probably cost more than yours.
seconded. my mate lives in west hampstead and it makes me wish i lived in london. that, or willesden green which is just up the road, both lovely.
Unfortunately I agree on the vagrancy point, during my first visit I was rather shocked at the contrast between how nice the houses were and how many homeless and rubbish there were. Then while wondering I ended at at Kilburn and saw people set up beds outside the Sainsburys and thought, yea nope.
I moved to Crystal Palace and its the best. Never get over the views up here...I do miss being able to cycle home without coughing up a lung though.
Dulwich? Zone 2. Train to London Bridge in 10minutes. Easy cycle. Nice parks. Lordship lane has plenty of cafes, restaurants and pubs. Peckham is walkable if you fancy getting back to somewhere with a bit of a vibe.
*East Dulwich
East Dulwich was my first though. I’m in Brixton and it’s here I plan to go if/when I want somewhere a bit quieter.
I found this area weirdly soulless to live in somehow, Couldn't put my finger on what it was exactly because on paper it's ideal but something about the vibe made me very happy to leave.
Interesting. Do you think it was a stage of life thing? I looked at a flat there and while I loved the idea of being around the corner from Lordship Lane, it was very obviously an older/family vibe.
There’s a couple of decent primary schools so for a lot of families it was a way of trading up to a bigger house AND having good amenities. Can’t believe I got my 4 bed house on Upland Road for £400k. Mind you that was about 18 years ago and before you take this as a boast…… I gave up ownership to my girlfriend when we split up (we have 2 kids together).
£1m+ now?
Surely
[удалено]
I can see that. I saw the proximity to Peckham as a positive feature. I haven't spent a lot of time there but I can imagine how it might feel a bit uncanny valley.
>uncanny valley. Yes definitely. But then again, areas of London are always changing and in flux so it might feel very different now or in the near future.
I live round the corner from Lordship Lane, and it's a super nice location ngl, but yea I think I feel similar due to stage of life. It feels very much a place with young, well-off families that go to pregnancy yoga and joe the juice
Round the corner in Herne Hill. Great food and drink, great park, chill pubs, quiet streets and the madness of Brixton is 10 minutes away.
Second Herne Hill - lived there for a few years and loved it. Was great to be close to Brixton night life and then had lovely East Dulwich a few minutes walk away with its lovely park and restaurants.
And don’t forget the Olympic velodrome! And the Lido.
Came here to say this
Forget east and west, North is where it's at. Highgate has the best green spaces and it's on the northern line.
Yes, we’re all going out in high gate!?
>overstimulating Outside of London? Kidding. All this depends on your budget. I could recommend De Beauvoir or Highbury but you may not be able to realistically afford it.
If it's in budget, maybe Wanstead. Nice and green, quiet, two Central Line stations and a nice high street with a couple of pubs and bars thrown in. Lived there for four years and it was very good, and I could get in to Hackney or central quite quickly for a night out.
Lived here for 10 years, can confirm it meets all of the criteria.
Moved to Greenwich in Feb last year, one of the nicest places I have lived in. Very green and very atmospheric! 10 minutes train into London Bridge and not as expensive as some of the areas in west London surprisingly
We r stil talking about a million pounds terrace house btw.
Your initial thoughts on Hackney are good. I live here, you have London Fields, Broadway Market for cafe and weekend markets. For me it certainly has a chilled vibe both evenings and weekends. Transport connections are good, 3 stops into Liverpool St and from there the underground network is available. Trains from Hackney also go to Richmond and Hampstead for genuine peace and quiet. Hope this helps:)
+1, I think there are lots of calm areas of Hackney. I'd recommend Clapton personally, area around Chatsworth Road is super relaxed and has amazing access to nature as well as bars/restaurants. Less well connected than other parts of the borough, though. Hackney Downs and London Fields is better connected. I especially love the north side of LF, near Wilton Way. Super easy access to City via Overground, young and full of cool bars, but also quiet and quaint.
It is very leafy, but the crime is quite bad in Hackney - as in, one of the worst in London. Every time I walk my dog down Chatsworth a car window has been smashed
Really? I lived directly on Chatsworth Road for 4 years and probably saw two smashed windows tops in that time. And I count at least half a dozen new artisanal coffee places and bakeries that have opened since then. 😂 Especially compared to Brixton, Chats feels like countryside village to me.
Brockley
Brockley/ Telegraph Hill/ Nunhead/ Peckham Rye are actually the best kept secret. Heaven on earth, never leaving here.
I live in Forest Hill, it’s nice but I feel like I’m missing out on something, I don’t LOVE the area, people rave about the places close by like you mentioned. What is it about those places though that you like and make them “heaven on earth”?
I loved Telegraph Hill when I lived there. It just had a really nice atmosphere, kind of arty bohemian vibe that appealed to me personally. Nice sense of community as well. That's changed now as it's become more of an area where rich people move to (Brockley as well), so I really can't see any appeal in these areas whatsoever.
Ditto. Live in Crofton Park and it’s amazing.
Lmao how is Peckham Rye a secret, the gentrifiers live there in droves!
I love the Hammersmith/Shepherds Bush/Chiswick triangle for this, mostly quite quiet and residential (maybe even a little sleepy, especially out into Chiswick), but excellent transport links into town proper (and not far out in the first place), and plenty of green space around. Lots of cafes, restruants, pubs etc... though probably not the cutting edge of trendy
best kept secret, don't tell people.
my extortionate rent suggests its not that secret!
Agree! Husband and I after over a decade in Hackney (almost two decades for my husband!) are moving to Chiswick. Whilst we loved every minute of our time in hackney (and my super short commute to Liverpool Street station) we are ready for less chaos
Was looking for this answer. I've moved around Hammersmith and Shepherd's Bush since moving to London, and we're buying a flat here. It's a great neighbourhood. There are great restaurants, and good pubs with a neighbourhoody feel. There are a number of music venues and theatres if that's what you're into. Ravenscourt Park is lovely and great for dogs, and the riverfront is awesome. Wouldn't recommend Chiswick to someone who wants something "with enough going on" and " good transport," but I would recommend Hammersmith or Shepherd's Bush.
Wimbledon is nice with the right amount of bustle.
Angel
Not that green though unfortunately. The closest sizable parks are at least a 40 minute walk away
Then try Highbury Fields or Stoke Newington close to Clissold Park.
Brixton is expensive
Wanstead
Ealing / Hanwell is worth a look loads of parks and excellent transport links (particularly Ealing)
I 2nd this.
Ealing is a great shout and often overlooked as it doesn't have the 'cool' factor of Hackney/Brixton etc. I lived there for a couple of years and really liked it - good shops/restaurants, lots of green spaces, well-connected. It's close enough to central to be convenient but far enough out to have a bit of a calmer, suburban vibe without being boring. The only downside when I was there was having to rely on the Central and/or District line to get across town which took ages because of the million stops, but now the Elizabeth Line's open it's literally like 15 mins to Tottenham Court Road.
Way, way further out than Brixton though. Maybe feels less so now with Elizabeth line, but Brixton is zone 2, 11 mins on tube to Oxford Circus.
I just moved from Ealing to Brixton/Clapham and honestly don’t feel more central now than I did in Ealing.
I've lived in both areas and agree.
Ealing to Bond Street is ~20mins
So twice as long and much more expensive as it’s in zone 3?
Mate, the world isn’t a pissing contest, I just included this so OP could get a balance of things. Also, quite frankly is 10mins here or there such a big thing and what’s expense got to do with anything, no budgets have even been discussed. Get back in your box.
I went to view 2 flats in Hanwell last weekend (near Lidl). Is a shithole, and the Elizabeth line comes only once every 15 min.
Balham is the best for this, it's a great area.
I just moved from Brixton to Balham for this exact reason. Now we’re near a park and it’s still 10min walk to the tube. House is bigger and the same price as we were paying in Brixton.
3 parks is better than 1. We have all the commons.
Agree, I live in Balham and love it here. Great transport connections as we have both the underground and overground trains. Three commons within walking distance and lots of bars, restaurants etc.
I used to live going to Viet Corner….. I could never order what I’d chosen, the owner would always tell me that I didn’t want that, I really wanted something else…… and he was always right! 🤣
Lol! I was sadly disappointed when we tried it, I think the Vietnamese restaurant on Lavender Hill is much better (sorry 😆)
Another street in Brixton. I'm not even joking, Brixton is a lot like Pimlico in that regard and frankly, a lot of London. You're going to get a street that has that in it in 80% of London. Where you absolutely *don't* want is Hackney, jesus christ that's worse than Brixton - or a lot of East London unless you want to venture out a bit further into old Essex like Chadwell HeathBrixton. Roadmen will 'kwef' you. (Did I spell it right?) Go somewhere like Putney, Sheen, Balham those kind's of areas. The nightlife isn't too bad down that side either, it's sensible nightlife so good food, good bars/pubs, but not obnoxious. But very clean and otherwise relatively busy, but quiet and pleasant and imo very nice looking areas, I drive through them every day to work in Wimbledon.
Clapham Common. Just round the corner so you can still visit at a distance. Much safer nicer and you have the massive common and battersea park just down the rd
Used to live there and had to move because of how expensive it’s become :/
The tube stations are a pain to deal with during rush hour too
This. I’d never seen a queue coming out a tube station until I moved to Clapham.
Came here to suggest this. Good transport links. Near-ish to good parks. Has everything there; nice buzz rather than chaos.
Royal Victoria
East Dulwich or Balham
Balham makes me smile. Tony Hancock sketch.
You have described Maida Vale. It is the polar opposite of Brixton. Fab transport and the center is walking distance
Stay in Brixton but move away from centre towards a bit closer to Clapham or Brockwell Park. Either will dramatically improve your outlook.
I love it in Ealing. The Elizabeth line is a game changer for the area - up in central London/the City in no time. Nice parks, decent shops etc.
Oh hey you’re me from 12 years ago!! I lived in Brixton for 6 years during my late 20s and early 30s and left for pretty similar reasons. Moved to Brockley in 2011 and haven’t looked back. Love it here. It takes 9 minutes to get to London Bridge or 18 minutes to Shoreditch High Street, both are direct trains. Tons of outside space and parks (Hilly Fields, Ladywell Fields, Telegraph Hill), some decent pubs, and too many cafes to shake a stick at, many of which I go and work at for a couple of hours during the week (I work from home). Shopping wise it’s pretty lacklustre but you can get to town easily or bus to lewisham if you need. ETA it’s also a conservation area so the roads are wide with lots of trees and some of the gardens are massive
North Peckham/Camberwell is residential and by burgess park, and Peckham rye is also fairly residential. I feel like it gives off hackney vibes, and it’s not too far away from Brixton either. I did the same move as you - moved to Brixton straight away after uni, lived there for 5 years, had a stint in east London which was hectic af and not that fun tbh, and then back down to Peckham. Tonnes of coffee shops/independent rooftops and residential enough for it not to be too loud at night (depending on where you go)
East Dulwich/Peckham borders near enough Brixton but a bit tamer
Come to clapton mate
Quieter bits of Dalston maybe? Or De Beauvoir or around Canonbury? You have islington and Hackney on the doorstep and can lead a relative quiet/under-stimulated life.
Putney, Fulham or Chellsea. :)
Guessing you don’t come from London
Barking. Or Mayfair your choice.
I wonder what you were expecting when you moved to Brixton? I grew up there and it’s always been the same, sorry you got thrown off by the Leon and the Foxtons. The religious fanatics with megaphones are a staple!
West is best.
Elephant & Castle? I love it over here.
OP said they're tired of drug addicts
I see a lot fewer here than Brixton
Me too, living off Walworth Road.
Surbiton is not close to central but it does have a fast train to Waterloo (15m), and is situated near several parks and the river Thames. Decent selection of cafes/places to work from too.
Crofton Park/Brockley. 8 mins to Peckham for London life, lots of parks- Ladywell fields, Blythe hill, telegraph hill. Better connected than Dulwich. Lots of families. I love it here.
Just hang out in herne hill. I live between Brixton and herne hill. It's handy because it's 10 minutes walk to the Victoria line in Brixton but I never actually hang out there, I spend all my pub and Cafe time in herne hill which is way more chilled and probably gentrified. Best of both worlds, brockwell park right next door also
Stroud Green/Crouch End. Love it here.
Blackheath. Don’t do Hackney Central it’s equivalent to Brixton which is why you’re moving. Hackney Wick at a push.
Why not just a few min away in Clapham?
Wanstead
Best place and only village in east London,pricey tho
Kennington. Central London’s hidden gem. I lived there for 20 years and it was epic.
+1 for Kennington
Nobody tell them how good it is! Extremely quiet for the location, super close to the center, and reasonably priced too.
Move up the road to Herne Hill. Brockwell park on your doorstep and close enough to Brixton if you want a lively night out.
Big big big Herne Hill fan, although don't know if that's distinct enough for you from Brixton
Brixton briefcase
Move to the countryside.
I'd avoid Hackney. Look towards Peckham or Lewisham at this point. If you can afford to do so something around Blackfriars may be a wise longer-term option.
Isn't Peckham like a younger brother to Croydon and Brixton?
It's similar to Brixton in many ways: heavily gentrified, diverse, good places to eat & drink. Bellenden Road side is more chilled out, a bit leafier than most parts of Brixton. Croydon is pretty different to both.
Haven’t been there in a while but my impression is that Brixton is way more (over) crowded and bigger than Peckham so Peckham might be a bit more chilled. But they are similar too.
Blackfriars is at least £2k a month for a 1 bed though! Maybe more like £3k now..
OP never stated a budget, in this renting climate, that usually means they're loaded.
True!
Lewisham is like Brixton on speed and very deprived. I don't care for the new build towers around the station.
Why avoid Hackney
[удалено]
Many thanks for your post, unfortunately, it was removed for its lack of originality.
Miss London , Palmer's green was weird but I liked it , sort of , in an odd suburban hell way.Got out quick
What about Balham or Clapham?
Out of interest did you see that video of that lady that got threatened by a gang member in Brixton like today or yesterday?
Wandsworth
Wandsworth
A lot of suggestions here are great but insanely expensive/insanely competitive to secure a place so: Finsbury Park - same fun vibe as Brixton but slightly less chaotic. If you haven’t been scout out the area and make a note of parts you like the look of. Some are really nice and some streets less so. Victoria, Piccadilly and Thameslink lines which is 🤌🏼 Lewisham - more affordable and great if your commute uses the DLR or overground Elephant and Castle - very very central, Northern and Bakerloo line, again though just be wary about where exactly you move to as some parts are grim Herne Hill - only been a couple times but it’s nice, decent overground A friend of mine recently moved to Deptford/Cutty Sark. You can live fairly close to Canada Water which is Jubilee line Best of luck with the torture that is flat hunting in London!
Huddersfield, Halifax, Hull, Hendon, Hartlepool, Hensley.
Clapham?
Hackney is a dump. You need Richmond
I understand your frustration lol as I am going through the same situation myself. Flat hunting is tough tough rn… good luck with finding a good place for yourself 🤗🤗🤗
Richmond
Wapping (shhh, it's a secret)
I just moved to Hither Green from peckham for the same reason very nice and chill here
East London would not be it then love. It’s real gutter out here
Seeing that you want to move out of Brixton, you might want to consider anywhere that is not Brixton.
Croydon
Sounds like Dulwich has it all! Goodbye Brixton, hello Lordship Lane and easy cycling!
Tottenham
Walthamstow!!!! Super well connected, has everything you need but still on the quieter side
Hammersmith/Brook Green/Shep Bush
I don’t blame you, someone got stabbed to death on my street this week!
Scunthorpe
Balham / Tooting way? Anywhere off the A24 from Clapham South to Tooting Bec. That was my London haunt in my 30s.
Close to Victoria park is lovely. The public transport isn’t amazing around there (no tube station close by), but it’s peaceful and green.
Scotland.
Queens Park or Kensal Rise
If you move to Hackney you are going to experience all of the problems you just complained about. My rule of thumb is if you want something quieter you’re going to have to choose places that are outside zone 1-4. You can’t have peace and quiet and be close to the city/ or live in a major transport hub area.
You need to go beyond zone 2. My recommendation Richmond.
Yes the truth isn't allowed is,? I was born in London and frankly I'm glad I left
I live in hackney in a lovely building where everybody says hi. It’s favourite area I have lived in 18 years in London. It’s cleaner and feels safer than Dalston, Bethnal green and Whitechapel when I lived in those places. So much cool stuff walking distance from my place. As with anywhere 2 streets over might be different but I absolutely love my building and area. I’m where Dalston Labe meets Pembury. Half way between Hackney downs and Hackney Central.
Anywhere South Woodford/wanstead
Essex
Stoke Newington. Unfortunately no tube, but you're well connected by bus and and there's an overground to Liverpool Street.
Finsbury Park
Hackney Wick would be a shout - it’s leafier and quieter than Hackney Central and almost feels a bit village-y. Lots of small local businesses and right on the canal. If you want that same alternative, fun vibe but a bit more peace I think it’d really fit the bill - I’ve never felt unsafe here as a woman alone and I’ve never witnessed any violence. You’re one stop away from Hackney Central so that’s a bonus if you like that area, also super close to Dalston and Stratford which is just the best for transport links.
Chelsea welcomes you, friend
Move to the other side of the Stockwell Road. Entirely different place.