Reply to: Places to live in London...

[Bagpuss]

Putney, Fulham, parts of Hammersmith or Chiswick would be my choice. Nice areas, low(ish) crime, rents medium high but not too bad.

[Rebecca Loos]

because you get loads for your money. I can't send out pics of my flat for you (for security reasons ) but if you knew what you get for £200 a week (shared between 2 people, am talking large 2 bedroom flat here).

Recently I went to visit lots of other places in London and I was so disappointed by the standard of flats I saw. My flatmate and I had a look around because we wanted a better area (I will grant you that East London is quite poor in many respects) but we were not ready to compromise THAT much in terms of floor space, furnishings, tidiness, and just the general state of the places which was at best average at worst never maintained and crumbling apart. Obviously we didn't want to go much further north than £300 a week for a 2 bedroom so we realised after a month searching to just forget it. We'll stay where we are, in a great flat in a tulip location, and let others live in a tulip flat in a great location. These are basically the 2 options!

[Francko]

Franco I noticed you sneaking in with a short veiled attack on east london, you are in my black book.....

Like in the All Blacks???

Don't take it personally. East London would have been very convenient for me at the moment. I just can't figure out a reason to live there.

[Rebecca Loos]

Franco I noticed you sneaking in with a short veiled attack on east london, you are in my black book.....

[insight14]

Easy hotel. Prices from £20 a night - South Ken.

A friend of mine stayed in a similar establishment in South Ken. 2 bunk beds in a prison cell sized room with NO furnishings (tv, fridge, kettle, nothing), communal toilets/showers. And he had the tube pass by on the other side of the wall.

So at least you could sleep between 01:15 and 05:00.....

[OwlHoot]

Easy hotel. Prices from £20 a night - South Ken.

For £20 per night you'd spend half the night squashing bed bugs, and the other half asleep with one eye open to ensure none of the other dozen dossers in the room rifled through your bags.

[snaw]

In between to live in permanently would be places like Putney, Grenwich, Islington - great transport and not too claustraphobic, good pubs and close but far enough away ...

Part time then maybe a flat share - www.craigslist.org or loot.co.uk might offer some. Any hotel at £20 a night in London had got to have some serious issues.

[sasguru]

If you want a flat ...

Try Aldgate/Whitechapel. Some niceish flats around there and you're bang in Zone 1 so no long commutes. Area is not the best but safe enough - crime is of the petty kind - stealing car radios etc.

[mcquiggd]

...

Not bad - that would be all id need for 'surviving' monday to thursday...

[Chico]

Easy hotel. Prices from £20 a night - South Ken.

[mcquiggd]

...

'Something in between' really...

1) I have two options: live there full time in which case id go for something more comfortable, or

2) Just get a place to crash during the week and probably buy abroad - the Eurostar suggestion is something ive considered before, and im running through the possibilities / upsides / downsides of having a 'main' residence abroad...

So at the moment im listening to peoples opinions about standard of living / costs etc before making a decision...

[snaw]

£300 a week gives you lot's of options - what sort of area are you looking for?

Peace and quiet or young and edgy (Or something in between) transport links, nightlife, pubs, ambience etc. Need lot's more info.

BTW East london umm ...

[Francko]

[QUOTE=Rebecca Loos]East London's the only place for you, my friend.

This is the only place in London where you can get a brand new flat, with all mod cons, for about £200 a week.
[QUOTE]

That's about 200 pounds more than the value you get.

There are plenty of areas to consider but please, not east london.

[Lucifer Box]

I used to do the Peterborough commute thing. Wasn't really a problem. Of course, if the trains go tits up you're pretty well stuck but your money goes much further than it would do in central London. Helps if you can find a place close to P'boro station and if your client is close to Kings Cross.

If all you want is a place to crash within easy reach of to the centre, the flat over a shop option is normally economical almost anywhere in London. Not swanky obviously, but you can live smack in the middle of a nice area (e.g. Wimbledon, 13 mins from Waterloo by train) where you would no way be able to afford to a new flat.

How about somewhere in France close to the Eurostar?

[insight14]

They say (whoever "they" are) that people will spend up to 3 times their working rate in time to save money. So if you're on £30/hr, you'll be happy enough travelling an extra hour a day if it saves you £10 that day.

I think thats bollox. When in Rome and all that. If all you want to do is sleep at the place, go to Stratford (as Becca says). If you want to live in a nice area (Islington, Holland Park), think about doing a flatshare. If you want to be in a nice area but by yourself you will have to go further out (Hampstead Heath, Ealing, Wimbledon, Richmond).