May be moving to London - Canary Wharf - where to live?
Discussion
I have been offered a job in London, based in Canary Wharf, that I am likely to accept.
Where should I look to rent a flat? It would likely be me alone for a bit until my partner got a job down here and joined me. I would therefore want something a bigger than a studio, but a one bed would still be fine.
Also, how much should I expect to pay? Salary on offer is good, but obviously don't want to overpay. I would also likely have to continue paying rent on current flat until partner was able to join me.
Hours are likely to be long so ideally wouldn't be more than a 30-45 minute commute. May cycle if appropriate.
Where should I look to rent a flat? It would likely be me alone for a bit until my partner got a job down here and joined me. I would therefore want something a bigger than a studio, but a one bed would still be fine.
Also, how much should I expect to pay? Salary on offer is good, but obviously don't want to overpay. I would also likely have to continue paying rent on current flat until partner was able to join me.
Hours are likely to be long so ideally wouldn't be more than a 30-45 minute commute. May cycle if appropriate.
Depends on what you like:
City/Gritty not yet fully gentrified feel - Whitechapel/Shadwell/Canning Town - 1 bed is £1,300+
Close/nice - Borough/Catherine’s dock/Greenwich - all £1,500+ but can either walk/cycle/tube with ease and not get stabbed...
More relaxed - suburban balance - Beckenham/Bromley N/Sidcup (regular quIck trains to Lewisham/Canary wharf the tube/DLR over or cycle) - 1 bed is £1,000+
I’d be tempted to get a flat share until such time the Mrs moves to manage cost and explore a few areas before committing to a longer term though.
City/Gritty not yet fully gentrified feel - Whitechapel/Shadwell/Canning Town - 1 bed is £1,300+
Close/nice - Borough/Catherine’s dock/Greenwich - all £1,500+ but can either walk/cycle/tube with ease and not get stabbed...
More relaxed - suburban balance - Beckenham/Bromley N/Sidcup (regular quIck trains to Lewisham/Canary wharf the tube/DLR over or cycle) - 1 bed is £1,000+
I’d be tempted to get a flat share until such time the Mrs moves to manage cost and explore a few areas before committing to a longer term though.
Cheers chaps. The new employer would put me up for a month in a serviced apartment which would give me some time to investigate. £1-2k is easily affordable. I suppose question two is whether or not to sell my car - wouldn't really need one, would it make sense to keep it? The third question is also where will my partner get a job - we may need to move when she comes down so as to have a sensible commute for both of us. This may suggest a flat share but in all honesty I think I am past that and can easily afford not too (though paying two rents would sting for a while).
Edited by Integroo on Monday 10th December 14:55
I wouldn't bother owning a car in central london personally, it's a considerable added expense that probably won't get used.
Job wise, plenty of opportunities and most of london is commutable one side to the other and top to bottom once you live down there.
Good luck to you, couldn't pay me to live in central london!
Job wise, plenty of opportunities and most of london is commutable one side to the other and top to bottom once you live down there.
Good luck to you, couldn't pay me to live in central london!
designforlife said:
It would also make vastly more sense to bring her down with you straight away and just rent the one flat in town..
plenty of work around for those who want it, she would probably have something inside 4 weeks, even if it's just to chip in with bills until the right job pops up.
It would, but she is a professional as well, and it is much easier to get a job when you have a job. It wouldn't be ideal if she moved down and wasn't able to get a job that would move her career forward also. plenty of work around for those who want it, she would probably have something inside 4 weeks, even if it's just to chip in with bills until the right job pops up.
designforlife said:
I wouldn't bother owning a car in central london personally, it's a considerable added expense that probably won't get used.
Job wise, plenty of opportunities and most of london is commutable one side to the other and top to bottom once you live down there.
Good luck to you, couldn't pay me to live in central london!
Sounds like selling the car may be sensible. I'm 6 months into a PCP, but the WBAC valuation is only 20 quid off the finance balance so can't complain!Job wise, plenty of opportunities and most of london is commutable one side to the other and top to bottom once you live down there.
Good luck to you, couldn't pay me to live in central london!
I don't particularly want to live in London, but the salary is about 2.5x what I earn currently, and anyway it isn't about the money, working at this sort of firm and having their name on my CV will pay dividends in the future.
Londoner all my life and not sure why I run a car. Guess cos I have always had one and I still remember when you could get up at 0630 and drive into Central during the week and only see a few milk floats.
Oh! and there were places in the centre where you could park for free.
Some of my current commutes:
Sat eve about 1800, Olympic Park, Stratford to Acton, about 12 miles, a clutch pumping 1.5 hours.
Any week day after rush hour, Wandsworth to Stratford, also 12 miles, anywhere between 1.25 to 2 hours or more. Mind you my record after midnight is 30 mins coming back. (Another reason I own a car, unsocial hours)
School kick out time, Wandsworth to Acton, 7 miles, anywhere between 40 minutes to 1 hour.
Mind you that last one is still quicker than public transport.
Unless you are a fan of a quick walk to work, don't live in Canary Wharf itself, a totally souless place which still manages to be full of the wrong sort after dark.
A mate lives in Leytonstone which was a hole in the 80s when I was a courier but seems alright these days yet a bit cheaper than Stratford. Might be a tube then a DLR to get to work though.
Oh! and there were places in the centre where you could park for free.
Some of my current commutes:
Sat eve about 1800, Olympic Park, Stratford to Acton, about 12 miles, a clutch pumping 1.5 hours.
Any week day after rush hour, Wandsworth to Stratford, also 12 miles, anywhere between 1.25 to 2 hours or more. Mind you my record after midnight is 30 mins coming back. (Another reason I own a car, unsocial hours)
School kick out time, Wandsworth to Acton, 7 miles, anywhere between 40 minutes to 1 hour.
Mind you that last one is still quicker than public transport.
Unless you are a fan of a quick walk to work, don't live in Canary Wharf itself, a totally souless place which still manages to be full of the wrong sort after dark.
A mate lives in Leytonstone which was a hole in the 80s when I was a courier but seems alright these days yet a bit cheaper than Stratford. Might be a tube then a DLR to get to work though.
You don't have to live IN london if you don't want to...plenty of commuter towns on fast train links.
I'm in St Albans... 25 minutes from kings cross on the thameslink...rent is about a grand a month and you can own a car, not live in london etc etc, but it's there if i want to go to gigs, meet friends or whatever.
Seems utter madness to pay rent on two properties at the same time if you can avoid it...it would cost you a lot less to have her sat at home in the new flat in london watching daytime telly and surfing job sites.
In terms of moving her career forward, london is probably exactly the place she needs to be, unless she's a dairy farmer or landscape painter.
I'm in St Albans... 25 minutes from kings cross on the thameslink...rent is about a grand a month and you can own a car, not live in london etc etc, but it's there if i want to go to gigs, meet friends or whatever.
Seems utter madness to pay rent on two properties at the same time if you can avoid it...it would cost you a lot less to have her sat at home in the new flat in london watching daytime telly and surfing job sites.
In terms of moving her career forward, london is probably exactly the place she needs to be, unless she's a dairy farmer or landscape painter.
Edited by designforlife on Monday 10th December 15:53
West Hampstead.
It's a really nice area to live in, with lovely cafes, shops, bars, etc, providing proper villagey feel.
Plus easy access to West End and the City, Hampstead Heath, Hampstead proper, the A1, North Circular, and M1
Very fast Jubilee Line to Canary Wharf. Plus Thameslink and Overground too.
It's not cheap, but you could pay as much to live in Hackney or Borough, and it's posh enough that you can park an Aston Martin, Ferrari or Bentley on the street.
If you want to be more East then, despite their proximity to CW, avoid Poplar or Canning Town (crime-ridden hellholes) or the Isle of Dogs (utterly dead and soulless).
The Barbican is nice if you can afford it.
It's a really nice area to live in, with lovely cafes, shops, bars, etc, providing proper villagey feel.
Plus easy access to West End and the City, Hampstead Heath, Hampstead proper, the A1, North Circular, and M1
Very fast Jubilee Line to Canary Wharf. Plus Thameslink and Overground too.
It's not cheap, but you could pay as much to live in Hackney or Borough, and it's posh enough that you can park an Aston Martin, Ferrari or Bentley on the street.
If you want to be more East then, despite their proximity to CW, avoid Poplar or Canning Town (crime-ridden hellholes) or the Isle of Dogs (utterly dead and soulless).
The Barbican is nice if you can afford it.
Been in London for 15 years, worked in Canary Wharf for 10 years. It’s an ok place to live if you don’t mind being in a characterless / soulless neighbourhood. I was never tempted by the prospect of living there even with all the shiny buildings and pricey leisure amenities.
From a commuting perspective, I would look at places along the DLR line or Jubilee line. Not a big fan of East London in general, would recommend places like St Katharine Docks, Bankside / Southwark, Baker Street, St John’s Wood / Maida Vale, Swiss Cottage and West Hampstead.
From a commuting perspective, I would look at places along the DLR line or Jubilee line. Not a big fan of East London in general, would recommend places like St Katharine Docks, Bankside / Southwark, Baker Street, St John’s Wood / Maida Vale, Swiss Cottage and West Hampstead.
tomtom said:
Wapping. Short walk to work (seriously, don't commute, it's soul destroying), lots of underground parking, nice quiet area but handy to get to more lively places by tube.
I'd second this, get a place overlooking the river with some nice pubs nearby. Avoid living in Canary Wharf- it's positively eerie.I'm currently renting a place in Wandsworth two bedroom flat with two bathrooms and a secure parking area with allocated spot.
Landlord wanted £1750 a month I got him down to £1550.
Bit of a trek to Canary Wharf in a morning though for you but I find the West better to live than the east. I'm there Monday to Friday and if I decide to drive down instead of the train it's easy to get out on the M3 or M4.
Canary Wharf would be fairly easy on a motorbike.
Landlord wanted £1750 a month I got him down to £1550.
Bit of a trek to Canary Wharf in a morning though for you but I find the West better to live than the east. I'm there Monday to Friday and if I decide to drive down instead of the train it's easy to get out on the M3 or M4.
Canary Wharf would be fairly easy on a motorbike.
Don’t bother living in the isle of dogs. It’s a soulless s
thole. Waaaaaay overpriced, 90% of the people there are scrotes that steal anything with or without wheels. Underground car parks aren’t safe either.
I’d rather live in Greenwich south of the river. There is a walk/cycle tunnel from the cutty dark that goes into the isle of dogs.
Similar money but much prettier/trendy
A 2-3 bed flat in Millenium quay will be around £16-1800 pcm and it’s a 5 min cycle to the tunnel. The actual estate is around 20 years old so it’s got more green bits and much more space.
Out of all the estates that I work in, this is the best by far. Nothing wrong with the others if you’re cool with glass buildings and tarred play areas etc.
A 3 bed premium apartment in or near canary is 3-4k pcm depending on the services offered :0
thole. Waaaaaay overpriced, 90% of the people there are scrotes that steal anything with or without wheels. Underground car parks aren’t safe either. I’d rather live in Greenwich south of the river. There is a walk/cycle tunnel from the cutty dark that goes into the isle of dogs.
Similar money but much prettier/trendy
A 2-3 bed flat in Millenium quay will be around £16-1800 pcm and it’s a 5 min cycle to the tunnel. The actual estate is around 20 years old so it’s got more green bits and much more space.
Out of all the estates that I work in, this is the best by far. Nothing wrong with the others if you’re cool with glass buildings and tarred play areas etc.
A 3 bed premium apartment in or near canary is 3-4k pcm depending on the services offered :0
Edited by Djtemeka on Tuesday 25th December 12:50
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