Owning a car in central London
Discussion
cb1965 said:
Integroo said:
cb1965 said:
It's not too late to change your mind. Don't move to London and keep enjoying your cars without worrying about parking permits, speed bumps everywhere, traffic gates (designed to keep alloy wheel companies in business), TfL's dishonesty about every journey mattering as they try to drive you off the road with ULEZs, stupid traffic restrictions and giving cyclists the priority over everyone else. HTH 
I might f
king hate it but hey it's something worth doing in your twenties - I can always move back North! C70R said:
ZX10R NIN said:
RJG46 said:
Blackheath and Greenwich are ideal. Easy access to Canary Wharf and the A2 and A20 provide fairly reliable routes in and out of town to the M25.
I'd say Lewisham is one of the best areas because you can either drive or jump on a trains (they're every minute in the rush hour) as well as the DLR & great Bus Links too. Have you been to Lewisham lately? The prices are ridiculous I sold my large 3 bed terrace for what I class as silly money, it was on the market 2 weeks I still have family there & people are clamouring to buy property in the area.
There are pros & cons to all areas but for someone who may not have a car & wanting to be in that area of the SE then I'd move back to Lewisham over the other two mentioned.
Integroo said:
What about NW London, Hampstead and the like? Easily computable to CW.
There are loads of places that are easily commutable to CW. I used to do it from Parsons Green, and it was pretty straightforward.In your shoes, I'd go and explore a few parts of town that look like the tube trip might lead to a <45min commute (door-to-door). I find this is the magic number, but YMMV.
Look at Rightmove to get a feel for property prices in the areas if you're buying, then go hang out for a weekend or evening to get a feel for the places. I personally don't like the bits of NW London that I could afford to buy in, but I have friends who live in St Johns Wood and it's a delightful part of the world.
The important thing when thinking about location is to get the idea out of your head that you'll be travelling into Central London every weekend/evening for entertainment. I probably only go once a fortnight or so, when something is worth going for. People tend to spend their time socialising around where they work and live.
If you're young, don't discount somewhere like Peckham. It's a short commute to CW, and is rapidly gentrifying (via coffee shops, restaurants and craft beer) thanks to a litany of young, creative folk living locally. Be warned that it's still rough around the edges, and all the better for it.
Hackney is very similar to the above (albeit slightly further along the gentrification curve), and achingly cool, with absolutely loads of great places to spend your time in your 20s.
If you want somewhere relatively good value and don't mind having to travel away for bars/restaurants, Limehouse (particularly around the marina) is a decent enough spot where you could walk to work from.
Personally I've always found Greenwich a bit touristy and felt that Blackheath was a bit old/slow for me when I was in my 20s.
Edited by C70R on Tuesday 15th January 13:21
ZX10R NIN said:
C70R said:
ZX10R NIN said:
RJG46 said:
Blackheath and Greenwich are ideal. Easy access to Canary Wharf and the A2 and A20 provide fairly reliable routes in and out of town to the M25.
I'd say Lewisham is one of the best areas because you can either drive or jump on a trains (they're every minute in the rush hour) as well as the DLR & great Bus Links too. Have you been to Lewisham lately? The prices are ridiculous I sold my large 3 bed terrace for what I class as silly money, it was on the market 2 weeks I still have family there & people are clamouring to buy property in the area.
There are pros & cons to all areas but for someone who may not have a car & wanting to be in that area of the SE then I'd move back to Lewisham over the other two mentioned.
It simply means that prices further in (for the more desirable places) have pushed buyers further out. Take Colliers Wood for an example - while most of SW London has flatlined and saturated in the past 12mths, a good friend has made almost 20% by buying smartly here. However, Colliers Wood is still a hovel, with almost no redeeming features or facilities.
As for comparing Greenwich and Lewisham, it's laughable. The latter is full of deadbeat pubs, bookmakers and pound shops; whereas a short drive down the road brings a marked step up in standards and quality.
C70R said:
There are loads of places that are easily commutable to CW. I used to do it from Parsons Green, and it was pretty straightforward.
In your shoes, I'd go and explore a few parts of town that look like the tube trip might lead to a <45min commute (door-to-door). I find this is the magic number, but YMMV.
Look at Rightmove to get a feel for property prices in the areas if you're buying, then go hang out for a weekend or evening to get a feel for the places. I personally don't like the bits of NW London that I could afford to buy in, but I have friends who live in St Johns Wood and it's a delightful part of the world.
The important thing when thinking about location is to get the idea out of your head that you'll be travelling into Central London every weekend/evening for entertainment. I probably only go once a fortnight or so, when something is worth going for. People tend to spend their time socialising around where they work and live.
If you're young, don't discount somewhere like Peckham. It's a short commute to CW, and is rapidly gentrifying (via coffee shops, restaurants and craft beer) thanks to a litany of young, creative folk living locally. Be warned that it's still rough around the edges, and all the better for it.
Hackney is very similar to the above (albeit slightly further along the gentrification curve), and achingly cool, with absolutely loads of great places to spend your time in your 20s.
If you want somewhere relatively good value and don't mind having to travel away for bars/restaurants, Limehouse (particularly around the marina) is a decent enough spot where you could walk to work from.
Personally I've always found Greenwich a bit touristy and felt that Blackheath was a bit old/slow for me when I was in my 20s.
Cheers for the tips. Going for a long weekend this weekend to scope it out, so will visit all these places. I do have a reasonably strong preference for being close to work, only because I know my hours will be very long. Walking distance would be ideal. In your shoes, I'd go and explore a few parts of town that look like the tube trip might lead to a <45min commute (door-to-door). I find this is the magic number, but YMMV.
Look at Rightmove to get a feel for property prices in the areas if you're buying, then go hang out for a weekend or evening to get a feel for the places. I personally don't like the bits of NW London that I could afford to buy in, but I have friends who live in St Johns Wood and it's a delightful part of the world.
The important thing when thinking about location is to get the idea out of your head that you'll be travelling into Central London every weekend/evening for entertainment. I probably only go once a fortnight or so, when something is worth going for. People tend to spend their time socialising around where they work and live.
If you're young, don't discount somewhere like Peckham. It's a short commute to CW, and is rapidly gentrifying (via coffee shops, restaurants and craft beer) thanks to a litany of young, creative folk living locally. Be warned that it's still rough around the edges, and all the better for it.
Hackney is very similar to the above (albeit slightly further along the gentrification curve), and achingly cool, with absolutely loads of great places to spend your time in your 20s.
If you want somewhere relatively good value and don't mind having to travel away for bars/restaurants, Limehouse (particularly around the marina) is a decent enough spot where you could walk to work from.
Personally I've always found Greenwich a bit touristy and felt that Blackheath was a bit old/slow for me when I was in my 20s.
Edited by C70R on Tuesday 15th January 13:21
Integroo said:
C70R said:
There are loads of places that are easily commutable to CW. I used to do it from Parsons Green, and it was pretty straightforward.
In your shoes, I'd go and explore a few parts of town that look like the tube trip might lead to a <45min commute (door-to-door). I find this is the magic number, but YMMV.
Look at Rightmove to get a feel for property prices in the areas if you're buying, then go hang out for a weekend or evening to get a feel for the places. I personally don't like the bits of NW London that I could afford to buy in, but I have friends who live in St Johns Wood and it's a delightful part of the world.
The important thing when thinking about location is to get the idea out of your head that you'll be travelling into Central London every weekend/evening for entertainment. I probably only go once a fortnight or so, when something is worth going for. People tend to spend their time socialising around where they work and live.
If you're young, don't discount somewhere like Peckham. It's a short commute to CW, and is rapidly gentrifying (via coffee shops, restaurants and craft beer) thanks to a litany of young, creative folk living locally. Be warned that it's still rough around the edges, and all the better for it.
Hackney is very similar to the above (albeit slightly further along the gentrification curve), and achingly cool, with absolutely loads of great places to spend your time in your 20s.
If you want somewhere relatively good value and don't mind having to travel away for bars/restaurants, Limehouse (particularly around the marina) is a decent enough spot where you could walk to work from.
Personally I've always found Greenwich a bit touristy and felt that Blackheath was a bit old/slow for me when I was in my 20s.
Cheers for the tips. Going for a long weekend this weekend to scope it out, so will visit all these places. I do have a reasonably strong preference for being close to work, only because I know my hours will be very long. Walking distance would be ideal. In your shoes, I'd go and explore a few parts of town that look like the tube trip might lead to a <45min commute (door-to-door). I find this is the magic number, but YMMV.
Look at Rightmove to get a feel for property prices in the areas if you're buying, then go hang out for a weekend or evening to get a feel for the places. I personally don't like the bits of NW London that I could afford to buy in, but I have friends who live in St Johns Wood and it's a delightful part of the world.
The important thing when thinking about location is to get the idea out of your head that you'll be travelling into Central London every weekend/evening for entertainment. I probably only go once a fortnight or so, when something is worth going for. People tend to spend their time socialising around where they work and live.
If you're young, don't discount somewhere like Peckham. It's a short commute to CW, and is rapidly gentrifying (via coffee shops, restaurants and craft beer) thanks to a litany of young, creative folk living locally. Be warned that it's still rough around the edges, and all the better for it.
Hackney is very similar to the above (albeit slightly further along the gentrification curve), and achingly cool, with absolutely loads of great places to spend your time in your 20s.
If you want somewhere relatively good value and don't mind having to travel away for bars/restaurants, Limehouse (particularly around the marina) is a decent enough spot where you could walk to work from.
Personally I've always found Greenwich a bit touristy and felt that Blackheath was a bit old/slow for me when I was in my 20s.
Edited by C70R on Tuesday 15th January 13:21
As with everything, it's a tradeoff. In your position, being under 30 with a (presumably) healthy London wage, I'd be heading somewhere like Hackney or Peckham to get the proper, vibrant London experience. As an example, new things to go/eat/drink/do/see are popping up weekly in both places - while the same absolutely can't be said of somewhere like Greenwich, Kilburn or Limehouse.
Earlsfield, just below Wandsworth and above Tooting, is much loved by the younger set as well as new families.
Plenty of places to go out and Waterloo is 15 minutes on the train, plus there are loads of buses. Walk or cycle up to the Thames and it's a nice way in as well. Plus you can even get a boat in the rush hour.
Waterloo to CW is about 10 minutes.
Plus with a car, you are not far from the A3 to easily escape the city. Parking permit for on road is £140 a year.
Very cheap council tax, that's why I had to give up my life in Surrey and move back. I actually save money by being closer to work.
Plenty of places to go out and Waterloo is 15 minutes on the train, plus there are loads of buses. Walk or cycle up to the Thames and it's a nice way in as well. Plus you can even get a boat in the rush hour.
Waterloo to CW is about 10 minutes.
Plus with a car, you are not far from the A3 to easily escape the city. Parking permit for on road is £140 a year.
Very cheap council tax, that's why I had to give up my life in Surrey and move back. I actually save money by being closer to work.
croyde said:
Waterloo to CW is about 10 minutes.
.
I did that for six months, and have decided not to take another job in CW until Crossrail opens..
Waterloo to CW is generally about 10 minutes, but even the most minor delay (trains every three minutes rather than every two minutes) closes the Waterloo entrance to the Jubilee Line. Sometimes that means queuing on the Waterloo Road for 10 minutes, other times it means taking another route, which is a nightmare with the Jubilee down.
Often the same on the way back, fighting to get back on the DLR. It should all change once Crossrail opens, but that could be a while off yet.
croyde said:
Sorry. Forgot about the rush hour which I thankfully miss normally.
Shocker if I have to be in work between 8 or 9am. I then wonder how on earth people do it 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year.
Earlsfield is frightful at 8am.
Indeed. I work 15 minutes walk from Waterloo now. Much better, but it can still sometimes take ages to even get out of Waterloo station if the Jubilee Line is not running and they are kettling the crowds on Waterloo Road.Shocker if I have to be in work between 8 or 9am. I then wonder how on earth people do it 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year.
Earlsfield is frightful at 8am.
The other problem with Earlsfield is SWR, who have been awful since they have taken over the franchise and it looks like the union problems could get worse this year.
Outside of rush hour, transport is great. I’m a bit further out on the same line, and I once had to go home to pick something up at lunchtime when I worked in CW. Desk to home and back to desk almost within an hour which can’t be bad.
I still think I’d want to be on the tube if I was choosing somewhere to live to be accessible to CW. The West London options mentioned are good as they are before the Jubilee Line gets really busy at Waterloo/London Bridge. Still doesn’t help getting out in the evening rush, but Crossrail will when it finally comes.
SidewaysSi said:
I lived in Royal Arsenal in Woolwich for 8 years and really enjoyed it.
Easy to get to CW,.
Have you seen the peak time queues at the Blackwall tunnel lately ?Easy to get to CW,.
Eugh !
Alternatively ,there's always the Woolwich ferry.....LOL....
Sensible way to cross the river is DLR or trains.
Edited by Pericoloso on Tuesday 15th January 22:51
Pericoloso said:
SidewaysSi said:
I lived in Royal Arsenal in Woolwich for 8 years and really enjoyed it.
Easy to get to CW,.
Have you seen the peak time queues at the Blackwall tunnel lately ?Easy to get to CW,.
Eugh !
Alternatively ,there's always the Woolwich ferry.....LOL....
Sensible way to cross the river is DLR or trains.
Edited by Pericoloso on Tuesday 15th January 22:51
croyde said:
Earlsfield, just below Wandsworth and above Tooting, is much loved by the younger set as well as new families.
Eisch... I wouldn't say Earlsfield was necessarily "young", although it's definitely not unpleasant. Most people I know who've moved there are in their mid/late-30s, with kids (usually chasing a catchment area for that school whose name I can't recall).While there are a couple of nice pubs/restaurants on Garrett Lane (RIP Cah-Chi), I wouldn't be recommending it over somewhere like Hackney or Peckham for someone in their 20s. If it had to be SW, then I'd be pushing more towards Tooting, with new spots popping up all over the place in and around the markets as well as the convenience of the Northern Line.
Edited by C70R on Wednesday 16th January 10:17
SidewaysSi said:
I lived in Royal Arsenal in Woolwich for 8 years and really enjoyed it.
Easy to get to CW, drive out of London and I had secure underground parking. Would happily live there again.
I have a mate who bought down in Woolwich (moving from Brixton) on the strength of the opportunity to make money from Crossrail. However, he openly admits that it's absolutely miserable compared with the more vibrant parts of town - he described the centre of Woolwich as "depressingly sh*te", and openly avoids it at evenings/weekends. I'm not sure I could do that...Easy to get to CW, drive out of London and I had secure underground parking. Would happily live there again.
If your priority was just to commute into and escape from London, then Woolwich would be ideal. Otherwise, there are many better options for a young professional on a decent wage.
Integroo said:
Is it worth it?
I am moving to London in March (not sure where yet, somewhere near Canary Wharf, maybe Greenwich, so not quite central London I suppose). I currently have a Fiat 124 Spider on PCP, but I will probably sell it before I move, as I cba driving it to London, making sure I find a flat with parking, etc. etc. After a few months, if I think I need/want a car, I think I'll buy a toy - something relatively cheap in cash probably with two seats and a big engine.
Is there any point though? Or will it just sit outside my flat doing very little as nobody in London needs to drive anywhere? Can you get in and out of the city on a weekend to things worth seeing without too much hassle? Or is it easier just to get the train and hire a car on the rare occasion I need one.
Frankly, they can be a real inconvenience, hassle and expense and if you’re going to be here for a relatively short number of years then leap at the opportunity to be without the hassle of a car. It’s the only place you’ll ever live where you genuinely don’t need a car so take advantage of that freedom. I am moving to London in March (not sure where yet, somewhere near Canary Wharf, maybe Greenwich, so not quite central London I suppose). I currently have a Fiat 124 Spider on PCP, but I will probably sell it before I move, as I cba driving it to London, making sure I find a flat with parking, etc. etc. After a few months, if I think I need/want a car, I think I'll buy a toy - something relatively cheap in cash probably with two seats and a big engine.
Is there any point though? Or will it just sit outside my flat doing very little as nobody in London needs to drive anywhere? Can you get in and out of the city on a weekend to things worth seeing without too much hassle? Or is it easier just to get the train and hire a car on the rare occasion I need one.
Just make the move without a car, as you sensibly plan to and then immerse yourself in the joys of never needing one and see how that goes.
The idea of buying something fun purely to escape Town at the weekends is a nice idea but unless you have somewhere to lock it away securely and also live where it is very easy to get out of Town then it was just depress you watching it get banged up on the street by other road users while you’re at work.
I used never needing a utility vehicle in London to allwYs own sports cars from the age of 21 but I always had secure parking and lived in a part of Town that was once very easy and quick to escape in most directions bar France.
DonkeyApple said:
Frankly, they can be a real inconvenience, hassle and expense and if you’re going to be here for a relatively short number of years then leap at the opportunity to be without the hassle of a car. It’s the only place you’ll ever live where you genuinely don’t need a car so take advantage of that freedom.
Just make the move without a car, as you sensibly plan to and then immerse yourself in the joys of never needing one and see how that goes.
The idea of buying something fun purely to escape Town at the weekends is a nice idea but unless you have somewhere to lock it away securely and also live where it is very easy to get out of Town then it was just depress you watching it get banged up on the street by other road users while you’re at work.
I used never needing a utility vehicle in London to allwYs own sports cars from the age of 21 but I always had secure parking and lived in a part of Town that was once very easy and quick to escape in most directions bar France.
Just because you don't need a car for work doesn't mean you don't a need. Having a nice car doesn't mean you also need a garage. Had some fairly nice cars over the yeas, mostly using on street parking. In 20 years living around Lewisham and Lee none have even been broken into. Just make the move without a car, as you sensibly plan to and then immerse yourself in the joys of never needing one and see how that goes.
The idea of buying something fun purely to escape Town at the weekends is a nice idea but unless you have somewhere to lock it away securely and also live where it is very easy to get out of Town then it was just depress you watching it get banged up on the street by other road users while you’re at work.
I used never needing a utility vehicle in London to allwYs own sports cars from the age of 21 but I always had secure parking and lived in a part of Town that was once very easy and quick to escape in most directions bar France.
Agree with the above, walk around some of these places and you don't see endless damage to cars parked on the street. You are as likely to get a key down the side or a ding as you are in any major city. Its just part and parcel of owning a car and parking it on the street, its no different to anywhere else. Just park using some common sense to avoid increasing the chances of putting it in harms way - but don't let on street parking put you off, you are not buying a Ferrari at the £5k-£10k mark you have been inferring so far OP
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