Owning a car in central London
Discussion
RJG46 said:
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.
Being broken into didn’t even cross my mind to be honest. I was just thinking about the damage done by parking to touch, door dings etc . I also wasn’t thinking about commuting by car but just having a car sitting outside doing nothing because if you go out on a school night you would use the ultra convenience of public transport and taxis and you may not be going for romantic walks in the countryside every weekend. Plus you can just have someone bring a car to you and take it away when you are going out of Town for the weekend to somewhere there are no trains etc. One of the true luxuries of living in central London is that you just don’t need a car. If you want a car then fine, go for it but it seems illogical to arrive in London with the immediate burden of a car that isn’t needed when it makes more sense to arrive without a car and spend a period of time settling into one’s new life before understanding whether that new lifestyle has any need for a car.
I’d say it’s car/borough dependant, not just your circumstances.
We had a diesel DS3 in zone 1/2. Road tax was free due to its CO2, as was the parking permit. We could park on street right outside our flat on a short dead end road, so no through traffic. No problems with parking or damage in the 3.5 years it was there. It became slightly more expensive to keep because Islington council levied a +£100 charge on diesel permits, so ours became £100.
We never drove it in to the congestion charge zone (ok, once, and paid the fine!) and it was convenientish for trips to the dump, to the post office and out to B&Q etc. We were in the North and so trips up to Yorkshire or Scotland were slightly easier.
I’d not have chosen to keep it, but the very small monthly payments we’d have made were near enough on a par with what we’d lose by selling it, so we kept it.
I wouldn’t choose to do it again if it were actually going to cost me money, but it’s still do-able.
We had a diesel DS3 in zone 1/2. Road tax was free due to its CO2, as was the parking permit. We could park on street right outside our flat on a short dead end road, so no through traffic. No problems with parking or damage in the 3.5 years it was there. It became slightly more expensive to keep because Islington council levied a +£100 charge on diesel permits, so ours became £100.
We never drove it in to the congestion charge zone (ok, once, and paid the fine!) and it was convenientish for trips to the dump, to the post office and out to B&Q etc. We were in the North and so trips up to Yorkshire or Scotland were slightly easier.
I’d not have chosen to keep it, but the very small monthly payments we’d have made were near enough on a par with what we’d lose by selling it, so we kept it.
I wouldn’t choose to do it again if it were actually going to cost me money, but it’s still do-able.
DonkeyApple said:
Being broken into didn’t even cross my mind to be honest. I was just thinking about the damage done by parking to touch, door dings etc . I also wasn’t thinking about commuting by car but just having a car sitting outside doing nothing because if you go out on a school night you would use the ultra convenience of public transport and taxis and you may not be going for romantic walks in the countryside every weekend. Plus you can just have someone bring a car to you and take it away when you are going out of Town for the weekend to somewhere there are no trains etc.
One of the true luxuries of living in central London is that you just don’t need a car. If you want a car then fine, go for it but it seems illogical to arrive in London with the immediate burden of a car that isn’t needed when it makes more sense to arrive without a car and spend a period of time settling into one’s new life before understanding whether that new lifestyle has any need for a car.
Quite. Especially as Zipcar gives you 24hr access to a car as and when you need it.One of the true luxuries of living in central London is that you just don’t need a car. If you want a car then fine, go for it but it seems illogical to arrive in London with the immediate burden of a car that isn’t needed when it makes more sense to arrive without a car and spend a period of time settling into one’s new life before understanding whether that new lifestyle has any need for a car.
Chucklehead said:
I’d say it’s car/borough dependant, not just your circumstances.
We had a diesel DS3 in zone 1/2. Road tax was free due to its CO2, as was the parking permit. We could park on street right outside our flat on a short dead end road, so no through traffic. No problems with parking or damage in the 3.5 years it was there. It became slightly more expensive to keep because Islington council levied a +£100 charge on diesel permits, so ours became £100.
We never drove it in to the congestion charge zone (ok, once, and paid the fine!) and it was convenientish for trips to the dump, to the post office and out to B&Q etc. We were in the North and so trips up to Yorkshire or Scotland were slightly easier.
I’d not have chosen to keep it, but the very small monthly payments we’d have made were near enough on a par with what we’d lose by selling it, so we kept it.
I wouldn’t choose to do it again if it were actually going to cost me money, but it’s still do-able.
Agree completely. It’s why I think that to arrive with the burden of a car before you even know or understand the area you’ll be living in or whether you are even going to stay in that area would be illogical when you have the option to arrive without a car. We had a diesel DS3 in zone 1/2. Road tax was free due to its CO2, as was the parking permit. We could park on street right outside our flat on a short dead end road, so no through traffic. No problems with parking or damage in the 3.5 years it was there. It became slightly more expensive to keep because Islington council levied a +£100 charge on diesel permits, so ours became £100.
We never drove it in to the congestion charge zone (ok, once, and paid the fine!) and it was convenientish for trips to the dump, to the post office and out to B&Q etc. We were in the North and so trips up to Yorkshire or Scotland were slightly easier.
I’d not have chosen to keep it, but the very small monthly payments we’d have made were near enough on a par with what we’d lose by selling it, so we kept it.
I wouldn’t choose to do it again if it were actually going to cost me money, but it’s still do-able.
My girlfriend lives in Snaresbrook which I accept is by no means central London but you're into 'proper' London quite quickly by the central line.
Lots and lots of people have fun and exciting cars around there. There's one lovely TVR Cerbera finished in solid red that catches my eye every time I see it. My only real point is how long are we going to be able to drive the cars that we love, not just around London but the country as a whole.
If you really enjoy having a fun car, even if you just use it for a trip out to the countryside or coast every couple of weeks, get one. I wouldn't be without something fun that can be taken by the scruff of the neck at the drop of a hat.
Lots and lots of people have fun and exciting cars around there. There's one lovely TVR Cerbera finished in solid red that catches my eye every time I see it. My only real point is how long are we going to be able to drive the cars that we love, not just around London but the country as a whole.
If you really enjoy having a fun car, even if you just use it for a trip out to the countryside or coast every couple of weeks, get one. I wouldn't be without something fun that can be taken by the scruff of the neck at the drop of a hat.
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.
I agree with everything except the bolded bit. I've owned enjoyable cars in London that were parked on the street with absolutely zero stress for 5 years now.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.
London is a big and busy place. That means that you're more likely to pick up an accidental scrape, and that you're (sadly) more likely to suffer vandalism. I've had a few of the former, and two minor instances of the latter in 5 years of on-street parking in Z1-2.
Personally, that seems like a fine compromise, because I didn't buy a car that I was precious about and didn't have unrealistic expectations of the environment it was parked in. If you follow this, then you get all the benefit of owning a car without any of the unnecessary stress.
Edited by C70R on Wednesday 16th January 10:18
My car is a much dented and scraped e36 that I bought in 1998.
No worries about leaving it anywhere in London. I quite often don't even lock it.
I have had nice new cars in those 20 years but the stress of knowing I had tens of thousands of my pounds just sitting out on the street just wasn't worth it.
Makes me wonder how anyone can get a new car on PCP in London. One must spend a fortune forever getting scrapes fixed.
A stupidly driven new Audi decided to drive down the centre line the other day in order to get into an upcoming right turn space.
I'm going opposite. He hit my mirror with his.
Just another scrape on my non painted plastic casing whilst he lost a what, maybe a couple hundred pound spare part.
My boys couldn't understand why I was laughing.
No worries about leaving it anywhere in London. I quite often don't even lock it.
I have had nice new cars in those 20 years but the stress of knowing I had tens of thousands of my pounds just sitting out on the street just wasn't worth it.
Makes me wonder how anyone can get a new car on PCP in London. One must spend a fortune forever getting scrapes fixed.
A stupidly driven new Audi decided to drive down the centre line the other day in order to get into an upcoming right turn space.
I'm going opposite. He hit my mirror with his.
Just another scrape on my non painted plastic casing whilst he lost a what, maybe a couple hundred pound spare part.
My boys couldn't understand why I was laughing.
croyde said:
Makes me wonder how anyone can get a new car on PCP in London. One must spend a fortune forever getting scrapes fixed.
As someone who has just leased a new car with a list price of nearly £40k that's parked on the street, you just need to roll with the punches. It's just money at the end of the day - I won't lose any sleep over the prospect of someone dinging a door.C70R said:
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.
I work in CW and I live in Dalston, it's 30 mins from Dalston Junction to Canary Wharf and it includes 1 very easy change. Dalston and Stoke Newington (5 minute walk up the road) are great places to live, lots of things to do, great restaurants, great weekend activities, and depending on where you choose to live in that area, there's street parking. You can get to the A12 easily, which then gets you to the M11, or if you want to explore a bit closer then Epping Forest isn't far at all. You're also very close to Westfield in Stratford if you want to get your fill of stereotypical shopping centre experience.
As C70R said, walking from Greenwich isn't the short stroll you're imagining, it's more like a 40 minute hike through Milwall. Greenwich is nice but it feels more like a middle class suburb that happens to be very close to London, and there's tonnes of tourists, but you do have Blackheath and Greenwich Park which is a positive.
If you're looking for the 15 minute walk from work to home, then it's either Westferry or Milwall, both of which aren't worth living in, so you're going to want to live in one of the new tower blocks in the Canary Wharf estate, the problem with this is that you're going to end up spending all your time in the area you also work.
RJG46 said:
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.
nurseholliday said:
so you're going to want to live in one of the new tower blocks in the Canary Wharf estate, the problem with this is that you're going to end up spending all your time in the area you also work.
The other problem is that you're going to have to live in Canary Wharf. I can't imagine how depressing it would be to have The Merchant as my local to pop into on the weekend. On the plus side, you get Waitrose...CW: All the amenities, none of the character. I did 3 years, and wild horses couldn't drag me back.
C70R said:
nurseholliday said:
so you're going to want to live in one of the new tower blocks in the Canary Wharf estate, the problem with this is that you're going to end up spending all your time in the area you also work.
The other problem is that you're going to have to live in Canary Wharf. I can't imagine how depressing it would be to have The Merchant as my local to pop into on the weekend. On the plus side, you get Waitrose...CW: All the amenities, none of the character. I did 3 years, and wild horses couldn't drag me back.
Saying that, if integroo is going to be putting in the hours mid-week, and just walking home, dinner and then bed, going to a different part of London at the weekend doesn't seem like it would be too big a deal.
You can't get it perfect straight away, you can move somewhere, realise it's not quite right and then try somewhere else.
The appeal of owning a car in London is limited to getting out and about at the weekend and visiting family outside of London. I had a Metro when I first moved to London from Swindon. I lived in Ealing and caught the tube into the City every day. One Sunday I go to use my car and discover the doors unlocked and seats totally reclined. The car stank to high heaven and had various items of dirty clothing in it - some bloody tramp had clearly been using it to doss down in for a fortnight!
WhiskyDisco said:
The appeal of owning a car in London is limited to getting out and about at the weekend and visiting family outside of London. I had a Metro when I first moved to London from Swindon. I lived in Ealing and caught the tube into the City every day. One Sunday I go to use my car and discover the doors unlocked and seats totally reclined. The car stank to high heaven and had various items of dirty clothing in it - some bloody tramp had clearly been using it to doss down in for a fortnight!
That's what living in one of the world's greatest cities gets you 
nurseholliday said:
You can always get public transport somewhere else, which isn't hard, but like you said, sometimes you want to just pop out for a drink or dinner without it being this whole adventure involving the tube or a taxi, which CW isn't ideal for.
Saying that, if integroo is going to be putting in the hours mid-week, and just walking home, dinner and then bed, going to a different part of London at the weekend doesn't seem like it would be too big a deal.
You can't get it perfect straight away, you can move somewhere, realise it's not quite right and then try somewhere else.
Exactly, I lived in Wandsworth Town, then moved abroad for a few years (Tokyo and Paris hurrah!) then back to Putney, then into Barnes, then into Richmond. Found myself moving further out as my lifestyle also changed and what I was into changed. All those places were great for me and what I was interested in at the time. Saying that, if integroo is going to be putting in the hours mid-week, and just walking home, dinner and then bed, going to a different part of London at the weekend doesn't seem like it would be too big a deal.
You can't get it perfect straight away, you can move somewhere, realise it's not quite right and then try somewhere else.
nurseholliday said:
Saying that, if integroo is going to be putting in the hours mid-week, and just walking home, dinner and then bed, going to a different part of London at the weekend doesn't seem like it would be too big a deal.
Having known a lot of junior lawyers in my time, he would be very atypical if he was just walking home and having dinner/bed every weeknight. 
croyde said:
Makes me wonder how anyone can get a new car on PCP in London. One must spend a fortune forever getting scrapes fixed.
Having bought a few ex-PCP cars (drivers in Cardiff must be equally bad) the answer is they don't fix them - scraped mirrors and wings, kerbed alloys etc. - as I have off-street parking I get them prepped and refurbed but if they were parked on the road I wouldn't bother unless they were nice / spacious roads with residents parking.
t" safe.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff