Each year we ask our current students for their comments about their living accommodation.
Below are extracts from students’ experiences of living in different areas of London.
Battersea
Battersea is an excellent location, very close to Chelsea (Kings Road) and Clapham Junction for shopping, with a lovely park and very close to the river. There is a train direct from Battersea Park Station to London Bridge which takes 20 mins. There is also very good bus 10 mins to Victoria and other overground links from Clapham Junction and Queenstown Road (5 mins to Waterloo). Battersea tends to be cheaper than nearby Clapham. I pay £450 per person per month exclusive of bills to live in a nice modern flat with three housemates.
Canada Water
Canada Water has proven to be the perfect location for me this year. Being only 2 stops away from London Bridge on the Jubilee line, it only takes about 20 minutes to travel door to door. Accommodation is reasonably priced in comparison to other areas in central London and with its array of waterways and docks provides a bit more of a picturesque background. It really does feel like you're living in the suburbs! The area is extremely safe and is full of young professionals.
Chiswick
Chiswick is a really safe area to live, well connected to central London with the District & Piccadilly lines as well as three night buses. Rent is slightly more expensive than some other places but is worth it for the area. I currently pay
£140 per week for a really spacious flat, two minutes walk from the tube. Commute time is about 30 minutes to London Bridge. There are an enormous number of restaurants on the High Road, including several places run by famous chefs. There is also a good mix of quiet relaxing pubs, as well as some lively ones with music, but the West End is only 20 minutes away on the Piccadilly line. The new Westfield shopping centre is only 5 minutes away on the bus.
Clapham
I found that Clapham is a fun safe area to live, you can rent a flat with another person for around £450-500 (per person, per month). It's only five stops on the Northern Line to London Bridge every day; there is also a bus and overground that goes directly from Clapham High Street to London Bridge. Clapham has a good social scene and good links to other areas for going out etc. as well as big supermarkets, shops at Clapham Junction etc. Clapham Common is a really nice big green area too, is great fun in the summer and a nice break from the city fumes!
Gants Hill
I live at home in Gants Hill. It's on the Central Line, and only 35 mins on the tube from London Bridge. I can't tell you much about rent costs because I'm sponging off my parents! Gants Hill is home to Faces nightclub and restaurants. It's close enough to London, but also a bus ride from the Essex countryside. There's a local park called Valentines Park and Ilford shopping centre.
Golders Green
Golders Green is a really great area to live. It is safe and busy but not quite as hectic as living in zone 1. It is a 25 minute tube journey from Golders Green station to London Bridge on the Northern Line so it is really easy for getting to Kaplan. It is well placed near central London (only 10 minutes on the tube to Camden) but is also right next to Hampstead Heath and Golders Hill Park which are two beautiful areas of green park land. I think the average rent in this area is between £120 and £150 per week. Golders Green also has a great choice of shops and restaurants and is close to the Brent Cross shopping centre.
Islington
Islington is a fantastic area to live in, and not as expensive as its reputation if you look hard enough - I pay £445 per month for our ex-local authority terrace house in leafy Canonbury, a lovely area just ten minutes' bus ride from Angel (Northern Line 10 mins to London Bridge) and a 10 minute walk to Highbury & Islington tube which is one stop from King's Cross. There's also an overground station just five minutes' walk that's handy for going to Camden and further west. Prices are much higher if you are nearer Angel, however, and/or opt for a Victorian terrace rather than a flat or ex-council property. We live just off Essex Road which has mini supermarkets, quirky shops (including a Taxidermists...) and loads of lively late-opening pubs. Slightly classier Upper Street with its boutiques, bars and restaurants is 5 minutes away. And, although Canonbury itself is really quiet, London's best areas for going out (Shoreditch, Hoxton, Clerkenwell...) are just short bus rides away!
Old Street
This is a good location for getting to the campus as it is just 3 stops along the Northern Line to London Bridge while there are buses from Old Street to London Bridge too. It is not too expensive with monthly rent between £450 and £500 per person and there are plenty of places for a night out nearby. The biggest drawback is the lack of shops in the area with no decent supermarkets which makes it a bit of an effort to get food.
Tooting
Both my house mate and I love Tooting – it’s reasonably priced, safe, well connected and there is everything here you could want. Northern Line is good - only 22 minutes to London Bridge. Tooting is also on 2 night bus routes.
There are great curries and Indian food shops. There are also high street shops and some nice pubs and bars too. It is also only a few stops to Clapham where there are some really good bars as well as the infamous Infernos. We pay £265/week rent for a 2 bed ground floor terrace conversion. Maybe a bit of a premium in Tooting but we live literally 2 minutes from the Tube and Sainsbury’s.
General
With letting agents, my experience was that the big agents charge too much and treat you badly, best to go to the smaller high street ones on the day you want to view flats, and be prepared to pay a holding deposit on the day, as it's very fast pace. If you are a student I found that they are less happy to let, so you need a guarantor.
For further comments view our London accommodation discussion forum at Kaplan Law School's legal learning community.