Hi - its looks like you need practical advice an the only person giving it is Hucklewoo and Wimbledon. Everything he says is spot on and I'm really quite cross about some of the comments made - some unhelpful, some biased and some totally stupid.
I've lived North, South, West in all areas of London over 30 years - always renting, always sharing - so I know more where you coming from than the "advice" from coroprate renters living in Knightsbridge and Chelsea. It sounds like your 2 main concerns are a) cost and b) crime/safety. Cost - forget about the zones - the monthly difference between a travelcard from Putney or Fulham (zone 2) which are both nice-ish areas doesn't outweigh the saving you'll make by living further out - even as far as Zone 6. And the difference in quality of life is substantial. People coming to London from abroad (notably Aussies and Kiwis) get obsessed about living in Zone 2.
Then they discover the joys of South West London and wonder why they put up with so much crap just to save £20 a month on a travelcard!
North London is fine for "getting away" as it links to major North bound motorways and is good for Eurostar - but did you come to London to go North (why) or use the Eurostar? North London has no nice/safe parks, less trees, more litter and pollution and no river. Trendy? Yes, bits of it, Hampstead, Camden Town but they're overpriced, tiny pockets of areas surrounded by a lot of ghastly areas. West London has some v. dodgy areas (Greenford) and some nice areas (Ealing, next door to Greenford) but only the expensive parts of West London are close to the river (Chiswick, Grove Park - yes, Hammermsith, but you know yourself its a bit of a dump).
I'm not going to comment on East London as I've only ever been to Hackney, but the fact that all the shop windows have bars on them - when they're open! - and the wheels are missing from every other car, tells you a lot.
South London. The only place I ever called home. You have the river weaving in and out of so many areas, the most beautiful park On The Planet in Richmond, the cleanest most environmentally friendly borough (Richmond again), the chicest shops, Richmond and Wimbledon Village, cinemas pubs and clubs on the river (Kingston & Richmond) brilliant sporting events and concerts (Twickenham - without the drag of getting to Wembly or even worse, O2), history at Hampton Court, Bushy Park, Richmond Crown Palace, villages that are still villages in Barnes, Chiswick, Teddington, Petersham, Wimbledon - the list just goes on and on. Oh, did I mention a safe, regular night buses for when the trains finish. (Forget what they say about the Jubilee line - it breaks down more than it runs).
I lived in Teddington (locals endearingly call it "Teddy Town") for five years. I know (and talk!!) to all my neighbours, I've had people return my lost cat to me, rubbish gets collected regularly and not left on the street, there are no discarded mattresses on the street corners, I hang out my washing and no-one nicks it, there are no plane noises, I have 5 peak hour trains into Waterloo, a 24-hour night bus that drops me at the end of my road, a 24 hour bus service to Heathrow, I can park right outside my door, I can leave my car unlocked with the key's in and a complete stranger takethe keys and left me a note in my car with his phone number, so that I could safely retrieive my keys. Policemen patrol the streets - on foot -with no more than truncheon for defence, and they're often the same policemen so you can get to know them (trust me, thats a GOOD think!) Oh, did I mention the Tesco at the end of the street open until 10pm every night.
So look at London as a clock, draw a line anywhere between 6 o'clock and 8 o'clock that takes in the river and the parks and settle down happily ever after. Pay more for your travel, less for your rent and have a better quality of life. Good Luck!!
Carolyn C, Jul 24, 2009 @ 18:54