London
 

So it seems there is a good chance I may be moving to London so I'm looking into some accomodation before making my mind up. Out of the zone three and four zones where would you recommend living? As I know bugger all about how nice they all are.

Re: London
 

There are numerous places to live, but it'll depend on where you plan on working and how much your budget is.

Clapham (SW), Wimbledon (SW), Brixton (S), Greenwich (SE), Archway (N) , Willesden (NW) or Acton (W) all have some nice places in them (and some horrific dumps) and aren't too central. I'd imagine you're best of just looking to stay somewhere random and cheap until you get work and a bunch of friends and then locate more permanently.

Re: London
 

Transport is going to be a massive factor in this - most of your travel will probably be by tube so you want a decent line.

If I were restricting myself to Zones 3&4, I'd want to be North of the river. If you have no preference either way, I'd go for one of the following:

Richmond
Balham
Highgate

Zones 3&4 are quite far out though dude - why are you ignoring Zones 1&2?

Re: London
 

Havent you only been in London for a year?

Re: London
 

He will also need to find tubes that aren't filled with the internets, because it is not a big dump truck.

Re: London
 

Yeah but I used to live in Woking which is only 30 mins out. I also went out with a girl for a year who lived in London. My sister also goes to uni there. Most of my friends from uni live there.

I agree with what Dante said, although he seems to have ignored the "Zones 3&4" thing :confused:

Re: London
 

Well, I have a job offer in Southampton but a final interview in London with a firm I would much rather work for so I will only be moving there if I have a job. Will have a decent wage and to be honest I wouldn't really fancy moving more than once unless I absoloutely have to.

The job would be on Canary Wharf then.

To be honest I just sort of assumed they would be way out of my price range.

Re: London
 

Not exactly although I've interpreted it liberally. Brixton & Clapham are zone 2, but you can live near to either and still be in Zone 3 (e.g. Herne Hill for Brixton), Willesden is in Zone 3, Archway is Zone 3 (bordering 2), part of Acton is Zone 3 and so is Wimbledon. Etc.

Re: London
 

It depends on what sort of place you want. You could sacrifice room size (or property quality) and live in a better area for the same sort of price. It depends on the lifestyle you're going for - having lots of possessions vs minimalism, spending your time in your room vs in common areas of house vs going out a lot, and so on.

The transport links to Canary Wharf are obviously not too bad and improving (because of all the city scum, erm no offence) but somewhere on/near the Jubilee Line would probably be tops for you. North East London (e.g. Stratford) aren't exactly the trendiest areas but quite a few properties that way and convenient for work.

Re: London
 

his advice is still correct.

Re: London
 

An excellent website for looking for flatshares or people in a similar situation to yourself is http://www.gumtree.com .

It's where I found my flatmates, and they were ace. The flat itself was a bit expensive but I didn't realise it at the time (£462 pcm for a small room in Clapham/Brixton).

You can spend quite a bit of time browsing the various areas and get a feel for different prices.

Re: London
 

maze hill/greenwich is an excellent place to live (it's quite affordable - and full of students/young 20's type people) if you'll be working in canary wharf. My friend makes a daily trip to his work at Barcap from maze hill.

that being said - I remember you were applying for an accounting firm. The only accounting firm I know of in Canary Wharf is CLB Littlejohn Frazer. Is this the company you have an interview at?

Re: London
 

Yeah I have a final interview with them, but also one with Chantrey Vellacott in London. It was Ernst and Young then who offered me a job.

Re: London
 

be warned though, the FT told me that london is now the most expensive city in the world to live in.

Re: London
 

CLB is a good firm. I know someone working there. Good luck with your interview! If you've gotten through to the final stage you should be fine. In my experience people only really get rejected at the final stage of an interview if a director has major grievances with you.

As for Chantrey Vellacott or CLB, i'd pick Chantrey Vellacott peronally. It is a bigger firm and more well known among accountants

Re: London
 

croydon wasn't that bad...

clapham is probably better though.

Re: London
 

Thanks, that site is really useful.

The rent was almost a direct swap from per month in Cardiff/Southampton to per week in London :(

Was only on a first interview with Chantrey so I withdrew. If I was just going for well known I would have stuck with E&Y really but just had a much better feel about CLB. Was unsure over the weekend but after my final interview they just seem far better so accepted that now. I also get 3 months of doing nothing \o/

Re: London
 

Zones 1&2 are going to be more expensive, it depends what kind of salary you're going to be on, everything we looked at in Zone 1&2 was ridiculously over priced, what you get for your money is pretty dire if you're on a new graduate salary. We ended up going for Croydon and put up with a 20 minute commute for a much bigger flat.

Seconding http://www.gumtree.com/ being a pro site.

Re: London
 

I remember a time when I thought I was the only Londoner on GD. Now every second bugger lives here. :(

Re: London
 

If/When I move back to London I want to live in Zone 1. I was Zone 2 in Clapham/Brixton and it was ok, but for the cost of £50 or so more a month (plus I was paying too much for the room I had there) I'd rather be more central.

Then I can walk round to Yahwe's and drink gin with him!

Every night!

Re: London
 

I could do this.

If I knew where he lived. :(

Re: London
 

I don't really see the benefit myself. Even if I lived in Zone 1 (I'm in 2 at the moment) I'd still probably end up getting a bus / tube when I went out (to a different bit of Zone 1) so I don't really see that I'd be saving myself that much effort.

Re: London
 

yearly travel card v the odd taxi ride

I believe was his point

Re: London
 

Ah. I commute outwards so I have to have one anyway. Although so did he, now I think of it.

Re: London
 

Yeah, exactly. I was mainly Zone 2 because the cost of commuting outwards to Zone 6 from Zone 1 almost double my travelcard (I believe).

If/When I move back to London, I plan on either doing supply teaching or finding a more central school.


Nearly all my friends in London live in Zone 1, and those who don't, I had to go through Zone 1 to reach them (as they were either West or East) anyway. It made it a bit of a mission if I just wanted to go to the cinema, or a drink with them in the evening in the week (20-30 mins on the tube).

I expect you're in a different situation...?

Re: London
 

To be honest, areas like Hackney, Islington, Southwark and Camden (well the south of it.. Holborn) would be ideal locations to live in. Not far from where you'll work (1 hour commuting.. max), not far from central London, excellent transport links and tons of amenities.

Re: London
 

sothwark and holborn are very different places. they are very different ideas.

(I have lived in both)

Re: London
 

True.

One is a borough, the other is an area that is part of the Camden borough.

Re: London
 

i lived in wimbledon and loved it -- was actually closer to richmond than wimbledon but we had a west wimbledon address. I always loved that area -- New Malden (Korean capital of the UK), Sutton (aka Sluttown) and Roehampton (Hoe-hampton) -- gotta love the surrounding area.
I'm actually gunna live in Watford for a few months also till I find a job in the UK. My mate has a house in Bayswater which is nice, and another lives in Angel (horrible area imo), and I'm staying in Kensington in 3 weeks time also (nice area around Hyde Park). Depends on how much u can aafford tho really isn't it?

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I'd try to avoid East London if I were you, having lived and grown up there for about 21 years, I can honestly say, the place is one giant, huge, raging, shithole.

Re: London
 

My admin manager lives in a £1m home in Angel just off City Road. He loves it.

Re: London
 

A £1m home anywhere should be damn good :P