The best places to live in London as a Young Professional

There are so many options for young professionals when choosing where to live in London. Throughout the city there are pockets of areas where young professionals like to rent, attracted by new and cool restaurants, cafes and bars as well as green spaces and good transport links for a relatively affordable price. We have rounded up the 12 best places to live in London as a young professional.

The 12 best places to live in London as a Young Professional

1. Brixton

Brixton is in the south of London and is part of the Borough of Lambeth. It’s a very multicultural and lively place to live with lots of great places to meet up with friends and hang out.  There’s an abundance of affordable and independent restaurants, coffee shops and beer gardens as well as frequent music events at night. To name a few places, there’s Brixton Village, filled with a wide variety of diverse restaurants and the amazing large-scale music and club events venue, Electric Brixton.

As well as having an extremely good social scene, another reason that Brixton is one of the best places to live in London if you’re a young professional, is that it’s very well located as it’s on the underground Victoria Line. You can get into the centre of London in just 12 –15 minutes and there are also plenty of buses in the area that head into London and to various outer London locations.

If green space is important to you, Brixton has a plentiful selection with Brockwell Park, Myatt’s Fields and Ruskin Park within close reach.

Another advantage is that average property prices are lower here than in other parts of London, with the average rental price for a one bedroom flat at £1700 per month*. We would therefore say that Brixton is definitely one of the best places to live in London in your 20s.

To find out more, read our article; Brixton: The Soul of South London

Brixton Village

2. Shoreditch

Shoreditch is known for being one of the hippest places in London and is very popular amongst creatives. As with Brixton, there are lots of independent shops, pop-up ventures, restaurants and bars. ‘Very Shoreditch’ as they say!

Located in the inner city, it is extremely well located for the City of London, which is just a 20 minute walk away. It is also very close to Liverpool Street Station, which offers the Central Line, Circle Line, Hammersmith & City Line and Metropolitan and City Line tube lines, Old Street Station on the Northern Line and both stations have National Rail services too. You can also use the London Overground from Shoreditch and Bethnal Green Stations, giving you easy access to many parts of London.

Rental prices are slightly more expensive in this area (average rental price for a one bedroom flat at about £1850 per month*) than other areas where young professionals tend to converge as young entrepreneurs are being replaced by city workers who like the short commute. Overall it’s a very vibrant, interesting fun area, steeped in history and another of the best places to live in London if you are a young professional.

Boxpark Shoreditch, full of independent pop-up shops

3. Clapham

Clapham has a very lively social scene with its high street and surrounding areas being filled with shops, restaurants and cafes, Properties here are very sought after, especially amongst young professionals due to lots of recent regeneration being done in the area. The average rental price for a one bedroom flat is around £1798 per month*.

There is the Venn Street Market every Saturday selling produce from independent businesses as well as the spacious Clapham Common, which hosts a variety of events throughout the year.

A key reason why this South West London area is one of the best places to live in London is that it has excellent transport links from Clapham Junction Station, both into and out of London. You can get into London within 10 minutes and for those who fancy a trip to, for example, Brighton and the seaside, you can do that in 50 minutes!The area is also extremely bike friendly due to The Cycle Superhighway CS7 that runs through the area up towards Cannon Street in central London.

To find out more, read our article; Clapham: the little Chelsea of South London?

Clapham Common

4. Hoxton

Hoxton is very near to Shoreditch and lies immediately north of London city’s financial district. It has lots of green spaces, including Shoreditch Park, Hackney Downs and Hoxton Square and the Regent’s Canal runs through the area.

It is home to many creative people and has a host of restaurants and cafes to meet friends in. There is also the quirky and interesting Hoxton Street Market to visit and enjoy.

For transport links there is Hoxton Overground station and also the nearby Old Street station for tube and National Rail – both very useful stations for commuting around London and to Hertfordshire. As well as these links, Hoxton also has some of the best cycle routes in the city. The average rental price for a one bedroom flat is about £2000 per month*.

Regent’s Canal

 

5. Wembley Park

Wembley Park is in north-west London and is surprisingly well connected to the centre of London. With Wembley Park Underground Station, Wembley Stadium Station and Wembley Central all within at walking distance, you can reach the centre in no time – from Wembley Park, it’s only 9 minutes to Marylebone and 12 minutes to Baker Street.

There are extremely good sports facilities here as there are two world-class sporting and music venues on site: Wembley Stadium and the SSE Arena. There is also a London Designer Outlet 5 minutes walk away with top high street brands like Nike and Puma, plus restaurants and a cinema. Wembley BOXPARK is situated a few minutes from Wembley Stadium, has a diverse range of street food vendors, lots of cultural events and a dedicated space for fun leisure activities like shuffleboard and pool. If you like theatre, the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre stages a wide range of shows like the acclaimed ‘Warhorse’.

With thousands of new stylish apartments already built and more on the way, this iconic area is vibrant and constantly evolving into one of the best places to live in London for young professionals. The average rental price for a one bedroom flat is £2016 per month*.

If you are a young professional and looking for more of a community feel to your rental experience, check out these ‘Co-Living’ options which are located in this area:

https://www.quintainliving.com/

To find out more about Wembley, read our article; Wembley: the home of football and modern living

Wembley Park

6. Angel

Angel is in North London and due to its very good transport links and good value properties, (average rental for a one bedroom flat at about £2000 per month*) it has become a favourite amongst young professionals and therefore included as one of the best places to live in London. Not only is it a great location to live in, it has a fantastic range of restaurants, bars, cafes and shopping opportunities, including Camden Passage which is full of both antique/vintage and contemporary shops, markets and plenty of eating and drinking places. Whilst the area is close to the busy city, it has it’s own identity as a creative area, making it a very exciting and ever-evolving place to live. You can get to Kings Cross and Euston Stations easily to pick up various tube lines like the Piccadilly line or to travel out of town.

There is also Highbury Fields which offers a great open space for those who love the outdoors and you are close to Regent’s Canal for great walks and cycle rides alongside the peaceful waters.

To find out more about Angel, read our article; Angel: a charming and dynamic part of London

Highbury Fields

 

7. Deptford

A fast-developing, regenerated South East London area, favoured by both young professionals and students, there are many reasons why Deptford, which is situated between Greenwich and Bermondsey, is becoming one of the best places to live in London.  More economical than some London areas, Deptford is well placed with North Deptford being by the River Thames, offering walks up to the iconic Greenwich or towards London Bridge, and taking in the wonderful Surrey Docks Farm.  It takes less than 10 minutes to get to London Bridge by train and there’s easy access to Canary Wharf via the Docklands Light Railway. There are two cycle routes via Deptford, heading into the London Waterloo area. The average rental price for a one bedroom flat is around £1500 per month*.

There are many well-known universities and music/dance colleges nearby, hence the student population, which adds to the vibrant nature of the area.

Deptford has a busy and diverse high street with Deptford Street Market, one of London’s liveliest street markets, selling produce, fish, and a range of bric a brac and goods. There’s independent shops and restaurants filling the railway arches in Deptford Market Yard, a couple of theatres, a cinema, music venues and a selection of pubs. There are several green spaces, including Deptford Park and Brookmill Park.

Wharf Street, Deptford

8. Wapping

Once an historic maritime area, now a popular residential area, located on the north bank of the Thames, just 15 minutes’ walk from Tower Bridge and with an eclectic range of warehouse conversions, pubs, bars, restaurants and spectacular views, up, down and across the Thames. The average rental price for a one bedroom flat is about £1950 per week*. There are excellent transport links with Wapping Station on the Overground, giving easy access to many parts of London and to the Docklands Light Railway and Underground services. There’s also Tower Hill near Tower Bridge on the underground and the DLR. The City of London, Canary Wharf, North Greenwich with the 02 and the recently opened Design District are easy to get to.

London’s oldest riverside pub dating from 1520,The Prospect of Whitby is in Wapping as is Tobacco Dock, a huge warehouse with food festivals, live music, event space and a business area. Apart from the interesting Thames riverside walks and views, there’s outdoor excitement for those that want to sail or kayak in Shadwell Basin!

Two famous landmarks, the Tower of London and Tower Bridge can be explored as they’re only a short walk away and St Katherine’s Dock Marina by Tower Bridge has great places to eat and drink….village-style living right in the heart of the City, so all in all, another of the best places to live in London if you are a young professional!

Waterway at Wapping

9. Stratford

This area has risen in popularity since the London Olympic Games were held here in 2012 and is considered a reasonably economic area to rent/buy in comparison with some London locations. The average rental price for a one bedroom flat is around £1500 per month*. Situated In East London and one of the best connected London areas, you can get from Stratford International to St Pancras in only 7 minutes. (so it’s very handy for hopping on a train to Paris!). The Central, Jubilee, docklands Light Railway and the Overground give easy access to many parts of London.

An upcoming area, and rapidly becoming one of the best places to live in London, it’s a well-liked location for living, shopping (Westfield Centre), eating and drinking. Roof East has a roof top bar with summer cinema and eclectic events. There’s also the legacy of the London Aquatics Centre, (2 indoor pools and a diving pool open to the public, the Copperbox Arena, a multi-sport venue and the London Stadium, now a multi-use space including sporting and music events featuring bands like the Foo Fighters and it’s the home of West Ham United football club.

For Theatre and film lovers, there’s the Theatre Royal, Stratford East and a Picture House Cinema. If you fancy some great views and ‘fairground style’ experience, the ArcelorMittal Orbit, the UK’s tallest metal sculpture, you can either walk down 455 steps, or go via ‘The Slide’, the world’s tallest and longest tunnel slide with 12 loops. Plans for The East Bank Cultural Quarter which will include a V&A museum and Sadlers Wells Theatre is an exciting project that is currently underway.

The East Village housing complex has huge numbers of apartments and The Stratford Hotel is a 42 storey tower with 248 flats and a roof garden.

For green and open spaces to explore on foot, by bike and by boat, there’s the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Waterworks River, Stratford

10. Fulham

The suburban residential area with a village-like feel to it, is situated on the north bank of the Thames between Hammersmith and Kensington, is close to Chelsea, and Putney and Battersea on the opposite side of the river – a short commute to the City and the West End, leafy green spaces, an amazing choice of restaurants, bars and traditional pubs plus riverside views make it ideal for young professionals. There’s an abundance of high-end fashion boutiques and homeware/interiors shops and then of course, if you follow the New Kings Road, you end up in the Kings Road and Chelsea and a further wonderful shopping experience, bars, restaurants and clubs is on your doorstep. North End Road market is a traditional and popular market and Whole Foods, selling natural and organic produce and housewares is in Fulham Broadway.

There’s Fulham Palace, former residence to the Bishop of London and its situated in Bishops Park by the river, there’s also other green spaces with Parsons Green and South Park. The area boasts two high profile professional football clubs, Fulham and Chelsea.

Transport links are good with tube, Overground, National Rail and bus services – there are several tube stations including Fulham Broadway and Parsons Green on the District and Circle lines, and Overground/National Rail services from stations like West Brompton, Putney and Imperial Wharf which are also nearby.

A slightly more expensive area to rent than some, (the average rental price for a one bedroom flat is approximately £2000 per month*), but not the most expensive in our list, however well worth it and another of the best places to live in London!

To find out more about Fulham, read our article; Fulham: West London’s riverside retreat

Along the Thames path, Fulham

11. Elephant and Castle

This is a London area just south of the River Thames and is undergoing a massive regeneration project. It sits at the intersection of several major routes into the centre of London, and is one of the city’s most important transport hubs, with excellent accessibility. There’s strong transport links with both underground and mainline rail stations plus a wide selection of bus routes and a cycle superhighway linking the area with King’s Cross.

There’s two universities, a thriving arts scene, and the area has a youthful and energetic feel to it. It’s a diverse area with a good ethnic mix and restaurants/cafes to reflect that – including Columbian, West Indian, Thai and Indian food to tantalise the palate.

Thousands of new homes have been built and there are plans to build and create new theatres, cinemas, shops and more places to socialise.

The area is very close to the world famous Imperial War Museum and also the fascinating Cinema Museum. If you walk down towards Kennington Park, you’ll find Cleaver Square, a small Georgian Square with the Prince of Wales pub tucked in the corner and a boules area!

The Elephant and Castle is certainly an area to watch as it continues to transform and regenerate. With its extensive advantages, including reasonable rental prices – average rental price for a one bedroom flat is £2167 per month*, and its proximity to many parts of London and the South East, it is definitely on the list of best places to live in London for young professionals.

The Elephant and The Castle!

12. Chiswick

Chiswick is situated west of London and has great transport links into Central London and is close to major roads, like the North Circular A406 and the M4 motorway. A flourishing, lively and fairly affordable area, in comparison with some neighbouring areas. The average rental price for a one bedroom flat is around £1650 per month*. It’s close to the Thames, with green spaces and historic houses and gardens, like Kew Gardens and Chiswick House and Gardens. There are traditional and interesting pubs, a host of restaurants, bars and independent shops around Chiswick High Road and Turnham Green. There’s the independent local Tabard Theatre in Turnham Green, which is part of the long-standing Tabard Pub and there’s the Chiswick Cinema. There are great walks along Chiswick Mall by the river and pubs along the way. Each week, there’s a Flower Market and a Food Market

The area is favoured by media and creative young professionals as one of the best places to live in London, with a lively vibe and village-like feel to the place. It’s close to interesting places like Hammersmith, Barnes, Shepherds Bush, and Kew and of course the famous Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race finishes just before Chiswick Bridge.

For sports enthusiasts, there’s various sporting activities available including rowing, and cricket, and the Rocks Lane Multi Sports Centre has tennis, five a side football, netball and hockey on offer.

Apart from major roads, Chiswick is well connected and has or is close to four London Underground stations including Stamford Brook, Turnham Green, Chiswick Park and Gunnersbury all on the District Line andthere’s Chiswick Station for South Western Railway services, with Waterloo approximately 25 minutes away and Clapham Junction,15 minutes away. There’s a range of buses to various locations including central London. A little further from London than some locations, but a very desirable and fun area!

To find out more about Chiswick, read our article; The Chiswick area in West London: where country village meets big city

Chiswick Park