Where do young professionals live in London?

moove2london on 06 Apr 2010

One question we get asked a lot here at Moove2London, is ‘where do young professionals live in London?’. Whilst we place a lot of emphasis on helping you to work out the best place to live, based on your specific set of personal cirumstances, we do also understand that sometimes it’s nice to have a bit of  a push in the right direction.

With this in mind, we’re listing 10 areas of London that are seen as popular places for young professionals to live in. Bear in mind that we’re not saying that these are the top 10 best or most expensive places to live in London, because you’re probably reading this as a young professional, rather than an A list celebrity with bucketloads of cash! Instead, these are areas where young people earning an average amount of money, might live in a shared house, with a partner or by themselves.

You can find much more information about each area on their own dedicated area page. Have a read through, pick an area you like the sound of and then go to Easyroommate to look for flatmates.

Clapham

Clapham (SW4) is located in South London in Transport Zone 2. It’s an extremely popular area with young professionals, probably due to the huge selection of pubs, bars, restaurants and late-night venues in the area. Clapham Common is an enormous, flat open space where Londoners bask during the summer months. Prices here are somewhat higher than neighboring areas, but worth every penny.
Accommodation and flatshares in Clapham

Islington

Located in N1, Islington centres around Upper Street which is lined from one end to the other with fashionable pubs, bars and restaurants. Islington is located a stones-throw from Central London and is therefore quite an expensive area.
Accommodation and flatshares in Islington

Stoke Newington

Stoke Newington has become really quite popular in recent years. The area is still overlooked by some, due to it’s lack of tube station, but the residents will tell you that they’re very happy with the bus and train routes. Stoke Newington Church Street has a number of lovely eateries, but the real benefit to living in the area, comes from the close proximity to Clissold Park.
Accommodation and flatshares in Stoke Newington

East Dulwich

Located in South London and also absenting itself from the tube map is East Dulwich. The area centres around one very long road called Lordship Lane which has loads of restaurants, a number of decent pubs and quirky shops. Connections into Central London using train routes are both frequent and fast. The area is reasonably affordable in comparison to the neighboring Dulwich Village which is beautiful and within walking distance.
Accommodation and flatshares in East Dulwich

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace, or Upper Norwood is located in a hilly area of South London. The park used to contain Paxton’s Crystal Palace which sadly burned down in 1936. However, you can still see the Victorian dinosaur exhibition in this lovely and historic park, as well as the remains of the Italian terraces. Also in the area, is the ‘triangle’ which is an arrangement of 3 roads packed full of great food and drink options. SE19 is very affordable with loads on offer.
Accommodation and flatshares in Crystal Palace

Bow

Located in former Kray brothers territory, this East End area is almost within walking distance of the City of London (our financial district), making it an extremely attractive prospect to high-fliers. Although you can still tell that you’re in the East End of London, there are a handful of decent gastropubs. The main draw to the area though, is Victoria Park at the top of the postcode. If you want to live in an area full of history and minutes away from your job in Bank/Liverpool Street, then this is the place to be.
Accommodation and flatshares in Bow

Balham

Balham is much smaller than it’s posher neighbour, Clapham but it still has loads to offer in terms of pubs, bars, restaurants and shops (including Waitrose and M+S for supermarkets). It is also surrounded by massive open spaces in the form of Wandsworth Common, Tooting Common and Clapham Common.
Accommodation and flatshares in Balham

Camden

The diverse area of Camden is located in North London and is synonymous with market stalls, music and fashion. The atmosphere in Camden is a real hustle-bustle of daily activity and it’s an exceptionally popular place for going out in.
Accommodation and flatshares in Camden

Ealing

Ealing is quite a leafy area located in West London. It’s popular with people from Australia and New Zealand, which makes it a fun place to go out in. Ealing is reasonably affordable and it’s handy to get into Central London from, as it’s located on the Central Line offering easy access into both the West End and the City.
Accommodation and flatshares in Ealing

Crouch End

Crouch End is located in North London and is an area with a real village feel to it. The concentration of pubs, bars and restaurants is around the high street called ‘The Broadway’. The area is home to one of London’s most famous comedy nights – Downstairs at the King’s Head. Crouch End is an affordable place to rent in, buying here is much more expensive.
Accommodation and flatshares in Crouch End

London Council Tax

moove2london on 09 Feb 2010

The amount of London Council Tax that you have to pay, varies depending on which area of London you live in. There are 33 different council boroughs in London from Barnet & Dagenham to Wandsworth and they each set quite different rates for residents of their own borough.
For a full explanation on council tax and the different payment bands, please read our Council Tax in London article.

Here are a list of current council tax rates for each different council borough in London for 2009/10. All rates are in GBP and are the annual figure which is due.

Barking & Dagenham

Band A: 844.20

Band B: 984.90

Band C: 1125.60

Band D: 1266.30

Band E: 1547.70

Band F: 1829.10

Band G: 2110.50

Band H: 2532.60

Barnet

Band A: 948.68

Band B: 1106.79

Band C: 1264.91

Band D: 1423.02

Band E: 1739.25

Band F: 2055.48

Band G: 2371.70

Band H: 2846.04

Bexley

Band A: 951.33

Band B: 1109.89

Band C: 1268.44

Band D: 1427.00

Band E: 1744.11

Band F: 2061.22

Band G: 2378.33

Band H: 2854.00

Brent

Band A: 912.51

Band B: 1064.59

Band C: 1216.68

Band D: 1368.76

Band E: 1672.93

Band F: 1977.10

Band G: 2281.27

Band H: 2737.52

Bromley

Band A:  859.32

Band B: 1002.54

Band C: 1145.76

Band D: 1288.98

Band E: 1575.42

Band F: 1861.86

Band G: 2148.30

Band H: 2577.96

Camden

Band A:  887.57

Band B: 1035.49

Band C: 1183.43

Band D: 1331.35

Band E: 1627.21

Band F: 1923.06

Band G: 2218.92

Band H: 2662.70

City of London

Band A: 628.53

Band B: 733.28

Band C: 838.03

Band D: 942.79

Band E: 1152.30

Band F: 1361.81

Band G: 1571.32

Band H: 1885.58

Croydon

Band A: 965.14

Band B: 1126.00

Band C: 1286.85

Band D: 1447.71

Band E: 1769.42

Band F: 2091.14

Band G: 2412.85

Band H: 2895.42

Ealing

Band A: 913.17

Band B: 1065.36

Band C: 1217.56

Band D: 1369.75

Band E: 1674.14

Band F: 1978.53

Band G: 2282.92

Band H: 2739.50

Enfield

Band A: 940.11

Band B: 1096.79

Band C: 1253.48

Band D: 1410.16

Band E: 1723.53

Band F: 2036.90

Band G: 2350.27

Band H: 2820.32

Greenwich

Band A: 860.49

Band B: 1003.90

Band C: 1147.32

Band D: 1290.73

Band E: 1577.56

Band F: 1864.39

Band G: 2151.22

Band H: 2581.46

Hackney

Band A: 872.18

Band B: 1017.54

Band C: 1162.91

Band D: 1308.27

Band E: 1599.00

Band F: 1889.73

Band G: 2180.45

Band H: 2616.54

Hammersmith & Fulham

Band A: 764.48

Band B: 891.88

Band C: 1019.30

Band D: 1146.71

Band E: 1401.54

Band F: 1656.36

Band G: 1911.19

Band H: 2293.42

Haringey

Band A: 996.11

Band B: 1162.11

Band C: 1328.13

Band D: 1494.14

Band E: 1826.06

Band F: 2158.22

Band G: 2490.24

Band H: 2988.29

Harrow

Band A: 997.58

Band B: 1163.84

Band C: 1330.11

Band D: 1496.37

Band E: 1828.90

Band F: 2161.42

Band G: 2493.95

Band H: 2992.74

Havering

Band A: 1007.33

Band B: 1175.22

Band C: 1343.11

Band D: 1511.00

Band E: 1846.78

Band F: 2182.56

Band G: 2518.33

Band H: 3022.00

Hillingdon

Band A: 948.50

Band B: 1106.58

Band C: 1264.67

Band D: 1422.75

Band E: 1738.92

Band F: 2055.09

Band G: 2371.25

Band H: 2845.50

Hounslow

Band A: 933.65

Band B: 1089.25

Band C: 1244.87

Band D: 1400.47

Band E: 1711.69

Band F: 2022.90

Band G: 2334.12

Band H: 2800.94

Islington

Band A: 847.80

Band B: 989.09

Band C: 1130.40

Band D: 1271.69

Band E: 1554.29

Band F: 1836.89

Band G: 2119.49

Band H: 2543.38

Kensington & Chelsea

Band A: 719.42

Band B: 839.31

Band C: 959.22

Band D: 1079.12

Band E: 1318.93

Band F: 1558.73

Band G: 1798.54

Band H: 2158.24

Kingston Upon Thames

Band A: 1086.84

Band B: 1267.97

Band C: 1449.12

Band D: 1630.25

Band E: 1992.53

Band F: 2354.81

Band G: 2717.09

Band H: 3260.50

Lambeth

Band A: 823.41

Band B: 960.64

Band C: 1097.88

Band D: 1235.11

Band E: 1509.58

Band F: 1784.05

Band G: 2058.52

Band H: 2470.22

Lewisham

Band A: 901.28

Band B: 1051.50

Band C: 1201.71

Band D: 1351.93

Band E: 1652.35

Band F: 1952.78

Band G: 2253.21

Band H: 2703.85

Merton

Wimbledon Common Area

Band A: 968.62

Band B: 1130.05

Band C: 1291.49

Band D: 1452.92

Band E: 1775.79

Band F: 2098.66

Band G: 2421.54

Band H: 2905.84

Other areas in Merton:

Band A: 952.40

Band B: 1111.13

Band C: 1269.87

Band D: 1428.60

Band E: 1746.07

Band F: 2063.54

Band G: 2381.00

Band H: 2857.20

Newham

Band A: 836.97

Band B: 976.46

Band C: 1115.96

Band D: 1255.45

Band E: 1534.44

Band F: 1813.43

Band G: 2092.42

Band H: 2510.90

Redbridge

Band A: 936.90

Band B: 1093.05

Band C: 1249.20

Band D: 1405.35

Band E: 1717.65

Band F: 2029.95

Band G: 2342.25

Band H: 2810.70

Richmond Upon Thames

Band A: 1064.81

Band B: 1242.27

Band C: 1419.74

Band D: 1597.21

Band E: 1952.15

Band F: 2307.08

Band G: 2662.02

Band H: 3194.42

Southwark

Band A: 814.64

Band B: 950.41

Band C: 1086.19

Band D: 1221.96

Band E: 1493.51

Band F: 1765.06

Band G: 2036.60

Band H: 2443.92

Sutton

Band A: 967.14

Band B: 1128.33

Band C: 1289.52

Band D: 1450.71

Band E: 1773.09

Band F: 2095.47

Band G: 2417.85

Band H: 2901.42

Tower Hamlets

Band A: 796.90

Band B: 929.71

Band C: 1062.53

Band D: 1195.34

Band E: 1460.97

Band F: 1726.60

Band G: 1992.24

Band H: 2390.68

Waltham Forest

Band A: 974.69

Band B: 1137.13

Band C: 1299.58

Band D: 1462.03

Band E: 1786.93

Band F: 2111.82

Band G: 2436.72

Band H: 2924.06

Wandsworth

Main part of the borough

Band A: 454.54

Band B: 530.30

Band C: 606.06

Band D: 681.81

Band E: 833.33

Band F: 984.84

Band G: 1136.36

Band H: 1363.62

Commons Area:

Band A: 470.76

Band B: 549.21

Band C: 627.68

Band D: 706.13

Band E: 863.05

Band F: 1019.97

Band G: 1176.89

Band H: 1412.27

Westminster

Band A: 458.41

Band B: 534.82

Band C: 611.12

Band D: 687.62

Band E: 840.42

Band F: 993.23

Band G: 1146.03

Band H: 1375.24