Residential areas within walking distance of Central London

moove2london on 09 Sep 2010

Most of you who are moving to London will have to rely on the transport system in order to get from A to B. Sometimes our transport system lets us down, for instance if there is a tube or rail strike, bad weather conditions or terrorist threats. On these occasions, London descends into chaos as Londoners do everything they can to get from home to work and back again using as many inventive methods of travel as is humanly possible.

So how can you get around this?

Well many of you will just learn to live with it and not worry yourselves about something that only happens on a few random days of the year. Others will decide that they’d rather live somewhere within walking distance of Central London, so that they can travel to work on foot on either a regular basis (it’s a great way to exercise and to see our great city) or in case of a travel emergency.

Whilst many areas within easy reach of Central London are understandably expensive, there are other more affordable areas that are well worth a look at if you have your heart set on donning a pair of trainers every day.

Here are 10 areas within walking distance of Central London that you might want to consider living in:

Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green is situated in East London in the postcode area of E2. Famed for it’s association with the Kray brothers, it’s extremely handy for nearby Shoreditch and of course the City of London. It’s approximately 1.5 miles from Bethnal Green to Liverpool Street making it perfect for those who want to work in the country’s financial capital. If you’re more brave and fancy walking to the West End, then it’s about 4.5 miles away.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate .

Kennington
Kennington is situated in South-East London in the vicinity of the Oval Cricket Ground. It’s a reasonably trendy area to live in with some good local pubs. In terms of walking distances, it’s a brisk 2.5 miles across the river into Victoria where there are plenty of offices located. If you need to get to the West End, then that will take you a further 20 mins.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.

Islington
Islington needs no introduction. It’s an extremely popular area for graduates and young professionals to live in. The area is centred around Upper Street which is lined from top to toe with trendy shops, bars, restaurants, pubs and cafes.
The distance between Islington and the City is approximately 2 miles.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.

Bayswater.
Bayswater is situated in West London approximately 2.3 miles from the West End, which is perfect if you happen to work on or near Oxford Street or Soho.
A walk between the two usually involves walking through Hyde Park, so it really is a lovely commute.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.

Stepney Green
Another area located in the East End of London is Stepney Green. Although it could arguably be described as being historic more than it is glamorous, it is in a perfect location sandwiched between the City and Canary Wharf which are both 2 miles away.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.

Battersea
Battersea is located in South London. As it’s only a short distance across the river from Sloane Square, parts of the area attract the wealthy, although you can also find some decent, affordable flatshares and property rental here.
The distance from Battersea to Victoria is approximately 2.6 miles, but if you need to go further into the West End, it’s more like 3.5 miles.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.

Hackney
Hackney is another favourite East End haunt that is probably most famous for the Hackney Empire and it’s market. Hackney is referred to as both a council borough and a town, but in this instance, we’re talking about the town.
Hackney is most appropriately located for those who want to walk to work in the City of London which is approximately 3.2 miles away.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.

Stoke Newington
Stoke Newington is located in North London. Slightly further out than some of the other residential areas mentioned on this page, it is an area that has recently ‘up-and-come’. Stoke Newington is often described as being great for families and has a young atmosphere to it. The popular road to hang out on is Church Street. A journey into the City of London covers approximately 3.5 miles of road.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate..

Peckham
Most people don’t hear ‘Peckham’ without conjuring up images of the Trotters living in Nelson Mandella House. Well it’s a long time since ‘Only Fools and Horses’ was on our screens and in that time, Peckham has moved slowly up the ranks and is now considered a satisfactory place to live, not least because of the fact that some decent watering holes have opened up and that it’s close proximity to Central London. The distance between Peckham and London Bridge is approximately 3.2 miles.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.

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