Where to live in London?

[jb]

Wherever you end up, my advice is to have 2 or 3 alternative work-home routes that are as independently robust (mixed transport modes) as possible.

ANYTHING that makes you hostage to a single transport mode going down is asking for trouble. For this reason, outer regions on the Met (for example) should be less attractive than they might otherwise seem. If boxing around using some combination of buses, NR and shanks' pony is going to prove a major PITA, you need to look somewhere else.

I used to reverse-commute out of Waterloo from Docklands. The transport modes and routes available were almost too many to count. But sooner or later I needed them all.

 

[W-on-Sea]

re. the Harrow area, I know it a little: well, I've several friends who've lived there for donkeys' years, so I've seen a fair bit of it over the years

Short version: West Harrow is pretty nice, some parts of South Harrow a bit less so (although it has more plentiful shops), and Wealdstone much less so. Harrow-on-the-Hill itself (ie the old village, around Harrow School), as distinct from where the station of that name is, is pretty lovely - but expensive!)

I definitely agree with JB about how preferable it is to have several options for commuting.

 

[leytongabriel]

I don't think you don't mention how old you are. If you are not looking for a 'funky' area you could try the Finchley area on the Northen Line (then short walk from warren St) . It's not the most exciting part of London perhaps but cheaper than nearby trendier parts, considered reasonably safe and there are quite a lot of large houses divided into flats for renting. Bounds Green and New Barnet ditto though you'l have to change onto the Victoria line at Finsbury Park which would mean a 10m stand in the rush hours.

 

[telstarbox]

I think Max could be described as reasonably 'funky'.

 

[W-on-Sea]

East Finchley is a bit funkier than Finchley itself, then..

 

[leytongabriel]

Ooh yes- Muswell Hill overspill and an independent cinema