Author: Colleen

If you’re planning a relocation to London, one of the first items you must consider is where to live in London. Belinda and I both continually discuss London neighborhoods from time to time, and for a while there I’d been maintaining this series that toured London postcode by postcode. Well folks, it only took me almost a year to get around to it (literally), but today I am finally rounding out my eight-part neighborhood series with London’s Southeast postcodes. Ta-Da!!!

Here they are:

SE1 – Bankside, Bermondsey, Borough, Newington, North Lambeth, South Bank, Southwark, Waterloo
SE2 – Abbey Wood, Thamesmead South
SE3 – Blackheath, Blackheath Park, Kidbrooke, Westcombe Park
SE4 – Brockley, Crofton Park, Honor Oak Park
SE5 – Camberwell
SE6 – Bellingham, Catford, Hither Green
SE7 – Charlton, Harvey Gardens, New Charlton
SE8 – Deptford, St. John’s
SE9 – Eltham, Mottingham, New Eltham
SE10 – Greenwich
SE11 – Kennington, Lambeth
SE12 – Grove Park, Lee
SE14 – Hither Green, Ladywell, Lewisham
SE15 – Nunhead, Peckham
SE16 – Rotherhithe, South Bermondsey, Surrey Quays
SE17 – Elephant and Castle, Kennington, Walworth
SE18 – Plumstead, Shooter’s Hill, Woolwich
SE19 – Crystal Palace, Gipsy Hill, Norwood, Norwood New Town, Upper Norwood
SE20 – Anerley, Penge
SE21 – Dulwich, Upper Sydenham, West Dulwich
SE22 – East Dulwich
SE23 – Forest Hill
SE24 – Herne Hill
SE25 – South Norwood
SE26 – Bell Green, Lower Sydenham, Sydenham
SE27 – Tulse Hill, West Norwood
SE28 – Thamesmead

Located in SE1, Southwark has a high-density of both population and attractions. This is where you’ll find the London Eye, the London Aquarium, the London Dungeon and other tourist havens with a lively riverside atmosphere that includes street performers and markets. With the National Theatre, Old Vic Theatre (where Kevin Spacey is artistic director and actor), and The Southbank Centre among other venues dedicated to the arts, SE1 is a real cultural center. Shakespeare’s Globe is also here in the Bankside area, the vicinity where the original Globe stood and was thereby part of London’s original theatre district. Restaurants, pubs, and office buildings line the river here, yet for as much commerce as there is in and around the SE1 area, it’s also quite residential, with ample access to amenities as well as entertainment. The extensive outdoor market near London Bridge in Borough is among London’s best renowned, and this area is desirable for those looking for an edgier, artistic, and eclectic scene and/or needing a short commute to the City.

Greenwich in SE10 is perhaps best known around the world, however, as the place “where time begins.” Outside its Royal Observatory is the famous Greenwich Meridian Line, which represents the Prime Meridian of the world at Longitude 0º. Greenwich’s observatory and National Maritime Museum are a big draw for tourists and residents alike, and the area is home to the Royal Naval College and Greenwich University, but this lovely village has much more to offer those living there. Greenwich Market boasts an amazing collection of arts and crafts, antiques and collectibles, and an assortment of other unique gifts, while the quaint surrounding area is filled with pubs and boutiques. Hilly and leafy, it’s a tranquil place to picnic and relax, truly feeling like a little village removed from the city’s bustle.

Just east of SE1 is SE16, where the neighborhood of Rotherhithe sits on the River Thames among the Docklands. Rotherhithe was the departure site of the The Mayflower ship, kicking off its voyage to the New World. Nearby Canada Water offers a convenient transport link with both Underground and Overground services, and Surrey Quays houses a large shopping complex more akin to what North American expats are used to. This area is overall rather non-touristed and makes for a quiet residence. Just southeast of Greenwich lies SE3, where the annual London marathon starts in Blackheath on the fringes of Greenwich Park. And going further southeast from there, in SE9 you can find two golf courses, the Royal Blackheath Golf Course and the Eltham Warren Golf Course.

SE19 is probably best known for Crystal Palace’s National Sports Centre, an athletic training facility as well as host to major international track and field events. The vicinity is characterized by wide-open green space, and Crystal Palace Park is perfect for family days out; it used to be a Victorian pre-historic theme park and still contains dinosaur sculptures around the Boating Lake along with a children’s farm. And if southwest London’s Clapham is considered “Nappy Valley,” SE22′s East Dulwich is on its heels for claiming the title. You’d be hard-pressed not to see a woman walking down its sidewalks who is either pregnant or pushing a pram—seriously. Young families are flocking to this area in droves these days to take advantage of more affordable housing and a quieter residential life that still has close access to high street and boutique shops, artsy cafés, and restaurants.

If you find this of any use as you prepare for your London move, get psyched for the London Relocation company‘s soon-to-be-arriving new website, which will include a more comprehensive and downloadable guide to London neighborhoods, thanks to the expertise of its London Relocation agents.

Living In London – London Neighborhoods – Bethnal Green- Image via Wikipedia

This is the East End of London and you’re going to be staying in one of the most culturally diverse and interesting areas in London. While many Canadians moving to London choose not to live in the east End when they’re moving to London, it should be considered a good choice if you’re looking for a London rental flat that is reasonably priced and good value for money.

East London – Bethnal Green

Bethnal Green is right next door to the City which is the heart of the financial district in London. Traditionally an extremely poor area of London, real estate values have jumped in the last two years and it’s now becoming one of the trendier spots to hang your hat. A one bedroom rental London flat in Bethnal Green can cost you up to £1000 per week and family homes start from £ 17000 per week.

Council Information: Clapham falls under the Council Borough of Tower Hamlets with annual taxes ranging from £800 – £2500.

Transport: Bethnal Green Tube Station is on the central Line of the London Underground and you can be in the West End in less than 30 minutes if you’re on a night out. Trains and buses run all the time and the transport in this area of London is excellent.

Shopping: Bethnal Green has all the big names as well as some more interesting boutique stores and the Co-Op Food Store in the Mile End which has more unusual grocery items and fresh food.

Doctors: The Blithehale Medical Centre is right in the centre of Bethnal Green and if you’re looking for an A&E, then The Royal London Hospital is a few streets away in Whitechapel.

Other Amenities: Bethnal Green, like many neighborhoods in East London, is incredibly culturally diverse. From the young, upwardly mobile city traders, to the bohemian artsy types, lots of fun types to meet when living in London. There are a number of excellent schools in the area and its becoming the choice for families as well, making it an ideal place to look when moving to London​. It might not look as well heeled as other parts of London, but if you’re looking to buy property as an investment, then this is seriously the place to start looking.

Just over a year ago when chilling in a hostel in Pula, Croatia, a friend lent me a book:  Longitude.  Cool, I thought, seeing it simply as something that would help me pass the time as I laid around on the beach.  A literary dork, I don’t often read nonfiction, so I was surprised how much I ended up enjoying this story of sea clocks that I read through as quickly as I would have a novel.  If you have the slightest interest in British history, seafaring, navigation, clocks, or astronomy, I cannot recommend it enough.

To get on with it, the book chronicles John Harrison‘s journey toward solving the problem of longitude.  We take for granted the globes we’ve grown up with that are stratified by their degrees in both longitude and latitude, never really thinking about what mankind had to undergo to come up with this.  How on Earth did they figure this out way back before today’s technology?  The problem was so dire that, in 1714, the British Parliament offered a monetary prize of £20,000 (worth millions in today’s terms) to whomever could solve it.

As Harrison (a self-taught clockmaker by trade) determined that being able to accurately track time was at the crux of the matter (such that the local time of a destination could be compared with a basis such as Greenwich Mean Time), what was needed was an accurate clock.  Sounds easier to us than what the issue really was at the time.  In the 18th century, clocks didn’t exist that could keep ticking with accuracy for a long duration of time, and certainly not against conditions at sea of varying temperature, moisture, and pressure.  And so, Harrison proceeded to build his clock, refining it through 5 different versions for over 4 decades of his life, all the while running neck and neck with competing clocks and the other dominant school of thought, astronomy (which relied on the stars as a measure of position…which works great until it gets cloudy!).  It’s a fascinating story of dedication and precision and such a testament to man’s perseverance and innovation.

Harrison’s “H5,” is located in the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers‘ collection in London.  H1 through H4 of the sea clocks (technically referred to as “chronometers”) are on display and still tickin’ in the National Maritime Museum‘s Royal Observatory in Greenwich, where time begins

This guest post comes to us compliments of one of our fabulous London Living Londonistas, Jessica.

When my husband and I moved from our corporate flat to our own place just a 25 minute walk north to Hackney, I didn’t know what to expect and oddly enough my main concern was “Where am I going to go grocery shopping?” Our last place was in walking distance to a Waitrose, a Tesco and most importantly, Borough Market where we had become familiar faces on Saturday mornings to our favorite vendors. Walking back from these places without a full backpack is not an option.

One Google search later and wouldn’t you know it these are our local markets:

Broadway Market.
Open Saturdays 9am – 5pm. Lots of fresh produce, meats, cheeses, clothes and hot lunch options.
The street is lined with shops and cafes to poke in and out of as you shop. Grab lunch and take a walk through London Fields or along the canal.

London Fields Market
Open Sundays 10am – 2pm. Lots of fresh produce, meats, cheeses, pasta and more.

Columbia Road Flower Market
Open Sundays 8am – 3pm (ish). Flowers, flowers and more flowers. Oh and plants, herbs, cafes and pubs too! Go at the end of the day for great deals.
The street is lined with shops and cafes to poke in and out of as you shop.

Back Yard / Up Market
Back Yard Market is open Saturday 11am – 6pm and Sunday 10am – 5pm
Up Market is open Sunday 10am – 5pm

You name it, they sell it. There are food stalls inside and out, a beer garden, vintage warehouse, art galleries, produce, music and that doesn’t even include the shops along the street!

Spitalfields Market
Thu: Antiques & vintage 10am – 4pm
Fri: Fashion & art 10am – 4pm
Sun: Busiest day – all shops & all stalls 9am – 5pm

You name it, they sell it. Sometimes there is music or an outdoor beer garden happening.

Hoxton Street Market
Open Monday through Saturday 7:30am – 6pm. Go on Saturday, it has the most stalls open.

You name it, they sell it and it is good and cheap!

Check out the individual website for events happening in and around the markets. Up Market and Spitalfields Market specifically have various free events happening all the time. Enjoy!

While I rarely indulge email forwards, this is one that I received that really made me giggle.  I wish I could credit its clever author (I suspect it was a Brit), but as it came to me through a chain of email forwards, I will have to post it anonymously and just give the disclaimer that I am not the author.  Hopefully it causes no offense—I figure since it makes fun of everyone (or, as the British would say, it’s “taking the piss”), we can all take it in good spirit.  What fun is life, after all, if we can’t laugh at ourselves, especially during times of international uncertainty when we should unite?

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist  threats and have raised their security level from “Miffed”  to “Peeved.”  Soon, though, security levels may be raised  yet again to “Irritated” or even “A Bit Cross.”  The English have not been “A Bit Cross” since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out.  Terrorists have been re-categorized  from “Tiresome” to a “Bloody Nuisance.”  The last time the British issued a “Bloody Nuisance” warning level was during the great fire of 1666.

The Scots raised their threat level from “Pissed Off” to “Let’s get the Bastards.”  They don’t have any other levels.  This is the reason they have been used on the front line in the British army for  the last 300 years.

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from “Run” to “Hide.”  The only two higher levels in France are “Collaborate” and “Surrender.”  The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France ‘s white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country’s military capability.

It’s not only the French who are on a heightened level of alert.   Italy has increased the alert level from “Shout loudly and excitedly” to “Elaborate Military Posturing.”  Two more levels remain:  “Ineffective Combat Operations” and “Change Sides.”  The Germans also increased their alert state from “Disdainful Arrogance” to “Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs.”  They also have two higher levels: “Invade a Neighbor” and  ”Lose.”

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual, and the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels .

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy.  These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.

Americans meanwhile and as usual are carrying out pre-emptive strikes, on all of their allies, just in case.

And in the southern  hemisphere…New Zealand  has also raised  its security levels—from “baaa” to “BAAAA!”  Due to continuing defense cutbacks (the air force being a squadron of  spotty teenagers flying paper aeroplanes and the navy some toy boats in the Prime Minister’s bath), New Zealand only has one more level of escalation, which is “S**t, I  hope Australia will come and rescue  us.”

Australia , meanwhile, has raised its security level from “No worries”  to “She’ll be right, mate.”  Three more escalation levels remain: “Crikey!’, “I think we’ll need to cancel the barbie this weekend,” and “The barbie is cancelled.”  So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.

Hopefully that gave you a bit of a laugh at the international community you’ll be living near and among when you relocate to London.  When that time comes, there’s no need for you to raise your personal alert level—London Relocation Ltd. will be here for you to find a high-quality, conveniently located London flat where you can feel safe and without stress.