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.
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) hosts a mix of the young and trendy and established and affluent, with a like mix of eclectic and posh boutiques and cafés. Holland Park feels like a leafy suburb with beautiful residences, shops, and green space, and I would say the same for W9′s Maida Vale—rents can be high given the quality of housing, yet reasonable deals can still be found the less central you get. It’s the centrality of W8, however, that continues to make Kensington popular like Notting Hill, with the benefits of being close to the open space of 
Author: Colleen
