London is the giant melting pot of diverse cultures and is home to royal history. Living in London is exciting and offers an experience of a lifetime. As a young professional planning to live in London, you’ll need to look at your options, and they are many! We know researching the best UK cities to determine where to settle down can be time-consuming. So, this article will look at the best places where young professionals can live in London.

Why You Should Live in London

A thorough look at the research of the best UK cities will show you how diverse the United Kingdom is with career opportunities, multiple international business hubs, and the type of jobs you can land.

What does living in London offer you? 

• Strict yet generous labor laws
• Lots of benefits for employees
• A central and accessible location to other parts of the UK & Europe
• Great medical plan with the NHS

What to Consider If Choosing a Home in London

Looking up new homes and researching a new city can be tasking, and it’s usually a bother, especially when you want to settle into your new role. Consider what is affordable, convenient, and available to you.

There are a few factors to keep in mind. Let’s see them!

Daily Commute

When choosing a home in London, you need somewhere close to your workplace. Also, pay attention to commuting duration. To avoid spending hours commuting, look up the average time it would take you to get to work daily. 

Learning about underground lines or other transportation options is crucial to stay aware of the situation. If you don’t drive, look at how easy it is to access the tube, buses, or overground rail from your location. If you do, consider peak traffic times and try to avoid them.

Living Costs

Wherever you decide to live, you must examine the cost of living. The average young professional in London earns roughly £30,000 a year, and the highest earners receive around £42,500. When searching for a flat, evaluate how much you can afford to spend monthly on rent, groceries, and bills. 

Try to do the math and set budget plans. Also, find out how much things cost in your desired location. 

Social Life

What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Do you like to rave or ponder over paintings at a gallery? Watch a play at the theatre, perhaps? Whatever it is, include that in what to look out for when choosing a borough in London. If you’re new in the city, search for homes in neighborhoods that offer easy access to local stores, farmer’s markets, cafes, restaurants, and maybe even a museum.

Safety 

Your safety is important no matter where you choose to live. As you plan to move to London, ensure you find a secure location. Like many other cities, some parts of London aren’t safe if you’re new or living alone. Look up stats about the boroughs of London to see which is safest. You could get more information by visiting the City of London Police to enquire about safe zones. Be sure you’re choosing a crime-free zone where you can move around safely.

Best 5 Places to Live in London for Young Professionals

Below are the best five places to live in London for young professionals:

Brixton

In the south of London, Brixton is a melting pot of multicultural heritage with an array of affordable amenities. The social scene here is superb for young professionals, with options like Brixton Village.

The Victoria Line runs from Brixton to other parts of London and takes about 15 – 30 minutes to get to most places. Buses are also available. Because of the popularity of Brixton, there has been an increase in living costs. The average rent in Brixton is about £495 weekly for a one-bedroom flat, according to Rightmove.co.uk.

Wembley/Wembley Park

This part of North-West London seems distant from central London, but it isn’t. It takes about 10 minutes to arrive at Baker Street on the Metropolitan line and about 20 minutes to the West End. Wembley is home to fine sports facilities as well. You can also find a designer outlet shopping center with brands like Nike and Puma. And you don’t always need to go far off to have a great time with so much to do around you and places like Box park around the corner. 

An average studio would cost you around £900 p/m, and a one bedroom at about £1,165.

There are a lot of modern apartments to choose from in Wembley, making it a suitable spot for many young professionals. 

Clapham

Clapham has one of the largest social scenes in London, and it’s also filled with various amenities within and around its high street. This area is perfect for newbies who want to experience London. Four stations along the Northern line make it easy to commute anywhere. If you also want a getaway, it takes about 50 minutes to get to Brighton and see the seaside! Many young professionals live in Clapham because of the renovations going on in the area. The average cost of rent is roughly £1,300 monthly.

Stratford

From modern apartment buildings to a buzzing social scene, there’s a lot you can do at Stratford. There are plenty of tube, rail, and DLR links in this area, making it convenient to get around London. You can find the Westfield Center and other social spots here. The average rent is £631 weekly. It’s a highly recommended location for young people. Stratford has a vibrant atmosphere that makes it easy to live here.

Elephant and Castle

This is one of the most affordable locations in Zone 1. The average cost for a studio flat here is about £1,300. Elephant and Castle have great transportation routes, and you can access them through the underground, rail, and buses. It’s only 20 minutes away from King’s Cross station. Elephant and Castle is home to London South Bank University and has a social and art scene for young people. There’s a lot of diversity in this area and multicultural representation. 

Elephant and Castle is an upcoming area, meaning lots of new homes. Most young professionals choose this location because of its accessibility. 

Conclusion

Finding the perfect location to live means considering your proximity to work, cost of living, social life, and safety. London has a lot of attractive boroughs, with each one having an identity. There are a lot of “perfect places” to live, but it’s all up to the individual to choose. 

It’s all about finding what works best for your budget, the life you want, and your taste in locations. Finding and moving to a new home can be time-consuming, so take it easy and make the right choice. London has the perfect spot for everybody, no matter your preference.