Property

I used to live in Finsbury Park, North London (to be fair I have lived in lots of parts of London, well apart from the posh bits, natch) and it was vaguely affordable then. Two things happened to me there 1, I dislocated my shoulder whilst very very drunk and 2, I got thrown out of my flat for failure to pay rent (anarchist/pauper….delete as appropriate) So you would think I would look back with a certain sense of anger at Finsbury...

It is over 20 years since there was a residents’ war against the M11 link road. The neighbourhood went all a bit Che Guevara and declared Wanstead “the Independent Free Area of Wanstonia” (catchy), some went all Robin Hood and built a tree house in a 250-year-old Chesnut and others went pitch fork in hands; to occupy the roof of John MacGregor – then Tory Transport secretary. Well that didn’t last long and the M11 now offers these militants great...

This is the proper East End (for the minute) and no it isn’t Forest Hill (ever). Its name is derived from a southern gate of Epping Forest which once stretched continuously down from Epping to the main Roman Road (now Romford Road) linking Camulodunum to Londinium. So bore the estate agent with that, when you are looking at the cheap properties, good schools and planned Crossrail station. Still not interested? Well I have even more (useless facts) An Anglo-Saxon jewelled...

I want to live in… Clapton Would you want to live in an area dubbed “murder mile” only a few years ago? No, well you are in the minority. There is nothing like middle class gentrification to bring down the crime rate. It is almost as if the local hoodlums are too embarrassed to commit crime next to a graphic designer with a handlebar moustache; ruins their street cred. So Clapton is yet another area conquered on the hipster map....

Walthamstow is “Awesomestow” apparently. Yes it is a bit cringe, but don’t let that put you off, it is becoming the creative hub of London. It even has a village bit (ok I know everywhere in London claims to have one, but this is the real deal) I don’t know many fashion designers, but of the ones who give me a minute of their precious time, all live in Walthamstow. The mass exodus from Dalston has washed-up the hipsters of...

You are never going to own a stately home; peasant. So why not buy a property next to one? Charlton in South East London is part of the Royal borough of Greenwich, with good schools, parks, great views and Charlton House - regarded as the best preserved Jacobean house in London, built in 1607. However, unlike Greenwich town and neighbouring Blackheath, it is actually affordable. Ok some bits are a bit down on their luck, but in general it is...

“It isn’t pretty but it has a big black plastic cat,” I was told a few years ago by my girlfriend who is from around that area. A few years on and it’s exactly the same. I guess in a rapidly changing London some consistency is quite comforting. This is the South East London as Del Boy would have seen it. There has been loose talk of regeneration for years, I fear the cat might go to the plastic animal...

Clapham arrived on the scene years ago, and put SW4 firmly on the map. Few can remember it used to be regarded as quite a rough area. Now it is one of busiest drinking/eating areas in London, with many venues full every day of the week. It used to be full of Australians, but they appear to have been priced out the places like Acton. Now Clapham is firmly the HQ for the young Home Counties set in London. Rugby...

You thought of David Beckham didn’t you? So did I, it is nothing to be ashamed of...embrace it. Beckenham is a traditional London suburb - to the South East of the capital - with pleasant tree lined streets, Edwardian houses and the vague feeling it was once a village before London expanded like Eric Pickle’s waistband. I guess it is Kent at heart, but London in outlook. And wait for it, it’s cheap. Not Aldi prices of course, but just about...