London is one of the most visited cities on earth. Not only do over 9 million people call the capital city of England their home but millions more visit every year to enjoy the fantastic attractions, education, amenities and more.
There is a huge range of things to do, see and experience in London. Neighbourhoods such as Notting Hill, Shoreditch and Soho are recognised around the globe for their arts and culture, fashion, restaurants, nightlife, street performances and more.
Meanwhile, for those looking to build a comfortable life on the outskirts of the city, boroughs such as Wandsworth, Waltham Forest, Ealing and Sutton are ideal.
Each part of the city brings different things to the table, and that’s what so many people love about London. Job opportunities, crime rate, broadband speed, transport links, and more will all vary for each neighbourhood – making it important that you are well-informed on all of these topics.
So, whether you are visiting London in the near future or are considering a permanent relocation to England’s capital, you are in the perfect place. Here is our comprehensive area guide to one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
London’s Amenities
Regardless of where you are in London, there are lots of useful facilities that you can use to make your time more enjoyable.
Free libraries are dotted around the city, with arguably the most famous being the British Library in King’s Cross. You do not need to pay to use these resources, and with warm heating and Cafés that you can buy a hot beverage from, there is everything you need to enjoy a cosy day studying, reading or writing.
Just like any other major city, there are lots of sports and gym facilities for you to use, too. Football, tennis, rugby, badminton, cricket and athletics are all extremely popular in London, and you can find lots of places to meet like-minded people who also share a passion for these activities.
Some of the other useful amenities you will find throughout London include:
- Swimming Pools
- Bike Storage
- Pet Supplies
- Washing Facilities
- Parking
- Free Wi-Fi
- Laundry Rooms
- Child Daycare
If you are only staying in London for a short period, the city hosts some of the best hotels anywhere in Europe. The five-star hotels on offer include The Kensington, Shangri-La, The Shard, The Savoy, and The Ritz.
There are countless Café’s throughout London that you can enjoy, too, if you need a hot drink or a bite to eat. The majority of these places will have free Wi-Fi, and you can use the space to catch up on some work or chat with friends however you like.
Lastly, there are lots of airports that millions of people use to visit London every year. These include Heathrow, Stansted, Luton and Gatwick, amongst smaller ones such as Southend and London City Airport.
If you want to sell your house fast in London, contact us today.
London’s Attractions
There is no shortage of attractions throughout England’s capital city. London Bridge is famous around the world and is also near to the Tower of London, which is steeped in history going back centuries.
Meanwhile, further along the River Thames is the London Eye: one of the largest Ferris-wheels in the world, at 443 feet high. This amazing attraction provides gorgeous views of the entire city, and is open until late on weekends, meaning that you can admire London’s sights while the sun sets and night begins to fall.
There are plenty more famous attractions that bring people to London, including:
- Buckingham Palace
- St Paul’s Cathedral
- Westminster Abbey
- Big Ben
- Kensington Palace
- Chinatown
- Trafalgar Square
Another unique aspect of London is the numerous parks that you can enjoy around the city. Hyde Park, Green Park and Regent’s Park are all famous for their beautiful greenery – and in some of them, there’s even the option to jump on a pedalo and float across the park’s ponds and lakes. Primrose Hill and Greenwich Park also offer mesmerising views of the city’s skyline.
Plenty of people are also attracted by London’s incredible museums. The Natural History Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the British Museum all hold unique artefacts that cannot be seen anywhere else.
London also stands alone in the fantastic markets that you can visit every day of the week. Borough Market and Camden Market are arguably the most famous, but Maltby Street Market, Spitalfields Market and Leadenhall Market are worth visiting, too.
If you want to sell your house fast in London, contact us today.
London’s Population
The latest figures suggest that London’s population is currently over 9 million and that this is due to rise to 10.5 million by 2035. It is generally believed that London is the most populated city in Western Europe, with only Moscow and Istanbul currently housing more people.
The rising number of people living in the city is not only a testament to what an attractive place it is to live, but also to the increasing investment in infrastructure (most notably, public transport) that makes it possible.
There is a diverse range of cultures, religions, and nationalities living in London, which is another feature that so many people love about England’s capital. According to the latest statistics, the ethnic range in London is as follows:
- 20.7% Asian
- 13.5% Black
- 5.7% Mixed
- 36.8% White British
- 17% White Other
- 6.3% Other
Some parts of the city are significantly more populated than others. For example, the London Borough of Croydon has approximately 392,000 residents, while Kensington and Chelsea only has approximately 146,000 people living there.
The average income of any given borough’s population will also differ, too. For example, properties are far more expensive in Hammersmith and Fulham than they are in Barnet, and this is likely to be reflected in the typical salary for people living in these areas.
If you want to sell your house fast in London, contact us today.
London’s Crime Rate
Crime rate is an extremely important subject for any person looking to move into London – especially those with young children. After all, staying safe has got to be your number one priority. London’s crime rate is also lower than that of other major European cities such as Naples, Paris, Athens, and Brussels.
Across the entire city, over one year, there is an average of around 100 reported crimes per 1,000 people. However, it is no surprise that some areas of London have far lower crime rates than others.
Richmond Upon Thames is the London area with the lowest crime rate per 1,000 people, at 61.37. Some of the other lowest crime rate areas include:
- Sutton – 64.38
- Harrow – 66.22
- Bexley – 66.53
- Merton – 67.13
On the other hand, the borough with the highest crime rate is currently the city of Westminster. Most crime experts suggest that this is because it is where most tourists are, who are generally considered more ‘vulnerable’ to having belongings stolen, and also because there are lots of pricey properties in this part of the city.
Following the theme of the most expensive central neighbourhoods suffering from the most break-ins, Camden, Islington, and Kensington & Chelsea rank high on the list, too.
While there are averages for all crimes, the figures vary significantly depending on the type of offence you are looking at. For example, bicycle theft is high in Hackney, possession of weapons is more common in Haringey, and drug crime is higher in Barking & Dagenham.
You should research each area thoroughly to find out the crime rate details, as some figures can be misleading. For example, although Westminster ranks high for crime rate, it is also by far the location with the highest footfall of tourists, and most people who go there feel very safe.
If you want to sell your house fast in London, contact us today.
London’s Job Opportunities
There’s no denying that London has one of the strongest economies of any major city in Europe – and this largely comes from the exceptional job opportunities available there.
Approximately 79.2% of adults living in London are currently in full-time employment, which is higher than the UK average of 78.1%. In addition, the capital’s average annual salary is currently £44,370, which is much higher than the country’s mean of £34,963.
Canary Wharf is the financial district of London, and is home to some of the world’s largest banks. These include Lloyds, NatWest, HSBC, Santander and more. Meanwhile, in the City of London in neighbourhoods such as Barbican, Moorgate and Liverpool Street, you will find some of the largest organisations in the world.
According to the latest figures, the industries that currently employ the most people in London include:
- Professional, Scientific And Technical Activities – 14.7%
- Human Health And Social Work Activities – 10.6%
- Administrative And Support Service Activities – 10.3%
- Wholesale And Retail Trade; Repair Of Vehicles – 10.3%
As things stand, London currently generates around 22% of the UK’s GDP. This is a significant sum and demonstrates the thriving economy and excellent job opportunities you can find there.
There are plenty more statistics that demonstrate London’s excellent job opportunities. The city ranks above the UK average in job density, number of small businesses, number of women in full-time employment, and plenty more.
You will struggle to find a single industry that does not operate in London, with the city being a hub of innovation, business start-ups and investment. So, whether you want to climb the corporate ladder or start your own company, London is the perfect place to do it.
If you want to sell your house fast in London, contact us today.
London’s Broadband Speed
Since 2017, full fibre availability has increased in the capital from 4% to over 50% of homes and businesses today. The Mayor of London has also recently introduced an initiative, committing to giving all Londoners access to the broadband connectivity they need by 2025.
There are lots of broadband providers throughout the city for you to choose from. These include (amongst others):
- BT
- EE
- Plusnet
- Sky
- TalkTalk
- Virgin Media
- Vodafone
The price you will need to pay for ultra-fast broadband will vary for each provider, so you should research these thoroughly before committing to any one package/company.
Phone connections are usually strong in all parts of the city, which is useful for making calls. There is also 4G and 5G data on offer in almost every neighbourhood of London.
There are currently only 2.7% of premises in London on a copper-only connection, and this figure is decreasing every year, giving even more Londoners excellent broadband speed at all times.
If you want to sell your house fast in London, contact us today.
London’s Transport Links
One of the features that makes London incredibly famous is its underground ‘tube’ network. Although this sometimes causes people to question ‘what zone I am in’ or ‘what London borough I am in’, this is a natural part of travelling around any city.
And there’s no denying that the tube is an excellent public transport facility, that makes it convenient to travel around the entire city, using only a debit card or credit card (if you wish) to do so.
Some of the most actively used tube lines in London include:
- Central Line – travelling from West Ruislip to Epping
- Northern Line – travelling from High Barnet to Morden
- Jubilee Line – travelling from Stanmore to Stratford
- Piccadilly Line – travelling from Cockfosters to Heathrow
- District Line – travelling from Richmond to Upminster
Underground trains are not the only way to travel around the city, though. The Overground line has a huge network of trains that millions of people use every year, and there are thousands of buses operating throughout the city on any given day, taking people to any corner of London they want to go to.
London is seen by many as a bicycle-friendly city due to the high number of designated bicycle lanes that exist on the road. You can also walk around almost the entire city extremely safely due to the pedestrian pathways almost everywhere.
There are also lots of green initiatives throughout London that encourage eco-friendly travel. This includes the ‘congestion charge’ in the centre of the city and the ULEZ rules operating throughout Greater London.
If you want to sell your house fast in London, contact us today.
London’s Education
It’s not a coincidence that hundreds of thousands of students move to London every year, to study at the universities in the city. University College London, Imperial College, and King’s College London rank amongst some of the best universities in the world.
There are plenty of other academic institutions to choose from, too, for people of all abilities. There are currently at least 15 different universities around the city.
Meanwhile, London also provides an excellent education for primary and secondary students. Recent rankings show the city’s best primary schools to be:
- Mayflower Primary School, Poplar
- St Antony’s Catholic Primary School, Forest Gate
- Hampden Gurney CofE Primary School, Marylebone
- St Stephen’s School, East Ham
- Bevington Primary School, Kensington
- Fox Primary School, Notting Hill
In almost every part of London, there are countless outstanding primary schools that you will love.
The high standards continue for secondary schools, too. There are hundreds of excellent locations for you to choose from, with Westminster School, Francis Holland School, Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle and St Paul’s School all ranking at the top of many lists.
For any person of any age keen to further their learning, London is the perfect city for this.
If you have a tenanted house in London that you want to sell fast contact us now.
London’s Housing Market
Much like everywhere else in the UK, London’s housing market has experienced a difficult year. Recent figures show that properties have decreased in value by 2% throughout the entire city – although this number varies depending on which borough you are in.
The average property in London costs £710,000, which is more than double the UK mean of £350,000. This varies depending on the type of house, too:
- Detached – £1.5 million
- Semi-detached – £1.045 million
- Terraced – £760,000
- Flats and Maisonettes – £529,000
As the numbers above suggest, the vast majority of property sales in the city is flats and maisonettes, due to their affordability and the lack of space for detached properties in the city.
You will notice a considerable difference based on the borough you are in, too. Dagenham has averaged a sale price of £361,238 over the past year, while in Kensington, the mean property has sold for over £2.2 million.
You should research the more inexpensive boroughs in the city, as well as the ‘illustrious’ neighbourhoods, when weighing up your options and what you can afford.
If you want to sell your flat quickly in London, contact us today.
London’s Weather
It is generally agreed that London does not have the best weather in the world. This is mainly caused by its geographic location, close to the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Stream. This means that it experiences mild winters and cool summers compared to continental climates found in other parts of Europe at the same latitude.
With that being said, weather is far more ‘livable’ in London compared to other cities in Europe where it can become, at times, unbearably hot. London is still nice and warm during the Summer, and due to its position in the south, it is typically hotter than UK cities in the north, such as Manchester, Glasgow, Belfast and Wrexham.
Furthermore, London is not as rainy as most people believe. The city has an average of 23.8 inches of rain per year, which is not too different to other major cities in Europe. Paris averages 23.6 inches of rain per year, and Amsterdam sees around 27.5 inches of rain per annum.
To sell your property to a London cash house buyer, get in touch with us today.
