It’s a debate as old as time: which area of London is truly the best – West, North, East, or South? Londoners can get pretty passionate about this one, and rightly so, with folks backing their areas fiercely and rallying behind their top pick.
So we decided to ask the golden question in our latest poll on our Broadcast Channel and the results are in.
With over one thousand votes West London has managed to nab the top spot and has clinched the title as the crème de la crème of London living. Coming in hot in second place is East London with 787 votes, South London took third place with 524 votes and North London with 386 votes. The results took some of the Secret London team by surprise with a fair few of us agreeing that East and South did not get the votes that they deserved but hey ho, the people have spoken and West London reigns supreme.
Before any East, South or North die-hards get up in arms about the results of the poll, allow us to explain why some (a big majority it seems) of Londoners could think that the West is the top dog of the big smoke. From the dreamy Notting Hill that boasts Portobello Road, a rather famous bookshop, and the Notting Hill Carnival to the ever so chic Marylebone that’s a spot of calm in the heart of the city, West London is home to some of the most exclusive postcodes and one of the most desirable areas in the city.
You’ll also find the idyllic neighbourhoods of Queen’s Park and Maida Vale, alongside Holland Park and St John’s Wood over in the West. As lovely as that all sounds, it does mean that the area is pretty damn expensive and it comes as no surprise that all 10 of the most expensive roads to live on in the UK can be found in West London.
We’ve gotta give some credit to our runner-up, East London, which is reputed as one of the city’s most vibrant and arty areas, and has that certain air of ‘cool’. It’s an area where hipsters and those who are a bit more ‘edgy’ do tend to flock to neighbourhoods such as Dalston, Clapton, Shoreditch, Hackney, and Walthamstow which have got some pretty cool places to eat, drink and shop popping up all over the place.
Heading down South, there’s plenty of cultural hubs like Brixton, Peckham and Elephant and Castle which have some of the best foodie spots in the city and host plenty of London’s unmissable gigs and nights out. Urban villages are aplenty in North London, with Highgate, Hampstead and Muswell Hill, and some vibrant communities in Islington, Finsbury Park and Holloway.
With all that being said, each area of London is pretty damn glorious in its own right and are all deserving of some praise. Lucky for you this site is all about telling you all the best things there are to do in all of London town, no matter the area.
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