London isn’t exactly known for its friendliness, which has always surprised me, as I’m constantly coming across the best people when I’m out and about in the city. And now this false narrative can finally be put to rest as a London borough has been named as the UK’s friendliest neighbourhood.
Sutton, in South London, has topped the charts in a nationwide Neighbourhood Appeal Index created by the folk at John D Wood & Co, who were assessing areas across the UK for overall quality of life.
What makes Sutton so friendly?
According to this new research, a combination of factors, including low anti-social behaviour and strong homeownership levels (a whopping 65% to be exact) all contribute to Sutton being labelled as a stable residential base.
Day-to-day liveability was also considered for the index, and Sutton records a high number of community spaces and parks. In fact, the area boasts 10.36 social amenities per 10,000 residents, as well as 5.84 public gardens within a 1,000m radius. Not bad stats Sutton, I’ll give you that.
Sutton has also won seven council awards for their community initiatives, so it’s no surprise they’ve hit the number one spot on this list.
What other areas made the list?
After assessing anti-social behaviour levels, homeownership rates, access to cafés and community spaces, green space availability, local council award wins and interest in local events, this is who made the top 20, including seven other London boroughs aside from Sutton:
- Sutton
- Chester
- Liverpool
- Durham
- Bromley
- Merton
- Canterbury
- Kensington & Chelsea
- Hammersmith & Fulham
- Oxford
- Brighton and Hove
- Greenwich
- Leicester
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- Croydon
- Luton
- Coventry
- Peterborough
- Harrow
Bromley, in southeast London, squeezes into the top five thanks to its high homeownership levels that sit at 69% anda 300% increase in searches for community events. Kensington & Chelsea also appears in the top ten with one of the highest levels of social amenities.
Turns out, London is a pretty friendly area all in all.
