While London certainly has its share of gloriously leafy, peaceful places to live, some of which we’ve identified here, an even bigger lure for people is the capital’s undeniable buzz. It’s what keeps people here, decade after decade, because it simply can’t be found in quite the same measure in any of the country’s other cities, however great some of them certainly might be. If you’re looking to be stimulated by the intense, electrifying air of London’s busier, more energetic areas, where theatres, markets, clubs, restaurants and shops are in ample supply, then you should consider any of the following areas. Since we’re the city’s most prestigious moving and storage company, we know these districts and boroughs inside out and have moved countless happy clients to and from them year after year. In that time, our fondness for London’s most effervescent, uplifting areas has only grown. On top of that, all the city’s most vibrant areas have pockets of stillness within them and proximity to green spaces, so it’s never a case of having to choose one mood over another; you can have them all. Here are our favourite vibrant areas in London.
- King’s Cross
- Notting Hill
- Soho
- Shoreditch
- Brixton
- RMB4 Ltd for Your Move to Vibrant Areas in London
King’s Cross
While some may miss the era when King’s Cross was grittier and more ‘street’, it now stands as one of London’s great regeneration success stories. The conspicuous vice of its recent-ish history may now seem a distant memory, along with the raves that took place here in the 90s and 00s, but by no means has the area been pummelled into gentrification blandness. Not only is it one of the most central and best-connected places in the city, with Camden Town, Bloomsbury, Covent Garden and the West End all within walking distance, there’s enough going on here that you might never even need to take those walks. Kings Cross is now permanent home to London’s floating bookshop, Word on the Water, and the wonderful places to eat include Roti King (some of the finest flatbreads in London) and, for Japanese, Itadaki Zen. And away from the crowds of Granary Square, you can calm down at Gasholder Park along the Regent’s Canal, the Calthorpe community garden project off Gray’s Inn Road and Camley Street Natural Park. To up the energy again, there’s the Spiritland club, which also includes a bar with food, or the Two Tribes brewery.
Notting Hill
Like King’s Cross, Notting Hill in W2 and W11 may have lost some of its earlier romance, from back when it was a true melting pot of cultures and socioeconomic brackets, and the location of several flashpoints in the country’s journey towards racial equality. But also long gone are the characters, such as notorious slum landlord Peter Rachman, who traded in human misery in the area in the 1950s. Notting Hill had already been on the up for years when the film of the same name came along and accelerated its progress even more. Today, it’s an area with no shortage of buzz, whether you find it at Portobello Road market or at the plethora of restaurants along Westbourne Grove. You can also find old favourites, such as the always-busy Music & Video Exchange, The Notting Hill Bookshop, music shops such as Honest Jon’s, Rough Trade and a few others that have managed to hang on from the old days. There’s a huge variety of luxury gyms, international delicatessens, organic grocery shops and celeb-filled restaurants such as Laylow.
Soho
Although it was mainly recreated in studios rather than shot on location, Soho was where the notorious 1960 film, Peeping Tom, starring a young Anna Massey, was set. Back then, Soho was a byword for vice and iniquity, and it carried some of this ambiance into the early 90s, even as famous carousers and eccentrics, such as Jeffrey Bernard and Quentin Crisp, departed, the former to the grave and the latter, initially, to New York (he’s since joined Bernard in the hereafter). Today, though, Soho has almost completely cleaned up its act, and perhaps takes the crown for the most vibrant and fun of all London’s vibrant and fun areas. Not only is it right in the middle of theatreland, with smaller venues such as Soho Theatre alongside all the famous West End venues, Soho has bars, clubs, shops, restaurants and places to go by the score. It’s home to the city’s long-established Foyle’s bookshop (not quite the place it once was, but still worth a look) and the Algerian Coffee Stores and, even in its new, squeaky-clean guise, there’s still an energy here that just can’t quite be replicated anywhere else. It’s a fun-seekers’ paradise at almost any time of day. From noisy Berwick Street market to hyper-energetic Chinatown to the infamous Coach & Horses pub, Soho is full of eccentric characters, even today, and its charms are irresistible. No matter your age, you’ll feel young and uplifted here.
Shoreditch
What’s not to love about this bright, energetic and cheerful part of the borough of Hackney? Though it’s sometimes mocked for its hipsters, Shoreditch has changed rapidly in the last 20 years, though it’s still home to evergreen favourites such as Columbia Road Flower Market and Brick Lane (perfect for brilliant curry houses and vintage market stalls). There are enough bars for a lifetime of nights out, and such an embarrassment of brunch spots and pop-up street-food options that early birds are as well-served here as night owls. Shoreditch also houses one of the capital’s best indie cultural spots in Rich Mix, where there are cinema screens, performance rooms and exhibition spaces. It’s easy to get away from the crush when you want some peace – award-winning Shoreditch Park is just one of several green spaces where you can find calm amid the chaos.
Brixton
Anyone more than fleetingly familiar with Eddy Grant’s 1980s hit, Electric Avenue, will have experienced something of the taste and history of Brixton, even if they don’t know it. The song referred to the Brixton street of the same name, so-called because it was the first market street to be lit by electricity. Not unlike in Notting Hill, some of Brixton’s African/Caribbean community have moved on in recent years, possibly driven out as gentrification nudged house prices upward and upward. Fortunately, this part of central South London still shines when it comes to places to go and things to do, and there’s still a feeling of community if you know where to find it (tip: you can donate food to the Brixton People’s Fridge, helping those living in food insecurity). From the Brixton Academy to the Ritzy Cinema, Brixton has cultural highlights on every corner, an abundance of delights for foodies and two indoor markets, Brixton Village and Market Row.
RMB4 Ltd for Your Move to Vibrant Areas in London
If you’ve decided on your perfect, bustling part of London and have found the property you want to buy or rent, then RMB4 Ltd is ready to get you there. We can take on every aspect of your move, or just the ones you don’t want to do yourself, including the supply of packing materials, the packing itself, the move and then the unpacking. Our array of additional services includes a secure storage facility and, as part of our Property Services division, we can arrange cleaners, plumbers, electricians, handymen and painters/decorators.
