North vs South London - Where to live | Strawberry Star (2023)

So you’re looking for a home of your own in the capital? North vs South London is a popular question. Your first job is to pin down the wider district, and the river Thames provides the perfect dividing line, and it’s a wise move to do plenty of research before you start booking actual viewings. The more you can narrow down the perfect area of the city, the easier and more enjoyable the property buying process will be. As you’ll already know, too much choice isn’t always a good thing!

Do you want to Live in South London or Live in North London? If you’re commuting north or south for work, that’ll provide you with the right focus to start with. Other than that, there are a few more key arguments for North vs South London. Read on to find out what they are. By the end of this article you’ll know how to organise your London property search logically, bearing the things you want and need most in mind. Then, all you need to do is find and fall in love with the perfect place to buy.

What North London has to Offer

North London is a good choice if you’re commuting northwards for work, maybe to Luton or Cambridge. If you’re working in the city itself, it’s equally good. North London, for example, gives you excellent access to the West End, legendary for its shopping and theatres, where the world’s best shows live. It’s right on the doorstep of Covent Garden. Camden Town is also on your radar, stacked with fun and funky shops, pubs and places to eat.

North London also has its fair share of landmarks. Think Buckingham Palace, a stone’s throw from Victoria Station where trains depart for all stations south, including Brighton. St Paul’s Cathedral is in the area, magnificent outside and in, a survivor like no other. The grisly goings on at the Tower of London are in your area, too. Take long walks along the northern banks of the Thames, where you pass docks and wharves, ancient walkways and even older steps down to the riverbank.

What’s the North London lifestyle like? It’s fast paced, with thousands of people streaming in from other areas of London to work and masses of tourists all year round. The high rises are a feature, offering outstanding views across the capital, the ultimate in contemporary living. This is home to the world-class London financial district, the Square Mile, the ancient City of London where the Great Fire of London started. It’s fascinating to explore on foot at weekends, when it’s relatively empty until Monday morning.

Expect great eateries, a fancy area studded with enormous homes but also featuring affordable places to live. One more thing? North vs South London shops are equally good. Shopping in the capital is excellent in both areas.

What South London has to Offer

How does South London compare? The South Bank awaits you, a world class entertainment, creative and commercial district right next to the River Thames, opposite the City of Westminster. If you happen to work in the business district this is your perfect place to live, also great if you commute south for work to places like East Croydon or Gatwick Airport.

London Bridge is in South London, with its famous castle-like towers. The Thames flows alongside destinations like the Saatchi Gallery and Battersea Power Station. This is where you’ll find The Shard, offering the most extraordinary views in London along with the London Eye.

As a rule South London offers a more adventurous lifestyle. There’s lots of opportunity for sports, with eight stadiums including Lords and the MCC Museum, Twickenham, football stadiums where Spurs, Chelsea and Tottenham play, Wembley itself, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and more to experience.

Arts and culture is on the menu here as well. Your venues for live music, theatre, performance, immersive art and more include the Old Vic Tunnels, Old Police Station, Beaconsfield gallery and the Brunel Museum, South London Gallery and the Cinema Museum. There are lots of contemporary art galleries to visit in South London, too.

Which area is more affordable?

What about North vs South London prices? Let’s look at the money side of life. Which of the two areas is more expensive and why? Typically, North London is more expensive to live in than south of the river. If you can afford it, the most expensive areas of all in the north of the capital are currently Islington and Lambeth, the least expensive being Enfield and Croydon, both within easy commuting distance of the city centre.

Having said all that, property prices in North London and South London are starting to rise. In recent years prices in North London have risen by 7% and in South London they’ve rocketed up by 9%. To put it in context, since 2013, property prices have risen by 31% in North London and 25% south of the Thames.

Here’s another cool tip for you. As a general rule, if you’re looking to find more affordable areas either to the north or south of the capital, look at areas close to the M25. They’re away from the city centre but often have great public transport links as well as easy M25 access for frequent travellers.

Which area is more connected?

The tube will probably play a large part in your London life. So which are has better access to the London Underground? Taking a common sense approach, looking at a tube map, North London is more connected with twelve tube stations per borough, whereas south of the river you’re looking at 3 tube stations per borough.

How about mainline national train stations? North London, again, is better served for national stations heading north east, north and north west. Looking at other railway stations it’s clear South London is more connected, having more rail stations per borough than north of the river.

How about plans to improve transport in both areas? Transport for London has lots in store, including the first major underground extension this century, set to bring important parts of south London within 15 minutes of the West End and the City. There’s a new overground station close to Millwall Football Club’s New Den stadium planned, south of the Thames, and new Tube stations at Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station are already open to customers. Designs for HS2 have just been updated, revealing the new-look Euston Station. All this could easily see prices in both areas take a dramatic upturn as it makes life easier for commuters.

Here’s another hot tip for you. The new night tube service means Zones 3, 4 and 5 are all a lot more accessible, which also means they’re a lot more fun.

Which area has more parks and green space?

Next, North vs South London parks. The pandemic reminded us all that green spaces are vital for our happiness, health and wellbeing. Luckily London has more green spaces than most capital cities. So which area provides the most, North or South of the river?

London’s southern districts come with the biggest percentage of green space and parks. South London parks cover 34% of the region’s boroughs. The north is a little bit less green. North London parks and other green areas cover 29% of the northern boroughs. If you love getting outdoors, sunbathing, running, jogging or just relaxing, choose south London for a more tranquil lifestyle. The same goes if you have children or are planning to. Head north of the Thames for a more urban experience, perfect for the young and carefree and those who love to immerse themselves in big city life.

North vs South London – Which will you choose?

Now you know what’s best for people researching North vs South London. Will you decide to live In South London or pinpoint the perfect place to live In North London?

At Strawberry Star we have properties on our books in every district of North and South London, covering everything from Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Richmond, Southwark, Sutton, and Wandsworth in the south to Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Brent, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Hammersmith Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Newham, Redbridge, Waltham Forest, and Westminster north of the river. Can we help you?