‘I’m about to start my TC in London. Where should I live?’

Clerkenwell

Romford (East London/circa Essex) is well worth considering. 20 – 30mins direct into Liverpool Street by train, Reliable train services, good amenities and relatively lively, amongst the cheapest rental costs in greater London.

I worked not too far from Liverpool Street and I found that most trainees seemed to like the Clapham area although I never found the appeal. Similarly trainees liked to be in the office almost every day for the social side and to support each other if needed. You will likely need to be in the office at least three times a week anyway.

Personally a 30-45 minute commute seems more ideal for me so for this reason I would say live in London within Zones 1-2. The costs of commuting on the train from outside of London will also eat into your savings on the rent. Liverpool Street is well connected and depending on what you are looking for there are a few options, I would recommend checking Citymapper for journey times from a prospective flat to the office as distance to and from a tube stop can add 10-15 minutes to a journey. I always found that Rotherhithe, Canada Water and Wapping (south of the A1203/The Highway) are nice quieter areas, with the latter being slightly more expensive but close enough to walk to work. The more central you go the more money you will pay but places like Islington and Shoreditch are well-rated but I have never lived north of the river so can’t comment on whether they are worth living in. My knowledge of West London is also limited. The DLR route often comes with newer flats but in less desirable areas and similarly I would say not to go east of Mile End on the tube map.

A flatshare is great but often you won’t know what the flatmates are like to live with until a few months after you move in. I lived with some great flatmates (albeit quite dirty) but when I started my TC I would often get left out of film nights and drinks at the pub because I would work late whilst they all finished at 5-6pm. I would suggest flat-sharing with people from similar industries in a six-month lease with no more than three flatmates. That way if that flatshare doesn’t work out then you can either look to get a small studio / one bed flat (if desired) or move in with some of your trainee cohort (if you get on well and share similar levels of cleanliness). Spareroom is a good website for finding flatshares. Similarly Meetup is a good website if you are looking to find people with similar interests in a new city.

Hope this helps and good luck with the move and TC!

Highams Park.

I lived in Wapping just before and during my TC. Great neighbourhood, good pubs, big grocery store which is rare for central London (albeit it’s a big Waitrose), and generally very close to some good neighbourhoods for restaurants/bars (Shoreditch, London Bridge, Borough, Bermondsey). Handily, because it is not a popular thoroughfare it is also quite quiet compared to some areas that are equally central. I worked in Moorgate (about a 5 minute walk from Lpool Street station) and it was approx. a 45 minute walk to the office.

I got a very good deal (for London…) on rent for a 3-bed at 1900/month (split between us). If I recall, most 2-3 beds are between £2K – £2.5. I’d also recommend living with at least one other person as it can get quite lonely otherwise!

Best of luck!

I lived in Hoxton at the beginning of my TC and walked to the office. Not having to commute by train was ideal. The area is also great, with its proximity to Shoreditch and Hoxton Overground and Old Street Underground stations.

I moved to London for my TC. I was on my forties. I found a house share and lived around 30 mins from work by bus. It worked very well.
You will be working very long hours and therefore need to be close to the office. Being in a flat share gives you company, and can be great fun with the right people.

South West is best. Move to London, embrace it. Then move out if you ultimately decide it’s not for you in the longer term. Commuting in will be a pain and you’ll make a great network of friends along the way. Enjoy!