Living in Kingston upon Thames

The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames is a south-west London borough of riverside towns, suburbs and green spaces. Kingston itself is a historic market town and large shopping centre, Surbiton is a classic Victorian and Edwardian commuter suburb, New Malden has one of the largest Korean communities in Europe, and Tolworth and Chessington stretch towards the Surrey border.

The Thames runs along the borough's western edge, with riverside walks, rowing clubs and views across to Hampton Court Park and Bushy Park. Richmond Park lies just to the north, and the borough also includes Canbury Gardens, Fairfield Recreation Ground and the Hogsmill River. Chessington World of Adventures, a theme park and zoo, is in the borough's south.

There is no Underground in Kingston. South Western Railway trains serve Kingston, Norbiton, Surbiton, New Malden and Berrylands, with the fastest services from Surbiton reaching Waterloo in around twenty minutes. Journeys from Kingston station, via Wimbledon or Richmond, take longer, and buses connect the borough to Wimbledon, Richmond and Heathrow.

Kingston University brings a large student population, and the borough's schools, including Tiffin grammar schools, are a major draw for families. Council tax in Kingston is the highest of any London borough, which adds noticeably to monthly costs. The town centre is lively in the evenings by outer-London standards, thanks partly to the students, and for families the riverside, Richmond Park and the schools often outweigh both the slower trains from Kingston itself and the council tax bill.