Best areas to live for commuting to Bank / City

Bank is the historic core of the Square Mile, ringed by the Bank of England, the Royal Exchange, Mansion House, Lloyd's of London and a dense cluster of banks, insurers and law firms. It is the station most people mean when they say they work in the City, and the surrounding streets are extremely busy on weekdays and quiet at weekends.

Bank and Monument form a single interconnected station complex. The Central line, Northern line's Bank branch, the Waterloo & City line and the DLR all serve Bank, while the Circle and District lines stop at Monument. A major upgrade completed in recent years added a new entrance on Cannon Street and more space for Northern line passengers. Cannon Street, Fenchurch Street, Liverpool Street, Moorgate and City Thameslink are all a short walk away.

Commuters arrive from many directions. The Northern line brings people from Clapham, Balham, Tooting, Islington and Camden, though only trains on the Bank branch go directly; the Central line serves Stratford, Bethnal Green, Shepherd's Bush and Notting Hill; the DLR connects Canary Wharf, Lewisham and Stratford; and the Waterloo & City line is a shuttle for commuters arriving at Waterloo from south-west London. Rail passengers from south-east London often use Cannon Street or London Bridge and walk across the river. Walking and cycling are common from Shoreditch, Whitechapel, Bermondsey and Borough, and the City's cycle routes and quiet streets make the final part of the journey relatively safe. Because the Northern line splits south of Kennington and north of Camden, check that your usual train is on the right branch before you rely on it every morning.