Best areas to live for commuting to Canary Wharf

Canary Wharf, on the Isle of Dogs, is London's second financial district, with the headquarters and major offices of several of the world's largest banks, law firms and media companies, along with shopping centres, restaurants and a growing number of residential towers. Its location, on a peninsula in a bend of the Thames, means commuting routes are more concentrated than in the City.

Three rail systems serve it. The Jubilee line connects Canary Wharf with Stratford, London Bridge, Waterloo, Westminster, Bond Street and north-west London; the Elizabeth line reaches Whitechapel, Liverpool Street, Tottenham Court Road and Paddington, as well as Abbey Wood to the south-east; and the DLR links to Bank, Stratford, Lewisham and Greenwich. River buses run from Greenwich, Woolwich, London Bridge, Westminster and Putney.

The best-connected homes are therefore on those lines rather than simply close by on a map. Stratford, Bermondsey, Canada Water and West Hampstead have direct Jubilee line journeys; Lewisham, Deptford and Greenwich have DLR connections; and Whitechapel, Woolwich and Abbey Wood have direct Elizabeth line trains, while riders from the Stratford and Ilford branch change at Whitechapel. The Jubilee line is heavily used at peak times, especially between Stratford and Canary Wharf. The Greenwich Foot Tunnel makes walking or cycling from Greenwich to the Isle of Dogs quick. Journeys from south-west or north London usually need at least one change, which can make Canary Wharf feel much further away than its distance suggests. Late evenings are quieter than in the City, so check the last convenient DLR or Jubilee connection if you often work late.