Bermondsey vs Greenwich

Bermondsey and Greenwich are both riverside neighbourhoods in south-east London, and both attract professionals who work in the City, London Bridge or Canary Wharf. Bermondsey is closer to central London and more urban; Greenwich is further out, greener and more historic.

Bermondsey scores higher for connectivity, with its Jubilee line station giving direct trains to Canary Wharf, London Bridge, Waterloo and Westminster, and London Bridge within walking distance. Greenwich relies on the DLR to Canary Wharf and Bank, Southeastern trains to London Bridge and river boats, which works well for Canary Wharf and the City but less well for the West End.

Greenwich scores much higher for green space, with Greenwich Park, the riverside and the Old Royal Naval College, and higher for safety. It is typically noticeably cheaper than Bermondsey. Bermondsey has a stronger food and drink scene, with Bermondsey Street, Maltby Street Market and the Beer Mile, and slightly more nightlife. Greenwich fills with tourists at weekends and in summer, while Bermondsey's busiest days are driven by market-goers and brewery crawls.

People who want to walk to London Bridge, use the Jubilee line and have restaurants and bars a few minutes away usually prefer Bermondsey. People who want a royal park, river views, a slower pace and lower rents, and who are happy to commute by DLR, train or river bus, usually prefer Greenwich. Canary Wharf workers are well served by either: the Jubilee line gets there from Bermondsey in a couple of stops, and the DLR or a walk through the foot tunnel does the same from Greenwich. The housing differs too — warehouse lofts and council estates in Bermondsey, Georgian terraces and new riverside blocks in Greenwich — so it is worth viewing both kinds of home before deciding which area suits you.