Living in Aldgate

Aldgate is the eastern gateway to the City of London, where the towers of the financial district meet the older streets of the East End. It takes its name from one of the gates in the old London Wall, and today it is a mix of office buildings, hotels, new residential towers, churches and a handful of historic streets. St Botolph's Aldgate, an eighteenth-century church, sits beside Aldgate Square, a public space created when an old traffic gyratory was removed.

Some of London's best-known markets are within minutes. Petticoat Lane Market runs along Middlesex Street, busiest on Sunday mornings; Spitalfields Market, in its Victorian market hall, is a short walk north; and Brick Lane's food, vintage shops and weekend markets are just to the east. The Whitechapel Gallery is at Aldgate East.

Transport is outstanding. Aldgate station has the Circle and Metropolitan lines, Aldgate East serves the District and Hammersmith & City, Tower Hill is a short walk south, and Liverpool Street, with the Elizabeth and Central lines, and Fenchurch Street are within easy walking distance. The City's offices can be reached on foot in minutes, and Canary Wharf is a short DLR ride away from Tower Gateway.

Housing is mainly new-build apartments in residential towers such as Goodman's Fields and Aldgate Place, along with the City of London's own Middlesex Street estate and some converted buildings. Rents are high, although often below Shoreditch or the heart of the City. The area is busy on weekdays, crowded with office workers, and can be quiet on weekends away from the markets. Aldgate suits people who work in the City and want to walk to work, with the East End's food and nightlife on their doorstep.