Living in Borough

Borough is about as central as residential south London gets. The Shard, Guy's Hospital and London Bridge station sit at its northern edge, Tate Modern and the South Bank are ten minutes' walk west, and the City is across the river. Living here means walking to work, or to almost anything, is the default.

Borough Market is the landmark, and it shapes the rhythm of the week. Its produce stalls and food traders draw huge crowds from Thursday to Saturday, as do the pubs around it and along Borough High Street; Southwark Cathedral sits quietly beside it. Early on a Sunday or late on a weekday evening, the same streets can be almost empty.

Homes are harder to find than in most places listed here. Much of the land is offices, hospital buildings and railway viaducts carrying trains into London Bridge and Cannon Street, so the residential stock is a scattering of mansion blocks, Victorian model-dwelling estates, small new-builds and converted warehouses. The exception is the Georgian terraces around Trinity Church Square, south of Borough station, which are among the most handsome streets in south London and very rarely come up to rent.

Transport is almost too good to need. Borough station on the Northern line's Bank branch is small and less crowded than London Bridge, a few minutes' walk away with the Jubilee line and national rail in every direction. The honest downsides are noise from trains and nightlife, very limited green space beyond the cathedral gardens and small squares, and rents that reflect Zone 1. It suits people who value time and walkability over square footage.