Living in Hammersmith

Hammersmith is a west London hub first and a neighbourhood second. Its centre, Hammersmith Broadway, is a large bus station and shopping centre wrapped in a gyratory and overshadowed by the A4 flyover, and it is busy, functional and not especially attractive. Two separate tube stations sit on either side of the road: one for the District and Piccadilly lines, the other for the Hammersmith & City and Circle lines.

Walk ten minutes south and Hammersmith becomes something else. The riverside between Hammersmith Bridge and Chiswick, along the Upper and Lower Mall, is lined with rowing clubs, Georgian houses and historic pubs, and it is one of the most attractive stretches of the Thames in London. Ravenscourt Park and Furnivall Gardens provide green space, and the Thames Path runs west towards Chiswick and Kew.

The area has a strong cultural offer for a transport hub. The Eventim Apollo hosts major concerts and comedy, the Lyric Hammersmith is a well-regarded theatre, and Riverside Studios, by the river, combines a cinema, theatre and bar. King Street, running west, is a long, mixed high street with restaurants and shops, and Brackenbury Village, to its north, is a quiet pocket of terraced streets and small shops.

The transport links are the reason many people choose Hammersmith. Four lines give direct routes into the West End, the City, Earl's Court and Paddington, and the Piccadilly line runs straight to Heathrow. Housing ranges from Victorian terraces and mansion blocks to riverside new builds and council estates. Rents are generally below Chelsea and Kensington, though not cheap. Hammersmith suits people who commute across London or travel often, and who are happy to trade a charming centre for connections and a beautiful riverside nearby.