If you’re looking at moving to London, deciding where to live in this huge city can be a tricky proposition. The prices for flats to rent in London vary hugely across the city, and even in one area, for example apartments in North London, you might find that your money goes further in one area than another.

By definition, North London includes areas like Finchley, Golders Green, Hampstead, Highgate, Crouch End, Brent Cross, Southgate, Cricklewood, Tottenham and Barnet. Areas are often also referred to by their nearest tube station, for example Bounds Green is actually in New Southgate and Seven Sisters is actually in Tottenham.

If you’re wondering where to live in North London, this quick guide will help you weigh up the pros and cons of these areas.

Reasons to live in North London

North London is well connected to the rest of the city with excellent bus connections, Piccadilly, Victoria and Northern Lines, and the London Overground. Many of the suburbs in North London maintain their own character, and the many parks and green spaces give a nice village feel. 

Although not seen as the ‘coolest’ parts of the city, when looking for best places to live in North London you’ll still find great food and nightlife, especially in places like Tottenham and North Finchley. Alexandra Palace (or Ally Pally) also hosts big music concerts and you’ll find music festivals, farmers markets throughout the year in Alexandra Park and many smaller parks in the area.

If you need a culture or nightlife fix, you’re just a short tube ride to the West End, Camden or East London. And with the night tube, you’ll find getting home after big nights out on the weekend is easy.

Choosing the best area to rent a flat in North London will probably come down to a combination of access to transport and your budget. So let’s take a quick look at some of the pros and cons, and some highlights, of living in North London.

Hampstead Heath, Highgate & Golders Green

The sprawling greenery of Hampstead is one of the most beautiful parts of North London, a great place to enjoy views across the city and even take a dip in the famous lido. Hampstead and Highgate both have a very villagey feel, with quaint terraced houses and old pubs. This Little England in London attracts the rich and well to do, and this is reflected in the rental prices, with rent here some of the highest in the capital. 

By contrast, Golders Green offers some opportunities for cheap places to rent in North London. It also has a busy high street with lots of shops, restaurants and good connections to the rest of the city via the Northern Line.

If you’re looking for a cheap flat or room for rent in Hampstead and Highgate, look at areas like Archway or Golders Green. These are also both quite well to do, but you’re more likely to find an affordable flat or room in North London in these areas.

The pros and cons of living in Hampstead Heath & Highgate

• Enjoy easy access to Hampstead Heath

• Some of the nicest pubs in the capital are in Hampstead                            

• Good transport connections

• Some of the most expensive property to rent

• Very family focused, might not be fun for young professionals

 

Crouch End, Muswell Hill & East Finchley

Maintaining the village feel, the area stretching from Crouch End to East Finchley is characterised by terraced housing and tree lined avenues. The area is popular with families and relatively expensive - but you do get a quiet and relatively safe neighbourhood. If you choose to rent a flat or room  in this part of North London, you’ll have Alexandra Palace and Highgate Woods on your doorstep.

The pros and cons of living in Crouch End, Muswell Hill & East Finchley

• Quiet and relatively safe area

• Slightly more affordable rental than nearby Hampstead/Highbury

• Good transport connections from East Finchley

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• Crouch End is very family focused, not so good for young professionals

• Still quite expensive rent                        

• Crouch End is not as well connected to the tube (but there is station)

Wood Green and New Southgate

Between Turnpike Lane and Wood Green Tube, the vibrant area of Wood Green is a relatively cheap place to rent a flat in North London. Here, you’ll find malls, cinemas, pubs and markets that are vibrant and busy all hours of the day.

Wood Green can be a little rough around the edges, but the trade off is that you have easy access to the Piccadilly line, good shopping, a great choice of foodie places and relatively affordable rent for North London. In fact, if you’re looking for a flat or room for rent in North London, this is one of the cheaper areas.

Slightly further up the road, New Southgate, or the area around Bounds Green tube, offers a more laid back residential feel than the busy high street. Some might even find the area too boring, but you’re only ever a short bus or tube ride from all the action of Turnpike Lane and Finsbury Park. 

The pros and cons of living in Wood Green and New Southgate

• Vibrant shopping area with good food options

• Decent transport connections

• Good choice of affordable flats and rooms to rent in North London

• Close to Ally Pally/various parks

 

• Area can be a little bit rough in places

• Some areas can be a bit ‘boring’ or better word may be 'average' (which isn't always bad)

 

Finchley & North Finchley

The suburb of Finchley stretches from the Church End, along Ballards Lane to North Finchley and the high road. The area is well served by both tube and bus, with the Northern Line a short walk from the main road. Although you are very much in London, there is quite a suburban feel, with regular local events, shops and several nice parks. 

In terms of finding a flat or room to rent in Finchley, you will find that it is relatively affordable for this part of North London. There are a mixture of terraced houses and high rise flats, although the area is mostly quite low rise.

The pros and cons of living in Finchley

• Nice village feel without the expensive rent of Hampstead

• Good pubs and food options

• Access to Northern Line

• Can feel a little removed from the rest of London - relatively long commute

• Family focused, might not be ideal for young professionals

 

Harringay & Tottenham

Between Tottenham Hale tube station, heading west to Manor House tube and Finsbury Park, the area of Harringay and Tottenham offers some of the cheapest flat rental in North London. The trade off is that some of the borough is a little bit on the edgy side, that is, it’s up and coming but still slightly run down in parts.

But Green Lanes in Harringay offers some of the best Turkish food in the capital, and Tottenham is rapidly becoming a cool place to live. It’s still quite easy to find an affordable flat to rent in Tottenham and Harringay, and with easy access to East London it definitely has its appeal for the young professional.

Tottenham is not just home to the famous premier league football club. You’ll also find canal walks, the Beavertown beer brewery and an increasing amount of foodie hangouts. Oh, and as a bonus, the Stansted Express stops at Tottenham Hale, meaning easy access to the airport for weekends away!

The pros and cons of living in Harringay and Tottenham

• Great food options, especially in Harringay

• Very good transport connections - including to Stansted Airport

• Some of the cheapest rentals in North London

• Up and coming area

• Still a little bit rough around the edges

Some tips for finding your next rental property in North London

With such a huge geographical area, finding a flat or room for rent in North London can be a little overwhelming. Here at RoomForRent, we recommend narrowing down your search by proximity to your ideal transport connection. With commuting times being one of the major issues for Londoners, being as close as possible to a tube station or bus stop is going to help you enjoy London more.

Most people walk around ten or fifteen minutes to their nearest transport stop, so factor this into your search too. Most boroughs of North London have good options for shops and pubs, but take a look on Google Maps to make sure it’s what you want.

In some areas, you might find that a studio flat to rent is a good price, but then a mile down the road it might be significantly more expensive. If you can be flexible, see what you can find in a neighbouring borough for the best place to live in London for your budget.

RoomForRent has plenty of great options for cheap flats and rooms for rent across North London, so check back regularly to see what new options we have. And, for every transaction fee on RoomForRent, we pay a percentage of the fee to local homlessness charities St Mungo’s and Centrepoint. So you’re not just finding a cheap flat to rent for yourself, you’re also helping those less fortunate to stay off the streets.