Hipster heaven: 5 of London's coolest neighbourhoods to live in

There is something for everyone in London. Each of London's dynamic and wildly different neighbourhoods offer a fit for any lifestyle, but if you're a trendsetter at heart, you'll want to explore the city's hipster havens. Vintage shops, unique restaurants, graffiti streets, artisanal coffee, basement breweries, art galleries, these neighbourhoods exude creativity and unconventional charm.

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5 of London's best hipster neighbourhoods to live in

You will struggle to find neighbourhoods anywhere else in the world as trendy as these.

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1. Hackney (East)

Hackney, located in the heart of East London, has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the city's most hipster neighbourhoods. With its eclectic mix of art and culture, Hackney has become a haven for hipsters over the past decade or so.

Originally, Hackney was characterised by industrial buildings and a working class population. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Hackney was a manufacturing industrial hub which is why there are so many old workshop or warehouse buildings around today.

A defining spot in Hackney, Broadway Market, is a weekly weekend food and art market, that is a a kaleidoscope of flavours, sights, and sounds. From stalls serving foods from around the world to vintage clothing boutiques and handmade crafts, Broadway Market is always a unique experience.

One of the most appealing things about Hackney is green space. Both London Fields and Victoria Park are connected by Regents Canal, so there is always somewhere nice to relax on a hot summers day.

Gentrification in Hackney is a current topic of debate. In recent years Hackney has had a real glow up with the area becoming increasingly popular. You can still find amazing unique things in Hackney, but it's reputation for gritty warehouse lofts is quickly being replaced with new build apartments and it's vintage East-end cafe's replaced with AESOP beauty stores. As a result of all this gentrification, rental prices have skyrocketed in the area. It's still a great hipster spot to live, but living in Hackney now comes with a significant price tag.

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2. Peckham (South-East)

If you've ever watched the British sit-com classic, Only Fools and Horses, you will know that most of Peckham's history is diverse and working class.

The highlight of hipster activity in Peckham is the recently redeveloped Bussey Building (a former multi-story carpark) which has given life to loads of bars, restaurants, art galleries and nightclubs. This massive building is home to awesome places to go out, but amazing views of the rest of London.

The one downside of hipster living in Peckham is that it isn't the most well connected area on this list. An average commute from Peckham in to Central London will take 45mins. There are trains and buses, but no tube line.

Housing in Peckham is generally more affordable that some other areas of South London (including Brixton which is on this list). A large proportion of the areas houses are ex-council flats which are cheaper to rent.

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3. Brixton (South)

The heart of Sarf Lundun (South London), Brixton is the vibrant spot at the end of the Victoria tube line. It's been a thriving hipster spot for years with people from all over London coming down South, especially for a night out.

Brixton's connection with music is second to none. Not only did iconic British rocker David Bowie grow up in Brixton (and is where you find the iconic Bowie mural), there are loads of gig venues with music nearly every night of the week. There's the O2 Academy Brixton which hosts crowds of 2,000+, the pumping Electric Brixton and loads of smaller venues like Hootananny.

The street market of Electric Avenue has been serving the community for decades. The hustle, bustle and smells are unescapable.

If you're a foodie, Brixton Village is home to some of London's best restaurants. The market has stalls an restaurants with cuisines from all over the world. Now popular chains like Honest Burger and Franco Manca started life as stalls in Brixton Market.

Because Brixton is so well connected with the Victoria tube line (one of London's fastest) Brixton isn't the cheapest neighbourhood to live in. House and rental prices in the area are high but it's still possible to find something more affordable if you aren't living right in the centre of Brixton.

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4. Dalston (East)

Dalston is certainly one of London's most lively and electric neighbourhoods. It's a place where different communities coexist, creating a dynamic and inclusive atmosphere. It's diversity is celebrated in many ways, with thriving international bars and restaurants and gigantic street murals.

At the centre of Dalston is the Ridley Road Market, a bustling street market that offers fresh produce, international foods, and all sorts of items. The market is a great snapshot of the area's diversity.

One of Dalston's key hipster draw cards is it's thriving music scene. There are big gig venues like EartH (Evolutionary Arts Hackney) or smaller more intimate stages like The Victoria where you can find up-and-coming bands. Any music fan in the Dalston area should be sure to check out the legendary Dalston Jazz Bar where you get an intimate experience with the band and then a DJ set from the chef.

For the most part, Dalston is a bit of a concrete jungle with markets, warehouses and an old shopping centre, but Dalston Curve Garden provides a pocket of greenery that is cherished by the community. The Curve Garden provides not only a tranquil escape from busy urban London life to enjoy nature, but the garden hosts loads of gigs and events throughout the year. Halloween is a particularly popular time for the Curve Garden as it fills up with pumpkin lanterns.

Housing in Dalston is a mix between housing estates, terraced flats and new build apartments. Rental prices differer greatly across the neighbourhood but generally, prices in Dalston are cheaper than neighbouring Hackney.

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5. Hackney Wick (East)

If this article was being written 10, or even 5 years ago, Hackney Wick would have topped the list. It's still a hipster drawcard for so many reasons, but has unfortunately become just as popular with property developers. Local street artists describe the area as having gone, "from shithouse to penthouse." The warehouse communities which once made the area such a hipster hangout are becoming fewer and fewer and quickly being replaced with new build apartments.

Although there are new build apartments popping up left-right and centre replacing the giant warehouse communities of artists, the are is still a graffiti covered hood, which at times you could be forgiven for thinking that you're in Berlin. But it's not all concrete, located on the edges of Queen Elizabeth Olympic park, if you live in Hackney Wick you have access to some of the biggest green spaces in London.

The remaining warehouses are home to nightclubs (like Colour Factory), breweries (like CRATE) and sensational restaurants (like Silo). Hackney Wick is also based on the edges of Regents Canal adding to it's charms.

If you're looking for a place in the heart of Hackney Wick your options will be limited to expensive new build apartments, but if you're willing to look a little further out in neighbouring suburbs like Homerton or Bow your options increase.

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Booking short term accommodation in London

If you're new to London and looking for temporary or short term accommodation, HousingAnywhere  has you covered.

Booking rental accommodation in London via HousingAnywhere is a safe option when booking a room, studio, or apartment from abroad. Your rent and deposit are protected and fully refundable until 48 hours after your move-in so if you decide the place isn't to your liking, you get your money back.

All landlords are verified and you can speak directly with them to get answers to specific questions, and safely exchange documents, such as rental contracts.

Listings on HousingAnywhere have minimum stays anywhere from 1 to 9 months so be sure to check when booking.

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