Credit Matthew Bruce

West Londoners happiest in the capital

As one of the world’s leading global cities, London holds a wealth of choice and opportunity for residents in the capital. From the vibrant diversity of its urban areas to the peaceful pace of suburban life, strewn with riverside walks and open green spaces, the city holds something for everyone. With such a wide scope of options it can be daunting to find a place that suits you so Randstad UK have developed a tool to help.

The new London boroughs research from Randstad has collated information about all 32 areas of London and developed an interactive map designed to show users where they should live based on a variety of lifestyle preferences that matter to them. Factors taken into consideration include jobs, environment, commuting time and housing options and the map allows users to look at comparisons between boroughs to find their perfect match. We’ve been exploring what’s on offer and it turns out west really could be best when it comes to living in the capital, with boroughs this side of the centre scoring highly on many important factors including happiness, environment and diversity.

Jobs and housing

West London is home to some of the city’s most well-known businesses including Sky, Gillette and of course London Heathrow, one of the region’s largest employers, providing over 76,000 jobs within the airport boundary. Hounslow also offers a range of job opportunities with nearly 14,000 active businesses in the area and currently more jobs than residents. Further into the centre, boroughs like Hammersmith and Fulham and Kensington and Chelsea offer good transport links and fast commuting options, making them ideal for city workers. Areas like Brent are becoming desirable for young adults and families due to their more affordable housing options both in rented accommodation and for first time buyers, with the area seeing over 1,000 new homes being built in 2015/16.

Ealing_Studios_air

Environment

When it comes to open spaces you can’t do much better than west London. From beautiful country parks like Osterley, to relaxed gardens in Chiswick and Fulham Palace, there are plenty of green areas to enjoy in west London if a stroll down the riverside doesn’t take your fancy first! Tucked amongst the more urban areas are picturesque towns like Uxbridge and Wembley, and the Grand Union Canal runs through much of the district. With such an abundance of nice spaces to visit, it’s no surprise that west Londoners look after their environment with Harrow and Ealing being the best at household recycling across the London boroughs and Hillingdon being one of the city’s most eco-friendly areas to live.

Culture and diversity

As one of London’s most diverse areas, the west is one of the best places in the city to explore some of the capital’s different cultures. Harlesden is home to long established Irish and Caribbean communities whereas Hounslow and Harrow have the biggest Indian communities in London, with many shops and restaurants catering to the thriving multicultural population. Historical culture can be soaked up with a trip round Ealing studios, one of the oldest and most important parts of the UK film industry or for something quintessentially British, why not take a trip to Harrow and visit the famous school and churches the area is known for. West London also takes the prize as one of London’s happiest areas to live in, with Kensington and Chelsea coming up top as the capital’s happiest borough and Hounslow coming in fourth. With this in mind, it’s easy to see why this end of the Piccadilly line is fast becoming the best area of London to set up roots.

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