International student moving to London in Sept for postgrad, torn between areas, would love local opinions
My partner and I (mid 30s) are moving to London in September. I'll be splitting my time between UCL East in Stratford and UCL Main in Bloomsbury, so we need somewhere that works reasonably well for both campuses (especially on strike days). We don't plan to cycle just yet so we'd like to live nearer to the train stations.
For context we're looking for a 1 bed furnished flat ideally under £2,000 pcm, above ground floor, within about 10 minutes walk of a station. We also love being able to walk, so nearby green spaces and feeling safe on the streets are important to us.
We've narrowed it down to a few areas and would love to hear from anyone who has actually lived there or studied with a similar commute pattern:
London Fields / Hackney is our top pick for the neighbourhood feel and cafe culture, and the Overground to Stratford seems alright. Our main concern is strike resilience since the bus alternatives add significant time.
Mile End / Bow makes practical sense for UCL East but we're not sure it's the most liveable as a couple arriving somewhere completely new.
Stratford we're considering purely for the convenience of having one campus on the doorstep, but worried it feels more like a transit hub and shopping destination than a proper neighbourhood.
Aldgate / Liverpool Street seems promising as a middle ground between Stratford and central London with the Elizabeth line right there, but we have very little sense of what day to day life actually looks like in that area.
King's Cross / Bloomsbury feels like the strongest option purely for transport resilience given how many lines converge there, but we're not sure it actually feels like somewhere to live rather than just pass through.
Borough / London Bridge we love the vibe and the area, but the Stratford commute from south of the river feels like the weakest link for our specific situation.
EDIT: is signing after virtual tour/viewing good or safe? Would love any additional advices!
Would love to hear from anyone who has lived in these areas, thank you so much!