Anyone familiar with Shoreditch area of London?

Someone gave me a clipping from the Wall Street Journal dated Dec 23-24 2006 about Shoreditch, how it used to be a dump but is up-and-coming and revitalized now.

If anyone lives in Shoreditch or knows about it -- is this someplace you would recommend to live in? Is it a safe area? Do you like it? Housing prices seem to be slightly cheaper in Shoreditch than other areas a similar distance from the central core of London but that may be for a good reason...

While I'm on the subject, if anyone knows about life in the neighborhoods of Waterloo, Southwark, Islington, or Shepherd's Bush I'd love to hear your opinions.

Thank you!
CS

My boyfriend could probably tell you a lot more (he seems to know everything about east London), but I do know that Shoreditch is a decent enough area.  The one downside at the moment is lack of good transport.  It used to be connected to the East London line for the Underground, but that station is closed & the whole line will be undergoing major works in the coming year.  Currently there's good bus links in the area as a result, which usually ferrying you over to Whitechapel (connected to Hammersmith & City line, as well as East London at the moment) or connect to central & southeast London quite easily.  It's cheap because it's still "east", but it's a nicer area to the east.

Islington would be one of my dream neighborhoods to live in!  It's classy, but you pay for it.

I used to live by Old St. station (very near to Shoreditch) and I liked the area a lot. It was close enough to central London that I could walk if I wanted to (that said, I like long walks), and there are a number of cool markets in the area (Columbia St. flower market, Spitalfields market, etc) and tons of bars and restaurants. The one thing I would say is that it has been 'up and coming' for a little while now...certainly since I lived there in 2002-2003, so it's not all that cheap anymore. Certainly cheaper than central London however.

I would definitely check the places out in person. There are still some areas that are not very nice, and the area doesn't appeal to everyone. While it is slightly past it's prime, it's still very trendy, so you may be paying a premium to live in a trendy area. Not sure if that is something you are looking for or not.

Actually, I really don't want to live in a "trendy" area because I'd end up paying a premium for what would probably amount to a lot of hype for no good reason (eg, Notting Hill).

What I'm really after is a safe neighborhood in zone 1 or 2 that has good Tube access/public transport, a decent selection of pubs/restaurants, and is off the radar in terms of being a hip or trendy place to live. If anyone has any ideas I'd be glad to hear them!

shoreditch is trendy and it's stupidly expensive. if you know new york its the williamsburgh of london.

southwark and islington have very nice bits, but those describe large areas so it's tough to be too specific. basically, if you stay in zone 1 you are getting convenience and high prices, but IMO it's worth it!

pm if you've got more specific queries.

good luck!

i lived in fulham when i first moved here (about 5 years ago). it was lovely...every imagineable thing a few steps out my front door. it wasn't too expensive then as it was a flatshare. but i think costs have risen since then.

i now live in the eastend...near shoreditch...but unfortunately i don't know the housing in shoreditch very well.

i do think in every area (such as islington)...there are more trendy bits...and other more affordable places.

good luck

I lived in Kilburn last year (zone 2, NW London) and it was great!  I only moved cause I am getting married to a guy who owns his own flat in Cricklewood.  Kilburn has great access to Central London, wonderful places to eat & drink, good shopping and very multicultural.  There are areas that I wouldn't live in, but many I would.  I'd live there again in an instant!