{"id":606964,"date":"2025-12-02T07:55:22","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T07:55:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/606964\/"},"modified":"2025-12-02T07:55:22","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T07:55:22","slug":"the-south-london-neighbourhood-named-one-best-places-to-live-where-residents-never-want-to-leave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/606964\/","title":{"rendered":"The South London neighbourhood named one best places to live where residents never want to leave"},"content":{"rendered":"

Locals in this riverside borough reveal why its community spirit, greenery and culture keep them rooted for decades<\/p>\n

10:00, 29 Nov 2025Updated 17:20, 01 Dec 2025<\/p>\n

Greenwich has just been named one of the best places to live in London for 2026 by lifestyle guide Muddy Stilettos, praised for its sweeping royal park, world-class culture and village-like charm. But for the people who live there, it\u2019s the day-to-day warmth, creativity and calm that make the neighbourhood truly stand out.<\/p>\n

Residents say the borough\u2019s strong community ties, family-friendly attractions and unmatched greenery are what keep them from ever wanting to leave. And on streets like Straightsmouth, where neighbours have known each other for generations, Greenwich<\/a>\u2019s reputation for friendliness feels entirely earned.<\/p>\n

One of those long-time locals is Anne Keane, 89, who has lived in Greenwich since 1965 and in Straightsmouth since 1974. She said: \u201cI love Greenwich, it’s fantastic\u2026 Great community, lovely shops and markets, and a train station!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AnneAnne Keaton, 89, says she wouldn’t live anywhere else(Image: Ines Santos\/ MyLondon)<\/p>\n

Before settling here, Anne lived in Tooting Bec, a place she remembers fondly but not nearly as much as her adopted home by the river. She added: \u201cIt\u2019s so much better than Tooting, oh yeah, much better\u2026 everybody’s very friendly here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also on Straightsmouth is Katie Farmee, 59, who raised both her sons on the street after moving in while pregnant. She said: \u201cIt’s the first place I’ve ever lived where I’ve known most of the neighbours.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added that it\u2019s a great place to raise kids and own dogs. Katie said: \u201cIt’s a lovely place if you have a dog, because you can take it for walks through Greenwich Park\u2026 And for kids too – at the observatory they even teach GCSE astronomy, so my second son did GCSE astronomy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TwoThere’s a position of Astronomer Royal working at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, created by King Charles II(Image: Linda Steward\/Getty)<\/p>\n

Greenwich\u2019s creative energy is part of its identity too. Made in Greenwich is a volunteer-run shop that sells the work of hundreds of local producers and makers in the borough.<\/p>\n

Sarah Harper, who manages the shop, sees the borough\u2019s creativity play out every day. She said: \u201cThere are so many talented makers within the borough, and we give them an opportunity and a platform to showcase their work\u2026 I think there’s a really kind of creative community, and that’s something that we should celebrate.\u201d<\/p>\n

For people who settled here decades ago, like Sarah McGuffick, 59, the area\u2019s character has endured even as the skyline shifted around nearby Canary Wharf<\/a>. She said: \u201cIt’s lovely, it’s a very nice place to live\u2026 It feels safe, lots of nice houses. It’s probably become rather more affluent, but fundamentally it hasn’t really changed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SarahSarah Harper works for the GCDA, – the Greenwich Cooperative Development Agency – which does charitable work within the borough(Image: Ines Santos\/ MyLondon)<\/p>\n

Younger residents are equally attached to the neighbourhood\u2019s balance of calm and convenience. Amin Sheikh, 20, who spends much of his time between Greenwich Market and the local Wetherspoons, loves the area\u2019s pace.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cI wouldn\u2019t move anywhere else, I really like it here. It’s peaceful and not too hectic. It’s a mix of London with a village, and I quite enjoy that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Students feel the pull too, even if Greenwich\u2019s transport issues occasionally test their patience. Madhav Peddada, 21, who studies at the University of Greenwich, said: \u201cCommuting has become an issue because Cutty Sark Station is closed until Spring next year\u2026 but it’s a lovely area to go to university in. It’s a very scenic area to be studying at and a beautiful area to live in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TwinThe University of Greenwich is located on a UNESCO World Heritage Site(Image: Planet One Images\/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

With its combination of Georgian streets, riverside apartments and futuristic towers on the Peninsula, Greenwich\u2019s housing market remains competitive, averaging around \u00a3564,000.<\/p>\n

Add in quick DLR links to Canary Wharf, the Jubilee line at North Greenwich and the Thames Clippers, and the borough offers one of the most scenic commutes in London.<\/p>\n

But while Muddy Stilettos praises the museums, markets and green space, locals agree the real magic is simpler: Greenwich feels like a village – and more importantly, it feels like home.<\/p>\n

Looking for more from MyLondon? Subscribe to our daily newsletters here<\/a> for the latest and greatest updates from across London.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Locals in this riverside borough reveal why its community spirit, greenery and culture keep them rooted for decades…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":606965,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7757],"tags":[748,393,4884,23421,190019,190018,257,2516,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-606964","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-london","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-england","10":"tag-great-britain","11":"tag-greenwich","12":"tag-greenwich-market","13":"tag-greenwich-park","14":"tag-london","15":"tag-property","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115648904329648088","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/606964","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=606964"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/606964\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/606965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=606964"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=606964"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=606964"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}