The 5 best neighbourhoods to visit in London

‘Stokey’, as it is known to locals, has retained its London ‘village’ feel. Centred round the historic Church Street area there are plenty of independent and distinctive shops and restaurants. The area has a strong community character and there are plenty of green spaces to explore too.

Greenwich has many famous historical attractions to offer, but there are plenty of other reasons to visit this lively community, including the excellent markets, the independent shops and restaurants, the Meantime Brewery, the O2 concert venue and the beautiful park.

Shoreditch earned its reputation for creative cool in the mid-to-late 1990s. It’s still the centre for much of east London’s entrepreneurial and cultural activity with many fashionable independent shops, bars, clubs, coffee shops, restaurants and start-up businesses.

An attractive historic town on the river Thames, 8 miles west of central London. There are riverside pubs and restaurants, a good range of high street and independent shops, theatres, an indie cinema, boat trips and a wonderful urban Green. From Richmond Hill is a superb view along the river to Eel Pie Island, and beyond that lies marvellous Richmond Park.

Multicultural Brixton has a wealth of exciting attractions, chief among these being the must-visit Brixton Village and the excellent markets, music venues and cinema. Nearby Herne Hill has attractive Brockwell Park with its Lido and cafe, and interesting indie shops and a farmers’ market near the station.