Living and renting in Brixton: travel links, parking, schools, best streets — and the average cost of monthly rent

Young professionals flock to the foodie scene and clubs, then settle down near ‘outstanding’ schools.
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If there’s anyone out there who still doesn’t know that Brixton is one of the most fashionable spots in London — with the price tag to match — they need only take a brief stroll round the area to see just how much it has changed in 10 years.

A well-to-do Victorian suburb with attractive large houses and wide streets to match, the area was an incubator for innovation, from Bon Marché, Britain’s first department store opened in 1877, to Electric Avenue, one of the first shopping arcades to have electric lighting, in the Twenties.

The lowdown on Brixton

Today the area is once again a hotbed of invention, but this time with a more culinary bent. Several successful foodie ventures started life as street food initiatives in the area.

The first branch of Franco Manca, which saw punters travelling across London to queue for one of Britain’s first tastes of Neapolitan-style sourdough pizza, opened in 2008, in then-drafty, half-empty Brixton Market, which was once described by a policeman as a “crack supermarket”.

The following year small businesses were offered three-month, rent-free tenancies in Brixton Village, kicking off a culture war between longstanding residents keen to protect the area’s bohemian mixed community from a perceived influx of gentrification.

The 2013 opening of a branch of Foxtons estate agents saw “Yuppies out” sprayed on the window, while the cheese and champagne bar that opened the same year was also targeted by protesters.

Step out of the Tube station into the diverse hubbub of Brixton Road today and it’s hard to tell which side has won, but look at property prices and it’s clear that, in this respect at least, the gentrifiers are victorious. House prices in the area have risen 85 per cent in the past 10 years.

Who lives there? Brixton is extremely popular with early career graduates attracted to the area by its heady combination of buzzing nightlife, edgy reputation, foodie scene and excellent transport.

It’s no longer the haven of cheap rents and squats it once was, so renters tend to have relatively well-paid jobs in media, charities or tech, while some edgier City types have even been tempted over from Clapham.

The prevalence of good schools in the area encourages people who can afford it to stay on once they have families.

Parking, crime and gyms in Brixton

Residents’ parking permits cost between £36.59 and £312.59 per year depending on the age and emission rate of the vehicle. There’s a £40 diesel surcharge.

The crime rate in Brixton is above average for London with 15 crimes per 1,000 residents. Theft, violence and assault without injury are the most common crimes in the area.

The non-profit Better franchise runs Brixton Recreation Centre, which has a pool, gym, squash and racketball courts and a five-a-side pitch. Better also runs the Ferndale Community Sports Centre, with football, tennis, netball and a studio.

There’s a Fitness First as you head north up Brixton Hill and a branch of boutique hot yoga studio Fierce Grace is among the many yoga and Pilates offerings.

Average cost of renting in Brixton

Property size Average monthly cost
One-bedroom flat £1,375
Two-bedroom flat £1,688
Two-bedroom house £1,846
Three-bedroom house £2,488
Four-bedroom house £3,083

Source: Rightmove

Best Brixton streets to live on

The area between Brixton and Herne Hill known as Poets Corner — where you will find Chaucer, Spenser, Shakespeare and Milton Roads — is the most sought-after part of Brixton, according to Piers Mallitte, lettings manager at Marsh & Parsons in Brixton.

He says he gets calls from people who only want to be informed when a property comes up in one of these pretty, tree-lined streets, which are especially popular with young families thanks to the number of well-regarded state primary schools nearby.

Brixton travel links and accessibility

Brixton Underground station is in Zone 2 at the end of the Victoria line, which means Londoners are likely to get a seat on the commute to central London. There are also many buses that serve the area.

Best schools in Brixton

Sudbourne, Hill Mead, Iqra, Corpus Christi and St Jude’s are all Ofsted “outstanding” primary schools in the area.

Supermarkets and food markets in Brixton

Brixton Market has an array of cheap fruit and veg as well as more exotic items. The Brixton Farmers’ Market has a more artisanal offering on Brixton Station Road every Sunday. There’s a Marks & Spencer near Brixton Tube station and a Tesco Superstore and a Lidl on Acre Lane.

Downsides?

“Brixton can be perceived as a bit rough, a bit dangerous by people who don’t really know it,” says Mallitte. “You can’t ignore crime rates in the area and there are a lot of police around but it’s an exciting place to be with a lot to offer.”

What the locals say:

‘Electric nightlife, quiet park walks — it’s all here’

Jo Kendall and her boyfriend Robyn pay £600 a month each plus bills for their one-bedroom Brixton flat. They love the area's diversity
Adrian Lourie

Lively Brixton, with its multitude of nightspots, street food markets and independent shops, is well-established as a popular choice with twentysomething renters.

But as they start to grow up, couple up and embrace a slightly quieter lifestyle — albeit one with the odd boozy night out — they find there’s still plenty to keep them hooked on this south-west London district.

“If you want to be busy you can but if you just want to relax there’s places to go, too. You can wander out at the weekend and find something lively going on but you can also just go for a quiet walk in the park,” says Jo Kendall.

The 27-year-old PR manager has lived in the area with her boyfriend, Robyn, 26, a civil servant, since October last year, paying £600 a month each plus bills for their one-bedroom flat.

The couple love the diversity of the area and the fact that there’s a settled community. “Seeing there are children around makes us feel happy that people are really settled here and not just moving on straight away.”

Shopping in Brixton

Bargain fruit and veg can be found at Brixton Market. Jo also recommends independent bookshop Book Mongers.

Culture in Brixton

The Ritzy is Brixton’s historic cinema, now run by the Picturehouse chain. Staff have been campaigning for the London Living Wage for several years. The area has a vibrant music scene from the well-established Brixton Academy to smaller venues such as Hootananny, which Jo recommends for live music.

Eating and drinking in Brixton

“There are so many independent shops and restaurants. You might have to pay a bit more for a proper coffee at one of them but we appreciate that we’re contributing to something great,” says Jo.

Favourite spots include Dip & Flip for burgers and beers, Pop Brixton for drinks and street food, F Mondays for brunch, and Stir Coffee. Jo also recommends Jamaican food at Negril or Atlantic Bakery and the Latin American restaurants in Brixton Market.

Green space in Brixton

Brixton locals flock to Brockwell Park when the sun comes out. The 84 green acres include a much-loved lido, a BMX track and a pretty walled garden, and the park hosts events throughout the year, including the extremely popular Lambeth Country Show.