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

Dubbed “mini Manhattan”, the reclaimed industrial land that has been reborn as London City Island on a peninsula between the River Lea and the Thames is emerging as its own island community, almost completely surrounded by water yet just a few minutes’ walk from Canary Wharf.

The one- and two-bedroom flats and studios are packed pretty closely together, noisy building work continues on yet more new homes, and the area is a burgeoning culture hub thanks to the relocation of English National Ballet, London Film School and numerous art galleries to its shores.

Yet residents — or islanders as they call themselves — extol the peace and seclusion they experience in island life.

There is just one entry point for cars on the peninsula and a new footbridge has been added across the creek to Canning Town so the islanders have been creating their own sense of community over the past three years, with frequent residents’ events including family picnics and regular Friday night drinks parties.

Who lives there? The majority of tenants at London City Island are working professionals commuting to Canary Wharf or the City.

The last six or seven units that estate agents Dexters has let there have been to corporate relocations and there’s a big mixture of nationalities living on the island.

Having the English National Ballet on site also means several dancers live on the island.

An annual residents’ parking permit costs from £10 to £186, depending on engine size and CO2 emissions. There is a £25 diesel vehicle surcharge.

The London City Island development itself has a secure indoor car park, with spaces subject to availability and fees.

Crime in the area is just above the London average with 11 crimes per 1,000 residents. Harassment, violence and vehicle theft are the three most common crimes in the area.

Residents at London City Island have access to all the facilities on site including the outdoor heated swimming pool, the gym with its free classes, and the spa area with Jacuzzi, sauna and steam room along with the hot stone chairs — always brilliant after a workout.

Source: Rightmove

Java House is the most popular, says Lydia Beesley, director of Dexters Canary Wharf.

“It has some of the best views from the highest floors, facing over Canary Wharf and the City.

The newest building is Bridgewater House, which some people like because nobody’s lived there yet.”

Canning Town station is in Zone 2/3 on the Jubilee line, while the Docklands Light Railway is just across the creek and can be accessed by footbridge at the north of the peninsula.

There’s also a frequent bus service to the island itself but London City Island renter Clynton Nel often takes a £5 Uber cab to work and runs the 20 minutes home.

Fee-paying primary the Faraday School in Trinity Buoy Wharf is the only school on the island itself. Hallsville Primary School and St Luke’s Primary, both in Canning Town, have “outstanding” Ofsted ratings.

The Island Grocer is the only food shop on the island itself, with a smallish, Italian-slanted selection of convenience goods and such necessities as loo roll.

A Sainsbury’s is rumoured to be opening in November, while there are further convenience stores close to the station in Canning Town, including a Co-op.

Unless you want to visit the restaurants built into the scheme on the island, it’s relatively remote and most other trips will involve a Tube journey, says Lydia Beesley.

There’s also still a lot of construction going on, which Clynton Nel says gives the area a bit of a “regeneration feel” and can be noisy and disruptive for home workers.

It might seem unlikely for one of London’s most densely built new developments to feel as peaceful and spacious as being on holiday, but according to Clynton Nel, who has been renting a 13th-floor flat in a block at London City Island for three years, that’s exactly how it seems.

“We call ourselves islanders and talk about ‘living on the island’,” he says. “It’s on a peninsula so there’s water all around and you feel quite spacious and secluded, like you’re on holiday. I haven’t known such beautiful sunsets — it’s something that regularly fills our residents’ social media page.”

Clynton, 42, was one of the first phase of residents to move into the east London scheme of 1,700 high-rise homes, built on former industrial land on a peninsula formed by a loop of the River Lea where it meets the Thames close to Canary Wharf.

Residential director at the Canary Wharf branch of Johns & Co estate agents, Clynton pays £1,980 per month to his private landlord for the two-bedroom flat he shares with his partner and his son from a previous relationship, who visits most weekends.

“I could buy there but prices have gone up since the first phase was sold and renting is convenient for me, even though we pay more rent every year. I like having the flexibility to move if I need to. I never expected to be here three years but I really love it.

“The flats are really good quality but it’s the facilities that are most appealing, having the gym and the concierge on site. Things like that are the little conveniences that you don’t realise you’re missing until you get them,” he says.

“Everybody thinks Canary Wharf shuts down at the weekend but it’s actually quite vibrant and it’s only a five-minute bus journey, so at the weekend there’s always lots to do,” says Clynton.

The Island Grocer is part of the London City Island development and houses a restaurant alongside food and convenience items to buy.

Otherwise Clynton enjoys the emerging street food scene in Canning Town itself with “lots of chic market stalls going up in the normal market there”. Also in Canning Town, Love Choco, is “a really cool ice cream dessert place”.

“My son loves going to the Parkour Academy at Trinity Buoy Wharf,” says Clynton.

“The completion of the London Film School and the English National Ballet in the next year or two will really complement the area.”

Botanic Square is a landscaped green space in the centre of the scheme where islanders walk their dogs and take the children to play outside and enjoy picnics.

“All around the river they’re curating really cool outside space with little play areas for kids.

It’s not a park as such but you could take toddlers there and they’d have a whale of a time on the stepping stones and rock animals,” says Clynton.

East India Dock Basin is now a riverside wildlife park.