It's not all about the Tube: where to rent along the DLR for quick City commutes and the best value for money
Commuting via the Docklands Light Railway offers plenty of choice, from the old East End to London’s new financial and regeneration zones; from historic riverside enclaves to locations that even born-and-bred Londoners might find hard to identify on a map.
With frequent services, quiet electric trains and most stations above ground, the DLR can be a breath of fresh air compared with the cramped Tube.
Renters whose priority is proximity to Canary Wharf will find the best value for money at Bow Church, where two-bedroom flats rent for £1,637 a month on average and three-bedroom houses for £2,217, according to exclusive research by Rightmove.
Devons Road is similarly priced, with two-bedroom flats at £1,638 and three-bedroom houses at £2,115 a month.
Property wise, there is little to choose between the two. Houses seem good value but there are very few of them. About 90 per cent of rentals on offer are flats, the vast majority in new-ish, no-frills developments.
For on-site pools and gyms you need Canary Wharf itself and these are reflected in the prices; a two-bedroom flat in the wharf would cost an average of almost £2,400 a month.
Living in Canary Wharf: the lowdown
If you want a period home, Bow Church has streets of Victorian houses, many subdivided into flats, around Thames magistrates’ court, and also wins on local character.
“It is proper East End,” says Roberto Rausa, lettings manager of Hamptons International. “You have got Roman Road Market within walking distance and all your local amenities on Roman Road itself.”
The beauty of this area is its connectivity. As well as being handy for work, Mile End Park is half a mile to the west, and Victoria Park a mile to the north. The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is closer but getting across the A12 and the railway lines that score the area means it’s faster to take the DLR there.
There’s an increasing number of bars and restaurants around Mile End including gourmet hamburger joint The Greedy Cow, or you can head for Victoria Park and the lovely gastropub The Morgan Arms. There are loads of cafés along Roman Road, although its seething traffic means it’s never going to be the place for a relaxed alfresco brunch.
STRATFORD'S COMPETITIVE
Renters looking specifically for a house should consider Stratford. Since the 2012 Olympics, Stratford has been one of London’s busiest building sites but there is more to this area than small, modern flats. Within a quarter of a mile of the High Street are back streets full of neat two and three-bedroom houses.
“There are still plenty of Victorian townhouses which are very competitively priced,” says Tom Crowe, lettings manager at Harrisons estate agents. Among Stratford’s spaghetti junction of train lines there are three DLR stops, all close to the Olympic Park, Westfield, and the High Street. The average rent for a three-bedroom house in this area is about £1,800 according to Rightmove, standing up well against a two bedroom flat.
Renters might get a slightly dated property for about £1,550 a month, but could pay above £2,000 for a brand-new flat. “We don’t get many families looking for houses as this isn’t a very family-oriented area,” says Tom Crowe. “We get younger sharers in their twenties and a lot of students, because it is just so well connected.”
DEPTFORD, OLD AND NEW
Deptford Bridge station is the gateway to both Deptford High Street and the cutesier charms of Greenwich “village”, as well as Greenwich Park and Blackheath.
Living in Deptford: everything you need to know
An average two-bedroom flat rents at £1,602 a month, says Rightmove, with a typical three-bedroom house in this Zone 2/3 location costing £2,019 a month.
The area has been the focus of considerable investment over recent years, so there are flats to be had in nearly new schemes such as Distillery Tower on Millbank Lane or The Crescent on Seager Place, as well as period conversions including Mumford Mills, a former Victorian flour mill close to Deptford Creek.
