Borough of Southwark

Southwark is nestled on the South Bank of the Thames, and among its luxury riverside apartments and ultra-modern offices, are some of London’s biggest icons. This area is rich in culture, architecture and entertainment, charming millions of visitors (and residents) each year. For the best scenery, criss-cross one of the bridges that straddle the river, including London Bridge, Tower Bridge and Millennium Bridge. All are a joy to stroll or drive over, thanks to sweeping views of the water, and the buildings that chart hundreds of years of the capital’s history. Read on to discover developments that are rated the best places to live in Southwark. In addition, read reviews from residents who own or rent in Southwark.

4.51
Average Location Score

Excellent

64%

Very Good

27%

Average

7%

Disappointing

1%

Very Poor

1%

Best places to live in Borough of Southwark

HomeViews Top Rated Development ranking takes into account the Star Rating and HomeViews Transparency Rating of every development in the area

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High street in Southwark

Southwark attractions

Of all the landmarks, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and the Tate Modern command the most attention, and rightly so. The Globe is a magnificent, Elizabethan-esque structure, a careful rebuild of the site where the famous playwright’s creations were first performed back in the 16th century. Nowadays, you can enjoy guided tours and exhibitions, along with exceptional theatre. As for the Tate, it’s easy to spend hours in this contemporary art institution; discovering the dreamy works of Warhol, Monet and Picasso.

Southwark skyline

The Shard

Head away from the waterside, and The Shard, Europe’s tallest building, dominates the skyline. This 300-plus-metre skyscraper is a mixed bag of offices, hotel suites, and bars and restaurants. In fact, it’s the way of many of the imposing buildings here. Dedicated to both work and play, they’re comprised of company HQs, posh-nosh brasseries and classy rooftop bars.

Foodie hotspot

Southwark has emerged as a real foodie destination over the years. Just over the road from The Shard is Borough Market; London’s oldest food market, and still one of the capital’s best. Its myriad of stalls never fail to treat tastebuds, whether you’re in the mood for a harissa-soaked North African stew, or a Spanish ‘bocadillo’ stuffed with serrano ham and melty cheese. Outside, both old and new establishments pepper the streets, age-old pubs full of curiosities rubbing shoulders with elegant Italian restaurants and cosy tapas nooks. Try lively Bermondsey for a village feel and some of the best independents eateries around.

Southwark park

Transport in Southwark

Southwark’s transport links are impressive. London Bridge Railway Station makes it easy to get to cities like Cambridge and Bedford. And three London Underground stations service the area. Southwark on the Jubilee line, Borough on the Northern, and London Bridge, which has trains running on both. But with London’s best bits on your doorstep, who could blame you for staying put?

HomeViews reviewer says…
“It’s a lovely mix of old and new. The new-build waterfront homes are plentiful, but so are the curious 17th-century pubs.”

You can find out more about living in the area by reading reviews from residents. Click on the developments below to find out more about residents’ experiences and also, to discover the best places to live and rent in Southwark. Moreover, If there’s a property that you can’t see on HomeViews, you can add a new listing and leave your review here.

Featured developments in Borough of Southwark

The Music Box, SE1

The Music Box, SE1

Taylor Wimpey
4.52 (7 reviews) 4.52 (7 reviews)
One Tower Bridge, SE1

One Tower Bridge, SE1

Berkeley Homes
4.89 (4 reviews) 4.89 (4 reviews)
Image of Elephant Central, SE1

Elephant Central, SE1

Get Living
4.50 (102 reviews) 4.50 (102 reviews)

Reviews in Borough of Southwark

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Very happy but far from perfect

Verified Resident
Verified Resident
Review Date Oct 2022

Good: vibe, good, bars, transport

Bad: crime, becoming very expensive, building management very poor

Please review your development:

Design is good apart from how disorganised the post room is and how poor the concierge staff are (apart from a few, such as Luke!)

Service charge is much higher than when we moved in 4 years ago and we are charged for a lot of things we don’t use (such as gym and gardens)

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

How think of the walls are as we never hear the neighbours apart from via the front door as we are near the lift

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

came into the flat very swiftly when we shared the sighting of a mouse.

The floorboards are terrible and have holes all over them

3
Facilities
4
Design
5
Location
4
Value
1
Management
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Manager Response

We are very sorry to hear you have had problems with the building management in your new home. Please contact us at lqdirect@lqgroup.org.uk (with Homeviews in the subject line) and a dedicated agent will do their best to assist.

Nice development, but issues are not addressed

Verified Resident
Verified Resident
Review Date Oct 2022

I love the area is very well connected with buses, tube and trains, and all of the new restaurants and shops opening at Elephant Park.

If anything bad to mention, it would be that still doesnt feel safe enough, despite having security around the estate.

Please review your development:

I like the development and I think it is good value for the location. The park is really nice, and so are all the new retailers opening.

However, I am surprised none of the Elephant Park buildings have a pool (indoor) given that seems to be standard in most new builds in London. Also the gym is far too small for 560 flats (the size of a small living room), and most of the residents have to go to nearby gyms. We have complained a lot as the gym could easily be extended (there is some useless “outdoor” part of the gym that could he repurposed, or some residents have mentioned that some buildings have more cycle storage than they need and that could also be repurposed). However nothing has been done to adress it. Also the service charge has doubled in 3 years, and nothing seems to be done to get the prices down to the level we agreed.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

That the gym would be that small, and that the service charges would double so quickly.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Most of the issues ars still unresolved, like trying to bring service charges down to the original levels, or extending the gym.

3
Facilities
4
Design
4
Location
4
Value
2
Management
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Manager Response

Thank you so much for your review – we are so pleased you like the location of your new home. We are very sorry to hear you have had problems with the building management. Please contact us at lqdirect@lqgroup.org.uk (with Homeviews in the subject line) and a dedicated agent will do their best to assist.

the gardens around is beautiful

Verified Resident
Verified Resident
Review Date Oct 2022

good: the environment is clean and beautiful. The secure room for parcel is convenient.
Bad: too noisy outside in the day time

Please review your development:

Design : good layouts and furniture style.
Facilities :the gardens around is beautiful. Also lost of supermarket and restaurant for people to shop daily necessaries and eating
Management :24 reception and security is good, make it a very safe apartment to live.
Property management

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I want to know the living environment here, the property, and the water and electricity bills

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Good, they can solve the problem in time, we do not have anything special for now

3
Facilities
4
Design
3
Location
3
Value
3
Management
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Nice development to visit, but not to buy due to expensive service charge and terrible management

Verified Resident
Verified Resident
Review Date Oct 2022

Great area with regards to all the comercial units opening around elephant park. There are lots of places to eat out or have a coffee. However there is anti-social behavior around the park in the evenings and parcel thefts in the building lobbies

Please review your development:

Overall the development looks good. In term of facilities, West Grove has a residents room and a ridiculously small gym. A supper lobby that nobody uses and is a waste of energy in terms of heating in winter. Management is appalling: they lose parcels, reception is manned by temporary staff and costs keep going up despite quality of service going down.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

The ridiculous hikes in service charges year after year with no reasonable explanation, neither efforts to keep the charges within the budget from the management company.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Normally they would simply try to ignore me until I escalate. Evening staff at reception are usually not trained and rude.

2
Facilities
4
Design
4
Location
3
Value
1
Management
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Manager Response

We are very sorry to hear you have had problems with the service charge and building management at your new home. Please contact us at lqdirect@lqgroup.org.uk (with Homeviews in the subject line) and a dedicated agent will do their best to assist.