A guide to living in Borough of Tower Hamlets

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Living in this area has been a fantastic experience overall. The location is unbeatable — we have the Jubilee and Elizabeth tube lines plus the DLR just minutes away, making travel across London incredibly convenient. The shopping centre beneath the stations is excellent, offering everything you might need, from grocery stores and pharmacies to banks, cafés, and beauty services. The neighbourhood feels safe and well looked after, with regular cleaning and visible 24/7 security staff. There are also plenty of restaurants, cafés, and new spaces opening all the time, giving the area a lively and modern atmosphere. The only downside is the noise late at night from one of the waterfront restaurants that hosts events with live music or DJs until around 2 a.m., especially Thursday to Sunday. Because the venue is right on the water, the sound carries, and you can even hear it from the upper floors. Additionally, noise travels quite easily here due to the surroundings — early morning bin collections, occasional construction, and transport announcements are noticeable. That said, the positives far outweigh the negatives. It’s a vibrant, well-connected, and convenient place to live with a great sense of safety.

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

When we had an issue with our dishwasher, the building management responded very quickly and had it fixed without any hassle. Since then, everything has worked smoothly. The only downside is that the new apps are a bit clunky and not very intuitive, which can make submitting maintenance requests a bit frustrating.

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

One thing I wish I’d known before moving in is how much sound carries in this area. Because the building is surrounded by water, noise tends to travel — especially from the waterfront restaurant that plays live music and hosts DJ nights until late on weekends. It’s not constant, but definitely noticeable, even on higher floors. On the positive side, the location couldn’t be better. Having the Jubilee line, Elizabeth line, and DLR all within minutes makes getting around London incredibly easy. Plus, you have everything you could possibly need right here — shops, restaurants, gyms, pharmacies, and services all in one place. It’s a vibrant, convenient, and lively spot to live in — just come prepared for a bit of weekend nightlife noise.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Overall, Wood Wharf is an excellent area to live in. There are a range of grocery shops nearby, including Amazon Fresh, Waitrose, and Marks & Spencer, as well as Asda a short walk away. The restaurants within Wood Wharf and the wider Canary Wharf area provide an excellent variety of options and I’ve had a pleasant experience at each venue that I’ve visited. The Elizabeth Line, Jubilee Line, and DLR are all close by and provide multiple routes into the city. There are also a range of buses connecting the area to other parts of East and South East London. The whole of the Canary Wharf estate is very clean and kept to a good standard. I feel safe in this area on my own at any time of day or night. There is not much traffic on Water Street, and planes flying to and from London City Airport are not as noticeable as I’d anticipated. The only negative aspect of the area that I’ve encountered is occasional noise from boats mooring in West India Quay. Whilst rare, previously a large ship left its engines running throughout its stay, creating significant amounts of noise throughout the night for a prolonged period of time.

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

Umar, the property manager, is fantastic and has addressed all problems I’ve reported very quickly. Much like in my interactions with the concierge team, nothing is ever too much to ask, and he consistently goes above and beyond.

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

I wish that I’d known about the utility rates and standing charges of the mandatory suppliers before moving in. Whilst these are not unaffordable, they are still quite high in my opinion, and I’d like to see an option to be able to use other suppliers available in the future. It could be argued that this is offset by the convenience of not needing to setup accounts with multiple providers however.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Great connection to central London with two underground lines, DLR and the boats. Nice selection of restaurants, grocery stores and two shopping malls. Very clean, safe (private security).

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

Always on time and always well resolved. Very convenient.

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

One thing I’d improve is keep the private garden open 24/7

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

The area is very good. You have three tube stations with an easy walking distance as well as lots of local restaurants and bars and other facilities opening all the time like gyms and theatres.

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

It can take the management a long time to respond to things in this particular property. They focus more on their bigger and marquee properties.

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

Just make sure you’re okay with not being able to get into the shared areas; as they might look empty but there’s a trend of certain residents from other buildings who use it because this is the particularly quiet one which means it doesn’t work out quite as nicely for the actual residents.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

The area is quiet. Lovely community. The street is clean and looked after. The area has a range of shops that are very convenient. Transport is well connected. Some traffic sound, but nothing to complain about.

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

They have responded quickly, with action. Our extractor fan needed some work and they arranged everything - quickly, coinciding with my personal weekly plan. They have also arranged for certain areas to be re-painted in the flat, keeping the space to the best possible standard. They are extremely friendly and hard working. They add that extra piece of community to the building.

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

If possible, I would have loved to have known more about the community area outside the building and how to get involved in upcoming nights such as BINGO etc. Sounds like there could be some fun nights. And also just good to get to know the residents in the area.