Why you should move to: Brixton
Brixton is one of the best areas in London. It generates the biggest buzz of anywhere south with an amazing music, arts and food scene. Here’s our guide to some of Brixton’s best bits.
A true original, Brixton is in your face, and makes no apologies for it. Prepare for an assault on the senses from the moment you get off the tube. From the booming beats you can hear on the street to the smells of delicious food and the visual feast of colours in the market, Brixton is gloriously alive. Well known as an after hours destination, Brixton also has culture and cuisine to boot. People who live in Brixton are passionate about the place, and it’s easy to understand why. It caters for everyone, because there are some of everyone living there. Its energy makes it a thrilling place to live, so be warned – if you’re after a quiet life, Brixton isn’t the place for you!
The digs
There’s no short of places to rent in Brixton, and something for every budget. Two bedroom properties aplenty range in price from £300 to £550 a week, three bedrooms for between £390 to £650 a week and 4 bedroom houses are upwards of £750 a week. At the cheaper end you’re likely to find ex-local authority property on one of Brixton’s many small estates. Mid range properties are to be found in the Victorian terraces galore or in a new build blocks, and top of the range often includes some (London-sized) outdoor space. Renters that are attracted to the area include creative types, students and professionals wanting to be near to work in the week, and near to the action at weekends!
Need to know
For south London, Brixton is pretty well connected. It has a tube station for one thing, a rarity in these parts. Situated at the end of the Victoria line has it’s advantages for getting a seat in the morning, and you can still be in central London within 15 minutes. There are plenty of buses heading into and across town, and Denmark Hill and Herne Hill are nearby meaning you can access the Overground and Thameslink.
The vast Brockwell Park should provide all the green space and vistas you need. As well as sports facilities and a weekly park run it plays host to music festivals and the Lambeth Country Show in the summer. But it’s not the only park – Myatts Fields, Slade Gardens and Ruskin Park also provide welcome sanctuary from the hecticness of Brixton town centre.
Eating
Loosen those belts because there is so much good food to be eaten in Brixton. Brixton Village, the 1930s market arcade, is home to enough restaurants to keep you fed for a year, from burger heavyweights Honest Burger, to authentic Thai at Kaosarn, and seasonal deliciousness, as well as a stonking brunch, at Salon. If that hasn’t filled you up, Brixton’s new kid on the block, the container village Pop Brixton, also has some fantastic options including Made of Dough pizza and smoking and curing extraordinaires Smoke and Salt. But it’s also worth venturing to the outskirts of Brixton where you can find Brixton’s best jerk chicken at Negril, tasty north African dishes at Khamsa, and real deal tapas at Boqueria. If it’s payday then go all out at Naughty Piglets or Shrub and Shutter, both of whom take taste very seriously. Get your caffeine fix at Federation in the Village, or Brixton-roasted Volcano coffee at Brixton Blend and it’s sister cafe Brockwell Blend. Stir Coffee, Caya and FMondays also do decent coffee served by friendly sorts. 
Going out
Brixton’s nightlife scene has exploded in recent years, and there’s a huge choice of venues to work up a hangover. If you like a boozer, you can’t go wrong with Duke of Edinburgh complete with huge garden, or the Effra Tavern, a small but lively off-the-beaten-track pub. The White Horse on Brixton Hill, Effra Social on Effra Road and the Queens Head on Stockwell Road have good ales, good grub and good vibes. Pop Brixton is a great meeting place, and bars such as Donostia Social Club do a great tipple. For cocktails Seven and ThreeEightFour make concoctions that are pure theatre. Once you’re suitably merry you can head to any of the late night drinking establishments such as Brixton stalwart the Dogstar, cocktail bar meets house party at Beast of Brixton, or the speakeasy style Fox Bar. For live music the Hootananny can’t be beat for volume, or see big names at Electric Brixton or O2 Academy. And if you’ve got your dancing shoes on Phonox or Brixton Jamm will provide the beats you need. For something a bit different, Brixton Rooftop specialises in immersive experiences, and can transport you to a New York disco or a Cuban beach in the summer!
Culture
Creativity is part of the fabric of Brixton, evident in the shops like Brixi and Diverse selling trinkets and gifts, often produced by local makers. Brixton is well known for it’s DIY culture that has fostered ideas such as the Brixton Pound, Brixton’s own currency designed to help ‘money stick to Brixton’, and The Urban Art Fair, an open air gallery set up by a local resident, that brings affordable art and live street art to a leafy avenue every summer. The ever popular craft market Crafty Fox originated in Brixton and returns on a regular basis. Windrush Square is home to an exhibition programme at Black Cultural Archives and the Ritzy Cinema, which has a venue upstairs that holds regular open mic nights. A new and exciting addition to Brixton’s cultural scene is the Brixton Design Trail. Brixton has become one of the London Design Festival’s design districts, featuring installations and events throughout Brixton in September. And look out for Ovalhouse theatre coming to Brixton in 2018.
Best bits
You’ll never be bored in Brixton! But the highlight of the calendar is the Lambeth Country Show that happens every
July. As well as big headline acts, there is everything from sheep shearing, samba bands, medieval jousting and a vegetable carving competition! It’s when the community really comes together to dance, watch owl displays and drink scrumpy!
We’ve given you the scoop and the lowdown – think the area could be for you? Check out our selection of rooms for rent in Brixton to find your next home in the neighbourhood.
