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Out of the top 10 most cultural boroughs in London, Lewisham is the most affordable area to buy and rent a one-bedroom flat.

London’s top 10 boroughs for culture are Westminster, Camden, Hackney, Islington, Lambeth, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth, Hammersmith & Fulham, and Lewisham.

These areas have the highest concentration of music, arts and performance arts venues, as well as outdoor spaces dedicated to leisure or cultural uses, and social venues such as pubs and clubs, according to 51ÂÒÂ×’s analysis of Greater London Authority data.

Good access to amenities is now considered more important than it was pre-pandemic. In our most recent UK buyer sentiment survey, over 50% of people said that when choosing where to live, easy access to amenities including pubs and entertainment was more important now.

The borough of Lewisham – which has 229 culture spaces including over 100 social venues - has also been recognised by the Mayor of London as the capital’s borough for culture in 2022. The win saw it secure £1.35m of GLA funding to deliver a year-long programme of cultural events and initiatives.

House prices in London’s top ten most cultural boroughs

We looked at average sales values and rents for a one-bedroom flat across London’s top 10 cultural boroughs.

Sales values range from £311,280 in Lewisham to £567,663 in Westminster.

Rents range from £1,246 per month in Lewisham to £2,434 per month in Westminster.

Hackney is the second most affordable cultural borough in which to buy out of the top 10, followed by Lambeth in third place.

The most affordable rental options in the top 10 besides Lewisham are Lambeth and Southwark.

For more information and analysis on the market in Lewisham  

London culture exploration

The GLA’s wider definition of culture includes culture that is produced as well as consumed such as fashion, manufacturing, and tech & media.

The live map and list of cultural venues is available Explore and compare a number of cultural factors in all London boroughs across different areas, including dance performance studios, libraries, museums, galleries and more.