London is of course England’s capital city and home to around 7 million people. It’s one of the most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities on earth (with a huge gap between rich and poor: Grenfell Tower sits right next to the most expensive homes). But it has around 60% green space, more than most cities on earth. It also has one of the best public transport systems in the world. London is home to lots of native wildlife (from stag beetles to red deer) along with many non-profit organic box schemes and pioneering ethical supermarkets. Made up of 32 boroughs, the areas of London are:
North London
This is home to some of the most affluent and arty boroughs (like Camden and Islington) and also to some of the poorest. It’s also home to Regent’s Park, Harrow school and Heathrow Airport.
South London
This includes boroughs that border Kent and many are pretty large like Bromley and Bexley. This is also the area of Croydon and thriving boroughs like Brixton (known for its reggae music and local currency). Further South is Kingston-Upon-Thames, Richmond & Barnes.
East London
This is a large area that is obviously home to ‘Cockney Slang’ and there is a real sense of community here. It’s not far from East London to Essex.
West London
This is a very affluent area of London; home to Westminster, Pimlico, Ealing, Mayfair and the leafy district of Chiswick. However, the borough of Kensington & Chelsea has a strong divide between rich and poor (here live billionaires, alongside the residents of Grenfell Tower.
Westminster & City of London
These are two independent boroughs. The first houses both Parliaments, and the second is the financial centre. But modern thinking is slowly moving out of this mindset, with many other boroughs choosing to create their own community wealth through credit unions, people-owned supermarkets and non-profit veg boxes.