Work in the City or the Wharf?

[LondonFinance]

Caught up with a couple of friends over some pints and we had an interesting discussion: given the choice, would you rather work in CW or the City. The general view was that everything works like clockwork in the Wharf (being private property might help a bit), but that it is a bit soulless - the City oozes history at every corner and has a wider array of food and drinks options. Whichever way you are leaning, the consensus was that Canary Wharf could do with a decent pub or two.

What is your take?

 

[JustAnotherHuman]

The wharf is a concrete jungle which was originally a dockland, basically an industrial port. Pulling up some skyscrapers won’t change its heritage. Also, everyone looks basically the same and so overall the city might be a bit more diverse with a better location. A good point re why the wharf is so efficient, as it’s a private estate, they had a free hand to do whatever they wanted construction and design wise whereas in the city that might be a lot more difficult due to historical landmarks and regulation etc as you mentioned.

What about Mayfair though, that seems to be missed out as a potential option. Lots of hedge funds there as far as I know and maybe some consultancies as well. I used to work at a regtech startup in Level39 in One Canada Square tower once, was a good experience and that was the only time I ever worked there (not a finance professional).

 

[TheWharfConsultant]

For my personal convenience, the Elisabeth Line (finally) changed things as it cuts out 30 minutes from my commute. Fully agree on the lack of a half-decent pub, though The Brewdog does the trick quite nicely, though, and my team has been there once or twice a month...

 

[J.Z.]

Personally a big fan of the wharf. It's easier(cheaper) to find a new apartment within walking distance, and a lot of my friends started living there straight out of college. The food is probably not ideal and life gets boring after a while, but it's good for home parties. Over time, people seem to drift away as they get kids and move further, but it's a great place to start.

 

[AugustusSeptimius]

Personally a big fan of the wharf. It's easier(cheaper) to find a new apartment within walking distance, and a lot of my friends started living there straight out of college. The food is probably not ideal and life gets boring after a while, but it's good for home parties. Over time, people seem to drift away as they get kids and move further, but it's a great place to start.

Yeah I’d imagined the property market is slightly more reasonable, would be curious to hear your views on getting an apartment in CF.

 

[LondonFinance]

Yeah I’d imagined the property market is slightly more reasonable, would be curious to hear your views on getting an apartment in CF.

Just jumping in: the whole area has been developed quite nicely (all amenities are there) and the Elisabeth Line helps with connections quite a bit; in the end, it depends on personal preference what is important for you - pubs/restaurants, green spaces and galleries/museums are missing a bit and if you work in the west of London, the Elisabeth line does not really help you; similarly, if you are travelling a lot via Heathrow, you might want to have a good look at how long this would take you

 

[AugustusSeptimius]

Just jumping in: the whole area has been developed quite nicely (all amenities are there) and the Elisabeth Line helps with connections quite a bit; in the end, it depends on personal preference what is important for you - pubs/restaurants, green spaces and galleries/museums are missing a bit and if you work in the west of London, the Elisabeth line does not really help you; similarly, if you are travelling a lot via Heathrow, you might want to have a good look at how long this would take you

Good to know. Thanks for that info.