Moving to a city like London can be a daunting experience. The city’s population might be close to 9 million people, but that doesn’t help if you don’t know anyone in the area.

Before you pick where you’re going to settle down in the capital, you need to know what’s around you. We don’t just mean what shops and landmarks are on your doorstep – we mean what opportunities you’ll have to meet new people and build new, lasting relationships. In other words, what kind of community and lifestyle you can expect to find when you move in.

If you’re planning a move to central London and the local community is top of your list of priorities, then allow us to introduce you to Battersea and Nine Elms.

Between its growing number of local shops and restaurants, the 200-acre Battersea Park and Battersea Power Station – a leisure destination dressed up old industry chic – it’s easily one of the most lively growing communities in South West London. Whether you’re looking for more ways to enjoy the best of London or opportunities to meet new people, Battersea and Nine Elms serve up vibrancy and community in spades.

What’s it like to live in Nine Elms?

One of the best things about moving to Battersea and Nine Elms is that you’ll be stepping into one of the most dynamic corners of South London.

Part of the London Borough of Wandsworth, Nine Elms in particular is hailed as an “Opportunity Area” for growth and regeneration along the River Thames. It’s seen new housing developments, more places to shop, eat and hang out, as well as the new Northern Line tube stations at Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station.

And the best bit is that the area’s growth is far from over. While those tube stations opened in 2021 and Battersea Power Station’s shopping and leisure hub opened in 2022, there’s still more in the pipeline – like the New Thames Bridge to link up Nine Elms and Pimlico.

But what does that mean for you moving into the area? It means that the Nine Elms community is growing stronger every day, with more and more people moving to join it every day.

Try joining a local sports and fitness club for example if you want to find new faces while meeting your active goals. Or if you’re also wondering “where should I live if I work in Battersea?”, there’s a whole host of co-working and hybrid working hubs in the Nine Elms area that will help centre you in a like-minded, professional community.

Make new friends through flat sharing

One of the best things about Battersea and Nine Elms being such a rapidly-growing community is that you’ll never be the only new person moving into the area.

For starters, that means you don’t have to look far to find communities on social media for fellow newbies looking to meet up and share tips for things to see and do together.

But when you have plenty of other people in exactly the same boat as you, you also have another option to help build your own community – flat sharing. Sharing an apartment isn’t just great for splitting the cost of rent and bills, it’s also an excellent way to form a lasting new bond, whether you’re heading out together every night or just gaming and watching TV together from time to time.

At Bloom Nine Elms, we have a range of two- and three-bedroom apartments set up to make flat sharing not just an option, but an adventure. Our shared apartments all have two bathrooms and our premium amenity spaces – like our roof terrace, library and sky lounge bar – can all act as an extension to your living space, so you can have all the benefits of a housemate without feeling like you’re living on top of each other.

The best of the London lifestyle at your fingertips

What about once you have met people in your local community, and you want to find things to do with your housemate or your new co-working friend? What kind of lifestyle can you expect if you’re looking to live in London?

The first thing to note is that living in Battersea and Nine Elms means you have the whole of London right there before you, whenever you want to get stuck in. Battersea and Nine Elms is part of London’s Zone 1, which means exploring the very best of London couldn’t be easier.

Heading to a West End show? A cricket match at the Oval? A date at Hyde Park and the Natural History Museum? From Battersea and Nine Elms, all you have to do is hop on the tube and you’ll be there in minutes.

From Bloom Nine Elms, for example, you’re only 15 minutes from the tube at Nine Elms and less than 10 minutes from Battersea Power Station. So when you need to unwind and hang out with your friends, both the local area and wider London is your oyster.

But just because Battersea and Nine Elms have great transport links to the rest of London, it doesn’t mean you have to leave the area to find the best places to relax or explore with your new friends.

There’s Battersea Park for starters, where you’ve got 200 acres of pure green space at your disposal – perfect for you and your friends to head out in the summer for picnics, games, dog walks, or just to lounge in the sun or enjoy a riverside walk. But that’s not all there is for open spaces – head down Queenstown Road and you’ve got the equally vast Clapham Common just waiting for you.

When it comes to shopping, you’re spoiled for choice. Of course there’s the iconic Battersea Power Station just outside your door, but you’re also sharing the neighbourhood with the historic food markets of Northcote Road and the big brands of Clapham High Street.

And if you’re a fan of the theatre, you don’t have to head out to the West End. Battersea Arts Centre between Clapham Junction Station and Clapham Common is home to some of South West London’s most varied fringe performances, from live theatre and comedy to music, dance, cabaret and acrobatics.

With so much on offer just a stone’s throw from your door, it’s no wonder why Battersea is so popular to live in.

Feel safe and settled in Nine Elms

Nobody wants to think about crime rates when they’re looking at moving to a new city. But if the local community is a strong factor in helping you feel like you’ve found your dream city centre home, then safety and security is going to be a key part of that.

So is Battersea a nice area to live in? Luckily, Battersea and Nine Elms is one of the safest areas in London to settle down. In 2022, Wandsworth – the London borough that contains Battersea and Nine Elms – ranked as one of London’s ten safest boroughs, with a crime rate 24% lower than the city’s average.

Bloom Nine Elms – premium living surrounded by community

If you’re looking to immerse yourself in the Battersea and Nine Elms community, you have to live in the heart of it – and Bloom Nine Elms will put you there.

With a range of spacious studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, Bloom Nine Elms gives you everything you need to not just live in a central location, but to truly call it home. What’s more, enjoy options for fully and flexibly furnished apartments, longer lease terms to feel more settled in place, and the freedom to rent with your beloved pets.

And living at Bloom Nine Elms doesn’t just mean you’re closer to the wider Battersea community. We also work hard to help build a strong sense of community between you and your neighbours – whether that’s through relaxing or with them in the bar or the cinema room, or getting to know each other through our year-round calendar of icebreaker events.

If you’re looking to join a thriving central London community and