Tower Bridge: Connecting thriving boroughs across London

Tower Bridge is a rather unusual area of London. Not only is it one of the most famous bridges in the world, it also connects two boroughs, that is, Southwark and Tower Hamlets.

There is also a lot of regeneration work in both boroughs, which are starting to attract an increasing number of young professionals and families.

Tower Bridge itself is a tourist attraction and visitors from all over the world come to see the various exhibitions that can be viewed from inside the structure.

It must be one of the few bridges in the world which serves the dual purpose of being a tourist attraction and a connecting structure that allows traffic to pass from one side of the river Thames to the other.

Therefore, to get a holistic view of the area and what it is like to live near Tower Bridge, one must look at both the bridge itself and the two associated boroughs.

Tower Bridge

This was built in the late 1800s and has become an iconic symbol of London. It is also situated near the Tower of London, which is where it got its name from.

The bridge holds many exhibitions, which attract both domestic and overseas visitors. On the bridge itself, visitors can learn about how it was constructed. Guests can also take a tour of the bridge and view the interactive displays and videos which provide an entertaining and informative guide to its history.

It also contains a lot of artwork from British artists in addition to the Victorian Engine Rooms, complete with sounds and smells that transport the visitor back in time to the origins of Tower Bridge.

The structure also offers breathtaking views of the city, and allows guests to walk into the high level walkways, 42 metres above the Thames.

It is also possible to hire rooms at the venue for private functions and parties. 

Tower Hamlets

Tower Hamlets is located on the north side of Tower Bridge and covers much of the east end of London. There has been a significant amount of regeneration and redevelopment works in the borough, most notably, the Docklands, Canary Wharf and West India Docks.

It is known as one of the most culturally diverse areas of London and has one of the highest ethnic minority populations in the capital.

Education

The borough is known for its high educational achievements, and in 2010 over 51.8 percent of pupils achieved five A*–C GCSEs including mathematics and English - the highest results in the borough's history.

The national average is just 53.4 per cent.

It is also home to the College of Technology London and Tower Hamlets college. There is also no shortage of universities. Queen Mary University, a constituent college of the University of London is also located here, in addition to the School of Medicine and Dentistry and London Metropolitan University.

Property

The average property price in Tower Hamlets is £379,673, which is at the lower end of the market, when compared to other areas of London, such as Islington for example.

Rental properties start from around £900 pcm for a studio flat and over £200 a week for a shared flat. Houses in the area are a mix of townhouses, terraced flats and apartments, which tend to be more popular with young professionals living in the city.

Landmarks

Historical landmarks in the city include the iconic Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, which has always been a popular tourist destination among overseas and domestic visitors alike.

Southwark

The London borough of Southwark is located to the south of Tower Bridge. Southwark is a diverse and thriving community in the heart of the city, with a lot to offer.

Transport links in the borough allow for easy travel to different areas of London, with regular bus and train connections. 

Southwark Council has also recently hit the headlines for improving cycling routes throughout the borough as well.

The council recently announced that it was awarded £285,000 of funding from Transport for London (TFL) to deliver the Cycling to School Partnership in 2013/14 in Dulwich and Herne Hill.

The money will be used to pay for the East Dulwich Grove and Townley Road junction and encourage schools in the area to promote cycling.

The initiative is part of the mayor's Vision for Cycling in London programme which was introduced last March.

Housing

It was also announced that over 1,000 new homes will be built in the borough to improve housing provision. The homes will be located in the Canada Water area and 231 of them will be affordable.

Rental properties start from around £200 per week, which is the average price that one can expect to pay for a one-bed property in the capital.

The average house price in the area is around £456,721, which is slightly more than in other boroughs of London, but is by no means the most expensive.

Interestingly, the borough recently gained recognition from the Housing Diversity Network for its work to promote equality and opportunity within its housing service.

The accreditation was created to reward the steps that local authorities take to work on diversity issues.

Education

Southwark has one of the largest university teaching hospitals in Europe, and that is King's College London, which is located at Guy's Hospital.

It is also home to the the London College of Communication and Camberwell College of Arts. But by far the most notable educational establishment is Southbank University, which is based in Elephant and Castle. The university has 23,000 students and 1,700 staff. 

Published 8th November, 2013

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