What’s going for it? If you know it only for its history of bohemian boozing and strip clubs, or its present of luxury investment flats and Crossrail building sites, you won’t know that Soho can be a rather nice place to live. Especially for the elderly and children: old people can have a great time hanging out, and everyone looks out for local kids. Someone who recently moved to a shoebox Soho flat from a family house in Shepherd’s Bush says she and her daughter have found far more sense of community than they did in the ’burbs. If you rent (and how could you ever afford to buy?), the prices can be relatively affordable. OK, we said relatively. Please don’t shout.
The case against Drunks urinating on your doorstep at night. Rampant gentrification means your favourite greasy spoon won’t be there in the morning. If you have a family, your child will never learn to climb a tree.
Well connected? It is the connection. Soho is the very centre of London, with Charing Cross, Euston and King’s Cross stations all within walking distance. A £1bn redevelopment of Tottenham Court Road tube station means Crossrail will get to Heathrow in 28 minutes from 2019. Good luck parking a car in Soho, though.
Schools Soho Parish CofE primary is “good”, says Ofsted – and they’re building a vertical climbing playground. St Joseph’s Catholic primary is “outstanding”. You have to look outside Soho for secondary schools: within the borough of Westminster, Grey Coat Hospital for girls is “outstanding”; Westminster City School for boys is “good”. One of the closest secondaries outside Westminster is the mixed Maria Fidelis Catholic school in Camden, which is rated “good”.
Hang out at… Where to start? Bar Italia (real coffee and people watching), The French House for creative types, Trisha’s basement bar… The Marshall Street leisure centre, a glorious, refurbished, listed, Victorian swimming pool.
Where to buy The odd cluster of Georgian houses on Meard Street, Brewer Street and Soho Square. Most housing is flats, from new builds to mansion block conversions. Also ex-council flats in tower blocks. Town houses, from £6m. Penthouse apartments, £5m. Three-bed flats, £2m; two-bed, £1m-£2.5m; one-bed, £700,000-£1.5m; studios, £450,000-£800,000. Rentals: studios, £1,400-£2,000pcm; one-bed flats, £1,700-£2,500pcm; two-bed, £2,000-£6,000; three-bed, £3,700 upwards.
Bargain of the week A one-bedroom flat on Berwick Street, £765,000 with Barnard Marcus via rightmove.co.uk.
From the streets
Derek Brown “Sadly, Berwick Street market isn’t what it was, but the diversity’s amazing.”
Joy Lintoff “The best thing is always having your friends come to see you. Look at flats on Berwick or Poland Street, which aren’t so crazy at night.”
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Live on the east Norfolk coast? Do you have a favourite haunt or pet hate? If so, please email lets.move@theguardian.com by Tuesday 17 November.
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