Kentish Town Room

A chunk of paradise in Kentish Town/Gospel Oak
Price: 600 pcm
Bills: about 100 pcm
Move in date (contract starts): 16 November
Room: single
Area: Camden

We are looking for a person to join our amazing flatshare in Kentish Town/Gospel Oak (Camden)! We are looking for someone to sign contract for a year (but you will be able to leave any time with reasonable notice, if you find your replacement).

THE FLAT
The flat is located in one of the brilliant post-war social housing estates of Camden commissioned by Sydney Cook when he ran the architects’ department at the London Borough of Camden and built in the 1970s (look up Mark Swenarton’s book ‘Cook’s Camden’).

Our living space and surroundings are a real a testament to those golden years of post-war welfare Britain. Designed as a great space to live, our flat has a big communal terrace which is superb for hanging out and bbqs with a view of London skyscrapers in the horizon and tree tops just right in front, as we have a communal courtyard with lots of trees and plants (you can observe squirrels and foxes playing with each other or enjoying the sun there sometimes). Generally loads of green areas surrounding our block. Very calm.

Kitchen has most appliances you may need for cooking, a big fridge, oven, microwave, and also we have a washing machine (no dryer). Other communal areas include bathroom, toilet, corridor and quite a lot of storage space. It should be possible for you to keep a bike in the storage space if you wish.

Everything works but needs some maintenance sometimes and a regular brush to keep it clean - so we would appreciate a flatmate who is willing to contribute to that on a regular and reasonable basis.

THE ROOM

The room is compact but fits a double bed, a desk, a wardrobe and leaves some space for other stuff. It really depends how you organise it. Our current flatmate preferred to have a single bed and more space but in the past the room had a double bed and a proper desk fitting two monitors. We have tried reflecting that in pictures with different set ups of 3 flatmates (yes one of us has been living here for almost 5 years). You may use flat storage space if you need. The room is full of light. It catches the afternoon sun.

THE AREA
The area is a real melting pot of cultures and people from all walks of life. It may look a bit rough around the edges but we know the people and feel genuinely safe here. People look out for each other here and can be really caring and friendly if you are willing to make contact and live here for some time. As mentioned, the architecture still breathes the optimistic and egalitarian air of post-war Britain. It will probably be gentrified soon so it’s one of the last opportunities to grasp how London used to be at its best.

The proximate area is buzzy and you can get most of what you may need (from cooking ingredients to dry cleaning) in our little high street packed with corner shops, a supermarket and local businesses 2 minutes away. There are also two local pubs, and many bars, coffeeshops and restaurants 2-15 minutes away. On Saturdays you can get a full plate of delicious jerk chicken freshly grilled on our high street for as little as £5.

And Hampstead Heath, with all its beautiful oak trees, fields and hills overseeing London, stadium, farmers’ market, ponds and the Lido, is just round the corner! You will be there in 10-15 minutes.

By *walking*, you would be
10-15 minutes away from Kentish Town High Street
15-20 minutes away from Camden Town market buzz
10 minutes away from the calm and nature of the Hampstead Heath

By *cycling*, you could reach:
King’s Cross station in 15min
Most zone 1 areas in 15-45min

The nearest stations Gospel Oak (Overground), Kentish Town and Chalk farm (Northern line) allow to conveniently travel across London as together they connect to North, South, West and East of London.

THE FLATSHARE
We’d like to keep the atmosphere in the flat chill, so that everybody feels home and totally comfortable. We like a sociable houshold which does not force anyone to socialise if they have other stuff to do or want to have some (or plenty) alone time. But, as in most flatshares, we are also considerate of each other and will expect that from those who will join. So we clean after ourselves and respect others’ reasonable asks and needs (eg if someone wants more silence in the flat after certain hours, for example
— and equally, if someone wants a party!), that type of thing.

We are open to discussing these things and making decisions that work for everyone (and always do that) but generally we try to keep it silent after 11pm especially on work days and each tries to clean one common area per week.

BILLS
In total (council tax, water, energy, internet) and on average, bills come at around 100 in winter months and 50 in summer months. However, this is based on last year’s prices — water and energy may be more expensive this year. So you should have a room to pay more.

THE FLATMATES
Your flatmates would be professionals in their 20s-early 30s working in research and education.

Ugnė is a social researcher interested in inequality, social policy and education — though she works with broader set of topics as long as it allows her to observe people and get to understand something new about humans and society. Always up for a chat about politics, society, current affairs — or just a good laugh.

Louis is a dedicated and enthusiastic early career teacher working with SEN children. As his hobbies, he is interested in photography, football, music and Indian food and says he “doesn’t need another hobby” but we will see about that :) He is easy going and always intrigued to meet different kinds of people.

Jason works for the NHS as a Maternity Tobacco Dependency Advisor. He also works as a creative practitioner running free art and zine making workshops for the local LGBTQ+ communities and allies.
Loves to chat in the kitchen.

Look forward to meeting our new flatmate! Please tell a bit about yourself while messaging- and do not hesitate to ask any questions.