Old Street, London - possible contract, information wanted

[d000hg]

Potential lucrative contract at a company located right next to Old Street tube station http://goo.gl/maps/LoeuE

I don't know London well so can anyone advise me on the area? Am I right that this is the silicon roundabout?

It'd be a weekly-commute and my preference is accommodation very close, i.e. walking if possible, or staying somewhere very close to another tube station. I would like to go the serviced apartment / aparthotel route - basically a modern studio apartment with a kitchen so I can cook and make sandwiches, etc. I have no interest in going to London all week and then slumming to save pennies, if I'm there I do it properly.

For instance this place came up Landmark Apartments, Short Stay Serviced - Rivington Street, London but I don't really know what the right search terms are.

Thanks for any information and/or recommendations.

[d000hg]

I should add, I would probably not envisage being out on the town much - part of the desire for an apartment is to have somewhere to work on plan B while away from home/wife. So location near work rather than near a social hub is more of a factor.

[rhubarb]

If staying in London isn't a requirement, perhaps you could consider staying out a bit further north, and rent could be a touch cheaper.
Trains on FCC from the likes of Stevenage (yuck)/Hertford/Hitchin/Welwyn Garden City, run direct into Old Street, so could be cheaper to stay out that way.
Journey from Welwyn is about 35mins.

[alreadypacked]

Old Street is difficult if you don't want to change trains.

West & south of old Street is commercial not much accommodation. The rest is mainly ex-council you don't want to go there.

I worked in Farringdon it was nice, you might be able to walk from there.
I thought I would like Covent Garden, Soho area. The noise, rats and 5am bin-men, I only lasted 3 months.

Don't just go in the day, check at night too.

[redgiant]

Potential lucrative contract at a company located right next to Old Street tube station http://goo.gl/maps/LoeuE

I don't know London well so can anyone advise me on the area? Am I right that this is the silicon roundabout?

It'd be a weekly-commute and my preference is accommodation very close, i.e. walking if possible, or staying somewhere very close to another tube station. I would like to go the serviced apartment / aparthotel route - basically a modern studio apartment with a kitchen so I can cook and make sandwiches, etc. I have no interest in going to London all week and then slumming to save pennies, if I'm there I do it properly.

For instance this place came up Landmark Apartments, Short Stay Serviced - Rivington Street, London but I don't really know what the right search terms are.

Thanks for any information and/or recommendations.

Old street roundabout is the centre of the "silicon roundabout" they push around in the press. I know Huddle and Content & Code who have signs right next to the roundabout but there are plenty more nestled around the old street tube area in all directions. It's taken off there as it's close to the student hangouts in Shoreditch and Islington (so lots of young workers to draw on) and there is/was an abundance of space as there were many unoccupied offices in the area several years back with cheaper rents than the City with good infrastructure.

As far as accommodation is concerned I can't help much as I commute into town but there are plenty of apartments nearby catering for all budgets as it's right next to the City of London.

[MyUserName]

One of my mates lives near there, he seems to like the area.

[d000hg]

Old Street is difficult if you don't want to change trains.

How come?

I should have also said, I'd be arriving/leaving London at Kings Cross, but that looks like an easy 2 stops on the Northern line Monday morning and Friday night. I imagine that's proper sardine stuff but for two stops not such a big deal so accommodation around KGX or Angel (I think) fits the easy commute option.

[Platypus]

accommodation around KGX or Angel (I think) fits the easy commute option.

As mentioned by another poster, if you're thinking of staying in that area, why not come in on FCC and save money by staying further out. Stevenage is 30 mins by train.

[RedSauce]

My current GF lives in Clerkenwell (10 minute walk), it is a very nice area and much quieter than other surrounding areas. The problem with Old Street is that is is next door to Shoreditch so the influx of 'trendies' has pushed the prices up. As other posters said, you can get trains in to KingsX or Farringdon (or even Old Street itself from Hertfordshire).

[d000hg]

As mentioned by another poster, if you're thinking of staying in that area, why not come in on FCC and save money by staying further out. Stevenage is 30 mins by train.

30min is more than I want to spend ona train really, since then you have time getting to the station etc. I like the idea of walking or being just a couple of tube stops away and if the contract doesn't pay well enough to live centrally, I won't accept it!