You can get £5,000 to move into this ‘bustling mini-village’ in London

If you’ve never visited Royal Docks in London, head on down very soon – and you might even be tempted to move in.

Not only is this a new but already-established residential and business district, but an exciting leisure destination, offering everything from riverside bars and global cuisine to bouldering and open water swimming.

Once the biggest enclosed docks in the world, Royal Docks became unsustainable in the 1960s as the huge container ships which now carried cargo were unable to navigate so far down the Thames.

Their closure in 1981 created vast unemployment and social problems – but today the area is thriving once again. Just east of Canary Wharf, it is one of the country’s largest regeneration schemes and London’s only Enterprise Zone, giving tax concessions to businesses to encourage investment.

The Mayor of London’s office City Hall relocated to the eye-catching Crystal building in 2022, and major exhibition centre Excel London, London City Airport and the University of East London – crowned University Of The Year for Teaching Quality by the Times and Sunday Times, and first in London for student experience in the latest National Student Survey – are based here, too.

Up to 36,000 homes are being built in Royal Docks, of which a quarter are either underway or complete, including 3,385 at Ballymore’s Royal Wharf. The combination of lifestyle proximity to Canary Wharf and the City, as well as affordability is very appealing to first-time buyers, and with an average age of 32, the borough (Newham) has London’s second youngest population.

What’s more, some developers offer cash incentives to encourage buyers to move in. In some cases, there can be thousands of pounds on offer to help with the cost of transporting and moving all your belongings, and setting up home.

Improved transport links make Royal Docks accessible from anywhere in the capital – it has 11 DLR stations, the Elizabeth Line at Custom House, Uber Boats from Royal Wharf Pier and the IFS Cloud cable car runs to Greenwich Peninsula. Don’t worry if you don’t have a head for heights, as you’ll soon be able to cross the river via the Silvertown Tunnel, which opens next year.

And don’t just take our word for it, residents online are happy with their choice to move. Writing about their home in Royal Wharf, one Reddit user wrote: ‘This is a great place for young professionals and families, with a good vibe and lots going on.’

Meanwhile, another resident of Royal Wharf raved about his living situation. ‘The set up of the Royal Wharf is fantastic – a bustling “mini village” with everything from hairdressers and dentists to local coffee shops and our own spa… The community & people I have met have been incredible too.’

Here’s everything you need to know about the area.

Best places to go in Royal Docks, London

• Best pubs and bars: The Windjammer, for views of the river and the Thames Barrier; The Sundown bar aboard Sunborn London, a floating superyacht hotel; sip cocktails at the Oiler Bar, a converted barge; Galyons Royal Docks is a pub in a Grade II-listed building

• Best cafes: Little Hudson Café; Nani Café; Well Bean community cafe

• Best restaurants: Heroica Lounge for pizzas; Kaboom Lounge for Middle Eastern fare; curry at Pier Masala; Nakhon Thai

• Best green spaces: Thames Barrier Park and Lyle Park

• Best gyms and sports centre: One Element Docklands – open air fitness in Thames Barrier Park; Rise Climbing rock climbing and bouldering gym; Sportsdock at UEL is open to the public

• Best for watersports: Wakeboarding and paddleboarding at WakeUp; Love Open Water at Royal Docks Dock

• Best creative spaces: Art and dance classes at Art In The Dock; Bonbon Pottery Café

What’s on in Royal Docks, London

• Royal Victoria Dock Market, Oct 31 to Nov 3: A new market launches with a spooky Halloween special

• Victoria Dock Parkrun: Every Saturday, 9am

• Royal Wharf Market: A street food market’s held on the fourth Friday of the month, and a mixed market showcasing arts, crafts and food takes place on the second Sunday

• The Friends Experience, London Excel, until February 2, 2025: Celebrate the 30th birthday of this much-loved show by immersing yourself in recreated sets

‘I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else’

When Sophie Gong, an actuary, made the decision to upsize to a larger flat, she didn’t have to look far to find it. For, after living in the Royal Wharf development in Royal Docks for a number of years and seeing the area grow and flourish, she knew she didn’t want to be anywhere else.

So when developers Ballymore and Oxley launched new homes at Riverscape, next door to Royal Wharf, she was immediately interested.

‘I moved into a one-bedroom flat in Royal Wharf at the end of 2018 and hence I know the area and neighbourhood quite well,’ explains Sophie. ‘The launch of Riverscape in 2021 was perfect timing for me, as it was the end of pandemic and I started to actively look for properties.

‘I wanted a two-bedroom home as my dad, who lives in China, comes to stay from time to time and a one-bed wasn’t convenient. I did a couple of viewings in the Riverscape show apartment and I really liked the high spec – and especially the comfort cooling system.’

Sophie bought a two-bedroom, sixth floor flat at Riverscape with an enclosed balcony – or ‘winter garden’ – and amazing views of the river. Once settled in, she began personalising her new home.

‘I have re-painted some walls in both my bedrooms and living room to make it bit different,’ she says.

‘Most of my furniture is wood, which makes my flat looks very cosy and my modern sofa matches it very well. And I put artificial grass on the large balcony so it feels a bit like a terrace.’

Sophie’s impressed with how the neighbourhood has changed over the past few years.

‘It’s become very convenient to live in,’ she says. ‘There used to be only one Sainsbury’s and one Starbucks in the area. However, now there are a number of restaurants, bars, grocery stores and other services, including NHS clinics, a pharmacy and hairdressers. The community centre holds different events every week and I’ve been to board games nights a couple of times as well as art classes. And I have been going to bouldering at Rise Climbing, which is great fun!’

The improvements to public transport have gone down well, too. ‘It’s convenient for me to travel to work and but also a quiet neighbourhood to work from home,’ adds Sophie.

‘It has the Elizabeth line and DLR and bus 241 travels to Stratford and also stops at Custom House station. Additionally, the Uber boat stops at Royal Wharf dock, which makes travelling to central London, the O2 or Greenwich, easy and exciting.

For me, the location of my Riverscape home is perfect.’

One, two and three-bedroom homes launched in the Latham building at Riverscape last weekend. Overlooking Lyle Park and the Thames, prices start at £430,000 and two-bedroom flats are from £xxx, for more information visit Riverscape.

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing [email protected].

MORE : Delay-ridden train company admits it still uses fax machines

MORE : Serial shoplifter banned from wearing wigs after spate of thefts

MORE : Prison worker caught having sex with murderer inside Belmarsh facing jail

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.