London for Londoners [antikvár]

Few people think of London's famous river and network of urban waterways when looking for a place to live. Yet with a fast-growing population and ever-increasing demand for affordable housing in the capital, this is a resource of which we could make much better use. Joe Barry and Emma Howarth find out which ideas hold water. Take a stroll along the Thames or one of London's canals and it won't be long before you come across a pocket of boat life. From the prestigious - and sought-after -moorings at Chelsea's Cheyne Walk and Wandsworth's Lightermans Walk to the bohemian communities of Downings Roads near Tower Bridge, Little Venice or Battersea's Albion Quay, the capital's waterways are scattered with narrowboats, converted barges and tugboats that Londoners have decided to call home. 8 Time Out London for Londoners It's easy to see the appeal. Why pay L2 million for a Thames-side apartment in Butler's Wharf when, just a few minutes' walk along the river at the Downings Roads moorings, fresh air, nature, community spirit and the best views in London can be yours for something like a tenth of the price. 'The Thames is definitely the last great real estate frontier in the capital,' says James Roeber, owner of Dutch barge Cathalina, previously at Downings Roads and now at Docklands' Blackwall Basin Marina.