London is a cultural capital and a highly creative city, offering plenty of opportunities for aspiring creatives.

From prestigious art schools to a wide array of art galleries and museums, London’s boroughs are perfect for those seeking to immerse themselves in the world of creativity and innovation.

To help those discover the ideal location to immerse in their creativity, student accommodation and co-living spaces provider The Stay Club created a Creative Borough Index, analysing data from Yelp, Yell, and Indeed to identify the best London boroughs for creatives.

The Best London Boroughs For Creatives

These 10 London boroughs came on top due to their extensive number of local art schools, creative job opportunities, and cultural attractions.

Rank
Borough
Number of art schools
Number of creative jobs
Number of cultural attractions (museums and art galleries combined)
Total/96
1
Islington
44
1,043
312
91
2
Hackney
19
1,061
266
90
3
Westminster
38
1,023
333
89
4
Tower Hamlets
18
1,034
261
85
5
Southwark
13
1,175
78
82
6
Wandsworth
15
476
109
79
6
Haringey
13
1,187
24
79
7
Camden
6
1,057
53
76
8
Lambeth
13
122
99
71
8
Waltham Forest
4
1,187
15
71
9
Lewisham
7
236
49
69
10
Richmond upon Thames
2
144
245
60
According to the findings, Islington is revealed as London’s best borough for creatives. With an impressive score of 91 out of 96, the borough’s 44 art schools, 1,043 creative jobs, and 312 museums and art galleries secure it the top spot. Additionally, Islington’s proximity to university campuses makes it a fantastic choice for artistic devotees.

Hackney follows closely behind, scoring 90 out of 96. The borough’s extensive selection of cultural attractions (266) and abundance of creative job opportunities are perfect for creative enthusiasts.

Westminster, Tower Hamlets, and Southwark land a spot in the top five, and each receives a commendable score of 89,85,82, respectively, demonstrating their suitability for aspiring creatives. While Southwark provides more creative job opportunities, Westminster is home to more art schools and cultural attractions.

In joint sixth are Wandsworth and Haringey, scoring 79 out of 96. The boroughs have a similar number of art schools, 15 and 13; however, Haringey has significantly more job opportunities for aspiring creatives (1,187).

In seventh is Camden, receiving 76 out of 96. The booming borough has over 1,000 creative job opportunities but only a handful of art schools. However, with 53 museums and art galleries in the radius, Camden has plenty of cultural attractions for creative enthusiasts.

Lambeth and Waltham Forest secure joint eighth place with 71 out of 96. Although the London boroughs have fairly low numbers of art schools, they claim their spot among the best boroughs for creatives due to their extensive selection of creative jobs and cultural attractions.

In ninth place is Lewisham, scoring 69 out of 96. Although it has the fewest art schools on the list, this borough provides over 200 jobs for creatives and nearly 50 museums and art galleries to inspire creative minds.

Richmond upon Thames rounds up the top 10 with 60 out of 96. Even with the lowest number of art schools, the borough is ideal for those seeking a career in the creative industry, thanks to its 144 creative job opportunities and 245 cultural attractions.