Also known as Kingston upon Thames, this borough is a highly desirable place for many retirees and families. They can own a spacious property in Kingston without paying an exorbitant price tag from the housing market of neighbouring Richmond, Wimbledon, or Twickenham. It does lack a luxury village feel, but Kingston makes up for this by providing a great array of amenities to support your living needs during your time here.

1. What Makes Kingston Unique?
2. Things To See In Kingston
3. Nightlife In Kingston
4. Sport In Kingston
5. Food In Kingston
6. Shopping In Kingston
7. Culture and Entertainment In Kingston
8. Cost of Living In Kingston
9. Transportation In Kingston
10. Explore The UK From Kingston

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1. What Makes Kingston Unique?

A rich history

As you can easily guess from the full name of the borough, Kingston has always been known as a town of kings. Many Saxon rulers were crowned here in All Saints Church, making Kingston - meaning "the king's manor or estate" in Old English - the earliest royal borough.

Safety

Kingston has one of the lowest crime rates in London, with 57 crimes per 1000 people in 2013. This number was significantly lower than both the London average and the national average.

Recent development

Even though Kingston is already a well-heeled borough, there has been a flux of new projects underway. Eden Walk Shopping Centre just received approval for a £400 million redevelopment, while there are also plans to build new cycle paths, homes, public spaces, and offices in Kingston.

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2. Things To See In Kingston

All Saints Church: as the only Grade I listed building in Kingston, this historic parish church was built in 1120 and witnessed coronations of many Saxon kings.

Kingston Museum: this museum was funded by the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. There are talks, exhibitions, and other events taking place throughout the year.

Hampton Court Palace: just 30 minutes of walk away from the town centre, this stunning palace is a perfect place to learn more about the Royal Family.

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3. Nightlife In Kingston

This small southwestern borough of London isn't exactly known for its nightlife. Due to the small after-dark scene, many people living in Kingston will choose to head to central areas whenever they want to spend a night out.

This doesn't mean you can't have a fun night in Kingston, especially if you're a student or live near the Kingston University campus. With a few long-established venues and some newly-open bars and nightclubs, the streets of Kingston still draw a significant crowd every day of the week.

Pryzm on Clarence Street is the biggest club in town, with multiple VIP areas, themed bars, and three stages playing all kinds of music, from classics to R&B and house. It's under the management of The Deltic Group, the largest operator of late-night bars and clubs in the UK.

In addition to several regular events like Fix Fridays and LyfeCode Saturdays, the venue has even hosted many high-profile acts, such as The Who in February 2020. Listening to legendary rock bands in a nightclub that usually only features EDM DJs and parties is not something you can do every weekend, even in central areas with a more developed night scene.

Unlike the lively Pryzm, Woody's Bar and Kitchen on Ram Passage is like an extension of your living room. This all-day, family-friendly riverside outlet uses mostly locally-sourced ingredients for its food, including the children's menu. On top of the freshly prepared food, customers of Woody's are also offered a carefully selected range of world-class spirits, wines, and craft beers. The place is run independently by a small yet passionate team - one of the things that makes Woody's stand out from the rest.

The brick-lined late bar Bacchus on Union Street features live music nights and DJs of several genres. On alternate Wednesdays, fans of emo and punk should head to Baccus for its regular New Noise nights, while the venue has hip-hop, rock, and pop music on alternate Saturdays.

The Viper Rooms on Riverside Walk is a modern nightclub with bespoke decoration, including wall-lighting panels, led ceiling, and digital wall graphics. The lush booth seating also features a high-end sound system and illuminated tables. The focal point of this club is the suspended DJ cage, in which many top-class DJs have performed for club-goers on the dance floors. The terrace and lounge of The Viper Rooms provides an impressive view of the River Thames as people enjoy an extensive menu of beers and cocktails.

Within the shouting distance of the Hampton Court Palace is The Ram Pub, a cosy, traditional pub. It's mostly known for the wide and ever-changing selection of fine wines, craft beers, and real cask ales. This riverside pub also has a great beer garden on the bank of the River Thames.

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4. Sport In Kingston

The sports scene of the borough has received much help from Sport Kingston, an independent organisation whose goal is the promotion and development of all sports at all levels within Kingston. It also commits to lobbying on behalf of local sports clubs, including resolving issues affecting them.

AFC Wimbledon is the most famous football club in Kingston. The club has played in the third tier of England's league system, League One, since its promotion in the 2015-2016 season.

It was founded by a group of supporters of Wimbledon FC, after that club was allowed to relocate away from Wimbledon to Milton Keynes, against the opposition of the fanbase. The three non-league clubs are Chessington & Hook United (in Chessington), Kingstonian and Corinthian-Casuals (both play in Tolworth).

Kingston Wildcats School of Basketball is a community development club that plays its home matches at Chessington Community College. The club is currently playing in the Basketball England National League and Surrey League.

Kingston is also home to a host of fitness facilities. This ranges from branches of well-established health club chains (like Nuffield Health Fitness & Wellbeing Gym, David Lloyd Leisure, Fitness4Less, and Virgin Active) to smaller venues like F45 training. The local council also runs many centres like Tiffin Sports Centre and Kingfisher Leisure Centre.

Founded in 1858, Kingston Rowing Club is a member of British Rowing, having produced several well-known oarsmen and oarswomen and won many events at the British Rowing Championships throughout its history.

For people who prefer activities with a bit of adventure, the Chessington World of Adventures Resort is a park and zoo complex on the southern side of the borough. It features a water park, a zoo, and roller coaster rides.

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5. Food In Kingston

The food scene of Kingston mostly consists of popular high-street chains, such as Busaba Eathai, Côte Brasserie, Bill's, Wildwood, Las Iguanas, Zizzi, Wagamama, and GBK, among others. If you prefer something more different and unique, let's enjoy a sunny day in one of Kingston's riverside gorgeous restaurants with outdoor seating.

The town has plenty of independent eateries as well. Poor Boys is a favourite of many locals, who love their New Orleans-inspired food, while the Kingston University campus is a haven for lunch at affordable prices.

Tucked away in Market Place is one of the most well-known Vietnamese food venues in London - Phoreal. Its authentic and tasty dishes are the result of the owner's secret ingredients and careful preparation. In addition to the signature beef pho, their grilled pork shoulder also brings a unique flavour. Calling this place a restaurant might be a stretch, but this food stall is a must if you live in Kingston.

Located in The Grey Horse, a whisky and cocktail bar, SMOK'D is a barbecue restaurant with its own reputation. The place has a stylish interior with some exposed brick walls. It serves one of the best burgers and barbecue in London, especially if you're craving some traditional American favourites like fried chicken sandwiches. Their milkshakes and cornflake ice cream sundae are the perfect combination if you have a sweet tooth.

Not only an exciting brewery, The Albion on Fairfield Road also makes great food to get your stomach rumbling. The menu of this new venue (just established in 2016) ranges from meaty mains (such as burgers, marinated chicken, barbecue ribs) to chips, pies, and crunchy coleslaw. Vegans should not worry about their options either, with quinoa salads, feta, and vegan pizzas and vegan burgers on offer.

If anyone who is looking for a cup of coffee will be pleased to know there is a branch of the Department of Coffee and Social Affairs in town. The baristas of this popular chain know their coffee well and provide a wide range of blends, depending on your favourite flavour.

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6. Shopping In Kingston

Given its location on the outskirts of London, Kingston has a decent selection for your retail therapy. From popular high-street names to quirky local shops, the town can keep you busy for hours.

The main shopping destination in town is the Bentall Shopping Centre, known locally as the Bentalls. It was opened in 1992 on the ground of the old Bentalls department store, which is still retained after the renovation. With 600,000 square feet of stores and restaurants, the Bentalls is filled with several household names selling everything, from pretty homewares to beauty products. Besides the department store, its most notable shops include Apple, H&M, Zara, American Vintage, Cos, and & Other Stories.

The Old London Road is where you can find a mix of quirky charity and antique shops. The Vintage Shop is a prime example, selling a whole host of cute and even a little eccentric items at good prices compared to other vintage stores in the area.

With its long history, there is nothing surprising about the fact that Kingston is home to one of the oldest town markets in London, which dates back to the 1200s. The Ancient Market is still thriving today, trading 7 days a week. The market has a good range of permanent stalls, from artisan bakeries and greengrocers to fishmongers and florists. The street food stalls of Kingston's Ancient Market also brings authentic cuisines from several cultures to this South West London town.

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7. Culture and Entertainment In Kingston

While it's hard to deny that Kingston doesn't reflect the lively cultural and entertainment scene of central boroughs, it doesn't mean you completely run out of options.

Culture lovers will be thrilled to explore Rose Theatre, whose design is based on the famous Elizabethan theatre with the same name. In order to adapt this classic design into a modern venue, newer seats and a roof have been added. There are many art galleries in the borough, including the annual Performance Arts Festival. The Kingston Museum, which was funded by Andrew Carnegie, also hosts several events and exhibitions in addition to its collections.

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8. Cost of Living In Kingston

Kingston is a cheaper place to live than its neighbouring boroughs of Merton and Richmond upon Thames but more expensive than the likes of Hounslow and Greenwich.

• Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course: £50.00
• Domestic Beer (0.5-litre draught): £5.00
• Transportation Monthly Pass: £166.67
• Basic Utilities for 85m2 Apartment: £134.92
• Cinema, International Release: £12.00

Source: Numbeo

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9. Transportation In Kingston

Train

While Kingston has no Tube links running through it, the borough is still well-connected to other areas thanks to several railway connections. Its principal hub, the Kingston station, sits on London's Zone 6 with services provided by South Western Railway.

Many train routes from London Waterloo run through the borough, giving its residents direct connections to Vauxhall, Clapham Junction, and Wimbledon, while eastbound links travel to Sunbury, Hampton, and Teddington.

Bus

Kingston is served by many routes in the London Buses network, including links to Heathrow Airport (routes X26, 285, and 111), Wimbledon, Putney, Hounslow, Epsom, and Ealing. Many bus routes in Surrey also serve Kingston, including Stagecoach 715 to Guildford and Esher, Falcon 461 to Addlestone, Weybridge, and Walton, and Hallmark 458 to Staines and Walton.

Air

If you drive or take a taxi from Kingston, it will take around 30 and 45 minutes to reach Heathrow and Gatwick Airport, respectively.

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10. Explore The UK From Kingston

RHS Garden, Wisley

Located in Surrey, this is one of five gardens run by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), and with more than 1,200,000 visitors in 2019, it's also the UK's second most visited paid-entry garden. Besides a great number of decorative gardens, an arboretum, and many glasshouses, this place also has several smaller "model gardens" where visitors can learn more about gardening ideas they can try at home.

Chiltern Hills

Almost half of the Chiltern Hills region is officially recognised as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and it is with good reason. The green spaces of Chiltern Hills are a perfect example of the English landscape, with emerald valleys, picturesque villages, and ancient woodland dotted throughout the area. It is still within the doorstep of London but far away enough for you to forget all the bustling streets of the capital.

Wokingham

This historic market town lies south-east of Reading and just 37 miles away from London. Wokingham’s facades have changed in 600 years, making it a perfect place to teach your kids what a typical Medieval street looked like.