Where to live

Knowing where to live in London can be difficult if you're new to the city. But as it's such an exciting and diverse place to live, you’re bound to find somewhere that suits you.  

Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) is located in Bloomsbury, an area of London famous for its large hotels, university colleges, leafy squares and Georgian streets. 

We are within very easy reach of Covent Garden and the West End for shopping and nightlife, while our local area has a wide range of supermarkets, specialist food, book and gift shops on Lambs Conduit Street, and high street retailers at Brunswick Place, Southampton Row and High Holborn. 

The British Museum is close by, and the area is rich in historical and cultural heritage as well as a huge variety of cafes and restaurants.

Take a look at our interactive map for more information about the hospital's location and public transport links.

There are a large number of websites aimed at helping people new to the city find their feet, from understanding the transport system to identifying the best area for you based on your personal priorities.

The following websites give a good general overview of the different parts of London and may help you narrow down your search. However, please bear in mind that the information they provide may go out of date - always check things out for yourself before making a commitment about where to live.

• spareroom.co.uk
• moove2london.co.uk

Apart from GOSH’s own residential accommodation, you can also find private rental properties in the area around the hospital. However, because of their central location, these can be pricey. The majority of our staff commute from some distance away - journeys of between 30 and 90 minutes are fairly standard.

Our staff travel in to work from a wide variety of locations - some from just a few minutes away, others from as far afield as Brighton, Southampton and the Midlands.

GOSH is located within walking distance of Euston, Kings Cross, St Pancras and Charing Cross mainline stations, and is a short bus or tube journey from the other overground stations in London.

You can find details of rail services in and out of London stations via www.nationalrail.co.uk.

Coach companies in the south east also offer commuter services to London, so it’s worth checking in your local area as these can be much cheaper than travelling by train.

GOSH is located in London Transport Zone 1, with the closest tube stations being Russell Square (Piccadilly line) and Holborn (Piccadilly and Central lines). The hospital is well served by bus routes to all parts of the city.

You can find full information about fares, buying an Oyster card (for the best value travel), and the best way to get from your home to the hospital on the Transport for London website www.tfl.gov.uk. If you’re wanting to use their excellent Journey Planner tool, the main hospital’s postcode is WC1N 3JH.

GOSH recognises that buying a season ticket can be a considerable expense, and offers employees a season ticket loan to help spread the cost of the purchase over a number of months.

Increasing numbers of our staff complete part or all of their journey to work by bike. GOSH offers secure cycle racks and a Bicycle User Group who offer advice to fellow cyclists.

Staff who have a contract of 12 months or more can take advantage of our Cyclescheme vouchers. These allow you to buy a bike and then repay the cost to GOSH over 12 months. The payments are deducted automatically from your salary, and do not incur tax or national insurance - it’s an extremely cost effective way to buy a bike.

An alternative to buying a bike is to use the now famous "Boris Bikes" (the actual name is Barclays Cycle Hire) which you can hire from special racks for short journeys.

The Transport for London website provides lots of information on cycle routes and Boris Bikes - you can also find more information and advice on the London Cycling Campaign website.