Brixton and Clapham

South London's non-identical twins

Noteworthy for: Brixton offers some of London's liveliest streetlife and markets, while Clapham has smarter shops and attractive cafes.
Word to the wise: Don't confuse Clapham with Clapham Junction, an area that, despite is name, is actually in neighbouring Battersea.

Talk of the town: Brixton houses London's last surviving windmill, in residential backwater Blenheim Gardens.
These two neighbouring South London districts perform a great double act: while Clapham is upscale and rather villagey, Brixton next door is bohemian, rough-edged and irrepressibly vibrant. In their own different ways, both demonstrate how South London has been transformed into a gentrification hotspot in the past few decades.

Brixton has long been a centre for London's afro-caribbean communities, and it's still a great place to pick up spicy jerk chicken and Caribbean groceries, not least in what might be London's liveliest street market, Electric Avenue. With the development of the Brixton Village covered arcades just across the road and the thriving Market Row, the area is also becoming a foodie hotspot with shabby chic cafe-restaurants and offbeat shopping.

Clapham also offers good restaurants, more traditional-style pubs and a sizable gay community. Highlights include Clapham Common, a broad green space lined with grand old houses, and Abbeville Village, a cute collection of cafes and independent shops lining the area's Abbeville Road.