[MFAFF]

Open ended question there...

Everywhere in London is safe or unsafe.. all depends on what you actually do and when you are there.

So... Central London is a big old place... so knowing are clearly where they will be working will help. Secondly the notion that the east of London is unsafe is rather out of date.. the entire area around Stratford and the Olympic Park is effectively a new city and lots of young people live there by choice (as well as means). As a result the entire swathe of the London from Kings Cross station out to the Olympic Park (via Hoxton/ Shoreditch, Victoria Park etc) is now much more accessible and popular (in a positive way)...

If they work in the City then it makes a lot of sense to live there... easy commute (say 30 mins) and very close to diverse leisure activities.. sports...and easy to get out of town.

Lots of my younger co-workers (24-26) tend to look north of the West End, to Camden and Kentish Town/ Chalk Farm or Tufnell Park because it is close to work (about 20-30 mins on the bus or 45 mins walk Tottenham Court Road station) and close to Regents Park and Primrose Hill Hampstead Heath... all great leisure assets.

The same applies to the south...towards Crystal Palace etc.
Moving out west is (Acton Town and beyond) is great, provided they like commuting and enjoy being in a suburb... not something most of my young co-workers favour.

An essential part of the London experience is being close to the unique mix in town.. offices, shops, living, culture etc etc... the 'night life' is so much more than clubs and drinking....

My guess is that they will share a place... not certain how the Oz expats work it, however there may well be websites that advertise for house mates from Oz especially.

Places like Notting Hill are affordable... if you have a very large income... in London its all a mater of perspective.

Just as a snap shot; I live in Camden... have done for many years and got in when it was reasonably cheap. However from my work of 45 people there are three or four young co-workers, all girls between 24-28, who live within about 1/2 mile walk from me to the north. They all moved into the area because they could afford it (we pay a reasonable wage.. not stellar) and they found the balance of commuting distance/ time, cost and out of work activities the best around here. No they didn't move here to be near me! Is this a safe area? At normal hours is is as safe as most cities... at 0300 am then one needs to be more careful.. as is always the case.

I'd suggest that you and your daughters look closely at where they are likely to be working, take sometime to look at the Transport or London (TfL) website to see the transport links... train/ underground/ buses etc serve that area and how long they think they can tolerate a commute...and hour each way as a start is pretty widespread... it means about 1:15 in reality as there are frequently delays. Most tolerate about 35-45 mins door to door.

Also look at a website called Citymapper that gives good travel times based on time of day etc as well as walking times to and from stations/ stops and waiting times. I use this almost everyday.

Also be aware that cycling is now widespread as a means of commuting, most offices have secure bike parking and changing/ shower facilities. Yes it is a busy city with busy streets. There is however a developing cycle specific infrastructure with segregated bike lanes and sign posted routes along quieter streets. I cycle every day into town and have done for the last 15 years. It pays to be very attentive and and ride positively, however it is a very reasonable way to get around.

Also consider what they do want to do when they are not working....we moved to Camden because it was very close to work (office was 5 mins walk away) it was close to Regents Park.. a 10 min walk and easy to get away if we wanted a weekend trip. The parks are a great leisure resource and people do travel what I would consider large distance to get there.

Be happy to help further if you want....

(Oh and find a good coffee shop nearby.. wherever they go.. they are massively influential!...)