Raynes Park and Wimbledon are two very similar suburbs, adjacent to each other, and very often people confuse them and think that something in one is actually in the other. On the map, Raynes park is Southwest of Wimbledon common and East of New Malden. Having just moved from Wimbledon to Raynes Park, the differences between them have become very clear. I have been living in Raynes Park for a few months, and I am sometimes shocked by how less people seem to be living in Raynes Park then there are in Wimbledon. When my friends have asked me where I liked living more, I still do not know what to say because there are both good and bad things about living in both places.  

When living in Wimbledon, my commute was a lot quicker which was nice as I could walk to school with other school friends, and as I lived in an area full of parks and nature, I enjoyed it. One of my good friends, Emily Robertson, said that one of the things that she loves most about Wimbledon is: ‘the community’. Another good thing about Wimbledon is that not only is it really quick and easy to get into central London by train, but since both Wimbledon village and Broadway are such different atmospheres (even though they are both lively), it is very good that they are so close as you can easily decide where you want to go and what you want to do depending on how you feel. Both the village and Broadway are full of shops and restaurants that sell amazing food, so this is really convenient. Sometimes, however, you can wish that you don’t live in Wimbledon as it is very busy and there is traffic all the time; especially in the warm summer months when all you want to do is have fun and relax and instead you have thousands of tourists flocking to Wimbledon for the tennis and spending their evenings wandering around the area.  

Raynes Park is a good contrast to the summer crowds at Wimbledon. It is full of plenty of green areas just like Wimbledon, but since it is further out of Central London so it feels less like part of a city and more calm. Being close to the A3 is good as it allows you to get into the countryside easier.  It is a lot more peaceful in Raynes park when you want to go for a nice walk alone as there are less people wandering around, which means you can enjoy your walk more, and use the time for some nice reflection. Since it is further out from central London, there are less people and less crowds which is good, but you are more cut off from the city as it is a longer commute. There are a lot less people in Raynes Park so there is no sense of real community. Even though it is good to be close to both Wimbledon and Kingston, Raynes Parks’ own high street does not have a lot of shops for its’ residents to enjoy.  

There are both good and bad things about both areas, and I am more than happy to spend a nice afternoon enjoying the advantages of either place. A fellow resident, Michael Henderson, told me: ‘While Wimbledon has the hustle and bustle of the shops and restaurants, Raynes Park has a quieter more homely feel and more relaxed pace.’ And I completely agree with him.