Kanda vs Edogawabashi

[TooNice]

I am looking to move out to an apartment soon, and I have spent the last 2-3 weeks looking at places. As I am looking for a 6 months lease, I have found my options quite limited, but there are two places I have seen that I am quite keen on.

The first one is located 3 minutes from Kanda station. It's a 30.5m2 studio, located on the 5th floor of a "high rise" (13 floors) building. The building was completed in 2005, so it is pretty new. It's furnished which is handy.

The second one is located in Edogawabashi. It's a 34.5m2, and designated as a 2DK (the balcony is bigger too). 2nd floor of a low rise building (4-5 floors). The building was completed in 1991, so it's old but the interior has been renovated. This one is unfurnished, but costs 135,000 yen less in the initial 6 months, and 28,000 yen less each subsequent months if I extend, than the first option.

I am going to work in Kojimachi, so as far as work commutes is concerned, Edogawabashi wins (6-7 min train rides). Kanda would take a minimum of 14 minutes, 17 if I go for the cheaper route, but that is mainly because there is no direct line. The actual distance is identical, and close enough (3.5km) to consider cycling.

For other places, Kanda's JR Yamanote and Chuo line does provide faster access to more places to the lone Yurakucho line in Edogawabashi.

One thing that I have no really figured out, is the immediate vicinity. Is one place better than the other for cheap-ish eateries? How about supermarket access? Does the place become deserted during the week-end?

I would much appreciate if anyone familiar with those areas would share their opinions.

Cheers

[twelvedown]

Well...I'm familiar with Kanda.. I love it. It's got a really grungy old Tokyo feel. It does get pretty dead on the weekend but Akihabara is just a short walk away and that's fun and also your close to the Ginza line so that gets you a lot of places fast. Supermarkets are a bit lacking...(As in most of central Tokyo) but you would be close to Ueno which is great for buying food.
anyway. good luck.

[NorthByNorthwest]

I rode through Edogawabashi to discover the following:

1. There is a decent shotengai (traditional shopping street) in the area; it's not a drinking area like Kanda is so there will be less eateries but still a fair selection.
2. There is a very good medical clinic there.
3. It's very close to Kagurazaka http://www.japanprobe.com/2009/10/21...-little-paris/
4. Going straight on Waseda Dori takes you to Waseda and Takadabobaba

It's one stop from Iidabashi Station which is chock-full of subway and train lines: JR Sobu, Oedo, Tozai, Yurakucho, Namboku

For the extra space and lower rent, I would probably pick it over Kanda.

[TooNice]

Thank you for the replies

I preferring to hang out in a coffee/cake shop/restaurant as I find them (usually) less smoky environment to drinking places.

I am a bit of a nerd, I shop electronics/games more than I do clothes and I do spend some of my free time in game centres. So I must say that Kanda's proximity to Akihabara is appealing. That said, I am not enough of a nerd to queue up for new releases, so it might well be that Ikebukuro is objectively adequate.

The other way I like to spend my spare time is just to walk around in parks and take pictures. I used frequently go to Harajuku/Yoyogi park on Sundays when I was staying in Shinjuku. I guess that if I was to switch to Kanda, I'd switch to Ueno. Where would I likely go, if I was to stay in Edogawabashi?

As far as connectivity is concerned, I would say that Iidabashi > Kanda > Edogawabashi. I've yet to cycle in Tokyo, is it possible/easy to park a bicycle at/near stations?

[kurogane]

If Edogawabashi is in any way close to Edogawa Girls' High School (Sobu/Chuo Line: Koiwa; Shin-Koiwa), go for that one.


Those girls are so skanky, you will never need to wear pants except to go out and grab an onigiri and potato salad sandwich at the 7-11.

Just to fuel up for round 2.

[NorthByNorthwest]

....

As far as connectivity is concerned, I would say that Iidabashi > Kanda > Edogawabashi. I've yet to cycle in Tokyo, is it possible/easy to park a bicycle at/near stations?

For Shinjuku-ku which includes Iidabashi station, you can get a monthly parking permit for your bicycle that costs a few thousand yen for three months: http://www.city.shinjuku.lg.jp/forei...eikatsu_2.html If you park without a permit, you'll get a sticker slapped on your bike but I think more wards are now decided to impound bikes as they see the revenue potential. Currently if your bike is impounded, it'll cost you at least Y5000 to get it released. When that starts happening, expect to see some WTF?!! posts on this site (Minato Ward announced they plan to do this). The area around Ikebukuro already does this - they'll cut a lock and throw it into the truck for a bike that has been illegally parked for 30 minutes - it's good business for them.

[ActiveAero]

I know this might be a little late but depending on which side of Edogawabashi you are talking about it is damn near a perfect place to live for the money specifically due to it's vicinity to the Kagurazaka area and Iidabashi station. Iidabashi is arguably the most useful station in all of Tokyo as it sits in the middle of the city and has five lines spreading out in pretty much every direction. Akihabara to the east is only 7 minutes, Shinjuku in 9 minutes, Ikebukuro in 12, Ginza in 14 and all are direct routes. And Kagurazaka.....is just damn awesome, period. It literally has almost everything you can ask for crammed into a beautiful little section of streets and the whole place actually has a real small town neighborhood sort of feel to it. Depending on what side of Edogawabashi the apartment is on you can be just a 6-7 minute walk away from Kagurazaka.

But even better is that if you work in Kojimachi you'll actually be able to get a damn seat on the train as the Yurakucho empties out the sardine can at Edogawabashi and remains pretty much clear all the way there. Getting on at Edogawabashi and heading to Kojimachi on the Yurakucho line has to be one of the luckiest morning rush commutes in all of Tokyo. On your way back home you simply stop one station short at Iibashi and walk home through Kagurazaka for your evening grocery shopping, eating, and fun.

Like I said though it all depends on where in relation to Edogawabashi station the apartment is (and obviously the apartment itself). If you are a good bit west or north of it then that area blows pretty hard but anything to the south or east (aka towards Kagurazaka/Iidabashi) is damn near unbeatable, at least from this Gaijin's point of view.

[TooNice]

Thanks for the replies. In the end, I settled for the place in Kanda. The place in Edogawabashi is just across the river to the North, 3 minutes from the station. As such, it is in an excellent location to get from/to work. At 12 minutes to Kagurazaka and just short of 18-20 minutes from Iidabashi, not exactly far, but prpobably not close enough for me to be "bothered" on a daily basis. I could only see one combini and not much eatery in the immediate vicinity (7 minutes radius - actually, there is really not much *until* I hit Kagurazaka). Indeed, had I been within 7min of it, I would've gone with it I think.

The place in Kanda is even better located than I initially thought. Previously I noted the wealth of eatery around the station, a combini within 2 minutes walk and a Maruetsu Petit within 5. Yesterday, I found out that there is a cheaper supermarket within 2 minutes walk! It also seems (TBC - I am just going by the Chiyoda City Office website info) that as a resident in the Chiyoda Ward, I would have access to a sport centre within 7min walk for a mere 200 yen a go! At that price, my expectations are in check, I am just glad there is one

The only thing is the estate agent told me that I'd have to pay 31,500 yen to change the lock. Isn't it kinda steep? It's not the end of the world, but I doubt that's the cost of changing the lock, I am sure that someone (either the estate agent or the building management) is getting a fat slice on something that would probably only take a phone call an require my presence anyway :/

[ActiveAero]

Sounds like you made the right choice as you were correct in thinking that north of the Edogawabashi station sucks, which it does, as there is nothing in that area and yeah it puts you too far away from Kagurazaka/Iidabashi to take advantage of it on a daily basis. Good luck in Kanda.