Keira Knightley's recent decision to buy a new home in Shoreditch consolidates a trend that has seen this bohemian part of the capital become hot property for artists, actors, musicians and TV personalities.Records show that prices in East London rose 1.5% in July; in comparison, prices in North London - the home to celebrities such as Kate Moss and Jude Law - were flat, with no change on the previous month.It seems increasing numbers of celebrities are looking at areas like Shoreditch and Bethnal Green as viable locations for their London homes, whereas even a few years ago these places were considered rather grungy and mainly the preserve of young urbanites in their 20s looking for cheap digs."It seems increasing numbers of celebrities are looking at areas like Shoreditch and Bethnal Green" Now the bohemian atmosphere is a positive attraction for celebrities who could well be in their 20s themselves, and the fact that these areas are slightly off the beaten path provides some welcome privacy too.Last but not least, the fact that prime properties start at about £500,000 in East London, compared to nearly £1m in the more traditional celeb-heavy areas of North London like Camden and Islington, shows you can get a lot more for your money there too, which could well be a factor if realistically you're going to be spending most of your time in LA or New York.Other East London-based celebrities include: Bethnal Green - Alexa Chung (model and TV presenter) and Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys), Kate Nash (singer), Jarvis Cocker (musician and DJ) Spitalfields - Tracey Emin (artist), Jeanette Winterson (writer), Gilbert & George (artists)
