Also, it is highly desirable to be south of the highway - the highway being Route 27, aka the Montauk Highway, because it means fewer insects and an easy walk or cycle to the beach.
Take a cycle or a walk down the Thames Path, a hassle free highway that takes you from the hustle and bustle of the West End out to desolate wharves and wildlife havens, finishing at Greenwich, home to one of the Olympic sites.
Great mileage on the highway, which is where a diesel excels, and then when you get in the city cycle it'll run on the hybrid battery, which should give you excellent city mileage.