Where to live in London - family of six

[Ciao Fun]

Hello All,

I will be moving to work in the UK very soon. I want to live in London although I will technically be working in Welwyn Garden City. As I understand it, I will need to take the National Rail to Welwyn Garden City, and I can board this train in either Kings Cross or in Finsbury. I want to live near a tube station that is serviced by either the Picadilly or the Victoria lines as they connect with the train station in Finsbury.

So, where should I live? We are a family of six with four children: nine, six, two years old, and 3 months old. We want to live in London near a good elementary school and want to have at least three bedrooms. Parks are nice so that the little ones have something to do during the day. We will also rely on walking and public transportation, so nearby shopping is important.

Our budget is around 2500 to 3000 pounds per month.

Any suggestions on an online resource for finding a house for rent?

Thoughts? All advice is welcome. Please let me know if you need more info.

Thanks!!

Lester

[kaz101]

Hi Lester,

I used to live in WGC and loved it there. Most people work in London and live in WGC since it's much cheaper living out of London.

You can find out info about the rail link at National Rail Enquiries - Station Facilities for Welwyn Garden City

BTW there are parks and lakes in WGC - it was the second garden city built I believe. I moved closer to London because of my husbands work and we regretted it. Here is some info on WGC Hertfordshire.com » Towns » Welwyn Garden City, Herts

For renting you can check out Rightmove - UK's number one property website for properties for sale and to rent.

Also you need to think about council tax since that will vary across London too and usually you have to pay for that separately from the rent.

Regards,
Karen

[Ciao Fun]

Thank you! I think my wife is set on living in London - she prefers being in the city and having the conveniences very nearby. I don't think she wants to go very far for anything considering she has four kids to drag along.

Any suggestions on neighborhoods in London?

Thanks!!!

[jlms]

Originally Posted by Ciao Fun

Thank you! I think my wife is set on living in London - she prefers being in the city and having the conveniences very nearby. I don't think she wants to go very far for anything considering she has four kids to drag along.

Any suggestions on neighborhoods in London?

Thanks!!!

Countryside town life is great ... if you enjoy the company of cows and horses (my neighbours for 4 years here in the UK). The range, of often free, activities for children in London is mind boggling, you simply don't get that out of London or other major towns.

Anyway, the UK government has league tables that attempt to give parents an idea of which schools are best. Start in the BBC's website devoted to the subject: BBC NEWS | Education | League Tables

As for the neighbourhoods you want something North of the Thames if you can afford it, this will save you lots of time in your commute. Use Google maps to find the tube stations that you fancy and one of the numerous property websites to find houses that fit your budget (with house prices going down in London it has never been a better time to move here in recent times).

I would not be too worried if there is not a park close by, you can always catch the tube or a bus and you can be in any one of the London parks in 15 or 20 minutes at most.

As for shopping, you can do it online (there is an additional charge) and it will be delivered to your home. With a family of 6 this may be a good alternative and you would not need to worry much about having a shop close by. In any case most neighbourhoods have a big supermarket walking distance, you can always check supermarkets websites for store locations.

One important aspect of living in London and commuting out of town for work is that you are moving counter the flow, which means you get emptier trains and thus you can sit, this helps enormously to reduce your stress levels