List of places to live in london with 2 kids

[cerngi]

Hi,

We are looking at a possible move to London in a few months from Nottingham. Problem is we have no idea where to even begin looking. We have 2 kids in school, yr 5 and yr 1. We currently live in a very nice area that is extremely safe with parks, sports facilities, and transport very convenient. The job is located near the Green park or Bond tube stations, so something along the Jubilee, Central, Piccadilly and Victoria lines would be great. We are looking to rent initially with an eye towards purchasing in the future possibly. Rent in the £1000 - £1800 range. Looking for something that is Safe with decent schools, and a 3 or 4 bed house.

Any help is Greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Cory

[lynn]

Originally Posted by cerngi

Hi,

We are looking at a possible move to London in a few months from Nottingham. Problem is we have no idea where to even begin looking. We have 2 kids in school, yr 5 and yr 1. We currently live in a very nice area that is extremely safe with parks, sports facilities, and transport very convenient. The job is located near the Green park or Bond tube stations, so something along the Jubilee, Central, Piccadilly and Victoria lines would be great. We are looking to rent initially with an eye towards purchasing in the future possibly. Rent in the £1000 - £1800 range. Looking for something that is Safe with decent schools, and a 3 or 4 bed house.

Any help is Greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Cory

It's a tricky one, as you don't have a huge budget for rental. Plus, your eldest will be applying to secondary school... If you don't mind a rail commute and your priority is schooling and space for the kids then I would recommend Sutton/Purley/Wallington/Carshalton Beeches as the schools there are good, but it isn't for everyone.

[nyclon]

I agree with Lynn. Your budget isn't going to give you much leeway. You can try looking at stops in Zones 4 and 5 of the tube lines you mentioned. But, 3 or 4 bedrooms in your price range is a lot to ask for in London even on the outer edges. You should look into train lines from London Bridge and Waterloo. The Jubilee Line goes to both of those stations. Trains from Liverpool Street which is served by the Central Line and of course the Victoria Line goes to Victoria Station.

[jlms]

There are lots (and I mean lots) of families with young children in Wandsworth, depending where you are you can commute to Victoria, Waterloo or London Bridge if you are in the Easternmost part of the borough.

The house where I live (10 min walk to train station and then 18 min train ride to Victoria) used to be occupied by a family with 2 young children, and they left only because the husband had to commute out of London every day (which as anybody that drives in London knows, would have been a nightmare), it is in Zone 3 and I reckon you could manage to rent such a place in the budget you are mentioning.

The neighbouring family has a small child (Polish people), and there are several families down the road with children (a mix of English, Asian and Caribbean ancestry).

London is very safe in general terms (believe me, I know about this, look where I come from) but the expectations of British people about what is safe seem to be quite unrealistic when it comes to London, an agglomeration of 8million people.

Also many desirable places are not neatly segregated by income, and will have right around the corner social housing, which in cases has antisocial elements, but is by no means a generalized issue.

Another place I always recommend is North Greenwich, but there your money may not go as far. I am letting a small 2 bed flat there for 1100, so a bigger flat, suitable for a family, will be at the more expensive end of your budget (North Greenwich has a primary school, but I don't know about secondary ones).

[lynn]

Originally Posted by jlms

There are lots (and I mean lots) of families with young children in Wandsworth, depending where you are you can commute to Victoria, Waterloo or London Bridge if you are in the Easternmost part of the borough.

The house where I live (10 min walk to train station and then 18 min train ride to Victoria) used to be occupied by a family with 2 young children, and they left only because the husband had to commute out of London every day (which as anybody that drives in London knows, would have been a nightmare), it is in Zone 3 and I reckon you could manage to rent such a place in the budget you are mentioning.

The neighbouring family has a small child (Polish people), and there are several families down the road with children (a mix of English, Asian and Caribbean ancestry).

London is very safe in general terms (believe me, I know about this, look where I come from) but the expectations of British people about what is safe seem to be quite unrealistic when it comes to London, an agglomeration of 8million people.

Also many desirable places are not neatly segregated by income, and will have right around the corner social housing, which in cases has antisocial elements, but is by no means a generalized issue.

Another place I always recommend is North Greenwich, but there your money may not go as far. I am letting a small 2 bed flat there for 1100, so a bigger flat, suitable for a family, will be at the more expensive end of your budget (North Greenwich has a primary school, but I don't know about secondary ones).

Wandsworth is a great borough, and primary education is good in places... but I'd be very wary of secondary education there... I lived in Balham (in Wandsworth borough) and moved out when my eldest transfered to secondary because the schooling was so bad.

[jojo]

Originally Posted by lynn

Wandsworth is a great borough, and primary education is good in places... but I'd be very wary of secondary education there... I lived in Balham (in Wandsworth borough) and moved out when my eldest transfered to secondary because the schooling was so bad.

My niece used to work in a primary school in Balham and didnt have anything good to say about it at all and couldnt wait to leave. I dont know which one it was tho - sorry

Jo xxx

[Joppa]

Originally Posted by jojo

My niece used to work in a primary school in Balham and didnt have anything good to say about it at all and couldnt wait to leave. I dont know which one it was tho - sorry

Jo xxx

Granted there is danger in generalisation, but it's usually true to say that the closer you are to Central London, the worse the provision for local state schools. Those who choose to live centrally have to accept either sub-standard schools (because a few good ones are oversubscribed) or go for private education (high fees). That's one of the reasons why families with school-age children often live in the suburbs and commute in - balancing longer and more expensive commute with better living environment and good local schools.

[lifexplorer]

We're living in Nottingham as well, and in almost the exact same position... only one child, but plan on having another in a couple of years and looking for at least 3 bedroom in a similar budget rate (probably around £1,500/month). Guessing you're thinking of living in Bridgfod? My partner doesn't want to sacrifice much in the way of school standards and community - and finding that comparably in London is tough!

Anyone have any thoughts on St. Albans? It's outside of London, but the commuting links are great, having been there to visit it seems family friendly, yet lively... would £1,500 get your a decent 3-4 bedroom house near a good catchment area though?

Cheers!

[nyclon]

Originally Posted by lifexplorer

Anyone have any thoughts on St. Albans? It's outside of London, but the commuting links are great, having been there to visit it seems family friendly, yet lively... would £1,500 get your a decent 3-4 bedroom house near a good catchment area though?

Because of it's excellent commuting links to London, St. Albans is a very desirable place to live and while you will get more for your money than you do in London as far as housing, 3 bedrooms at £1500/month might be be possible but difficult and 4 bedrooms is extremely unlikely. See the link for an idea of rental prices:

Property To Rent | Houses & Flats To Rent Or Let | Primelocation