chiswick, wimbledon or clapham which is nicer

[rhubarb20]

have been house hunting for a while - mainly around the chiswick area though have recently started looking further afield due to a lack of stock on the market (looking for a 4-5 bed house). anyone got any views on the respective merits of each area?

[pinkdelight]

They're all pretty nice! The nice bits, at least. And Chiswick doesn't really have any not nice bits asfaik, whereas Wimbledon and Clapham are more mixed in places. What kind of budget are you looking at? Must be pretty big I'm guessing. If so, then you could still get the swish villagey feel from parts of Wimbledon (e.g. Wimbledon Village) and Clapham (eg Northcote Rd area, Nightingale triangle). I'd also look at Balham maybe, some lovely houses on the edges of the commons and you may get more for your money. All depends really, on what vibe you want and what kind of merits you're after. For me, some green space and more of a mix is appealing as some places can feel too nice, not Londony enough. But perhaps that's what you like?

[pinkdelight]

What about the Richmond/Teddington neck of the wood? Any reason you've gone south rather than further west?

[TheReturnoftheSmartArse]

It all depends on your budget, Rhubarb ...

Pricewise, I would think they're all similar (though I don't know for sure - I don't know Chiswick very well).

[meditrina]

Do you need to commute across London, and are schools a factor?

[1605]

How would you describe your family?

There's a certain 'type' in each of those areas, and it depends whether you want to live in a PLU environment or a more diverse one.

[2cats2many]

Chiswick is lovely, but the planes can be a bother. My vote would be for Wimbledon/raynes park.

[Rhubarbgarden]

I think Clapham is hugely overrated, personally. Wimbledon is nice. Chiswick's ok.

[likeatonneofbricks]

Chiswick is best imo. Wimbledon is big and not all of it is nice, the village is too small to stick to (not much there even though it's nice), and very expensive too. And far from the tube. Some other parts of W. are full of traffic.
Clapham is nice on the North side but hugely expensive, and again not great for tube. Northcote rd. is a good area, if you happy with the rail station instead.
Richmond is the worst regarding plane noise, Chiswick really isn;t bad around the High road.
To me other areas mentioned don't compare to chiswick for amenities. A couple of tube stations, buses, much quicker to get to the centre, Hammersmith, or Holland park/kensington. Kew gardens is not far. Quiet streets just off the high road. all of the possible (better) supermarkets on the long high street, lots of shops, many places to eat. River not far for long walks. Good mix of people too, quite relaxed. Wimbledon is good if your priority is big green wild-ish spaces, but the amenities all spread out and it's so busy/noisy around the tube station shops. Clapham lacks tube, or it's Northern line depending where you are, and I'm not a fan on the huge open common - prefer proper parks with trees.

[Devora]

I don't like Clapham at all, though the transport links are brilliant if you're near the station.

Wimbledon: good transport links, parts of it really nice, parts not so great.

Chiswick: absolutely lovely if you can afford to live right near the high street. (I love a good high street.) Too pricey for me.

[Yorkpud]

I would probably go for Chiswick. I think Blackheath is lovely too and would probably cost the same.

[betterwhenthesunshines]

Chiswick (but then I'm biased!) I think a lot might depend on the specific location you can get for your money. Cost in each area will vary hugely so you may have to make compromises.

It also depends on transport links - for me Wimbledon just feels too inaccessible.
If you've been looking in Chiswick, what about Ealing or Acton, poet's corner area?? You may also be swayed by schools in each area.

No substitute for long hours of estate agent leg work and many many house viewings...

[minipie]

"Clapham" is a massive area with very different bits so it depends which bit you mean.

The Northcote Road/"between the commons" area is most family friendly and villagey, tho also the most expensive. One end of that area is walkable to Clapham Junction, the other is walkable to Clapham South but there's a swathe in the middle which isn't easily walkable to either.

Clapham North and Clapham High St (between Clapham North and Clapham Common tube) are completely different, much more young to mid 20s than families, lots of flats and bars, Saturday nights are noisy.

Clapham Common Northside is more family oriented but not so great transport wise (though the west end is near Clapham Junction).

[Jeezimacasalinga]

Agree that Clapham is massive and diverse - but isn't northcote road/bw the commons actually Battersea? Nicest area of Clapham proper, for families, is probably Abbeville Village, which is far enough away from the young 'uns around Clapham Common tube and only a short walk to Clapham South tube. Nice big (although expensive) houses, lovely shops on Abbeville Road. Not much in the way of good state schools though, if that is important. I think someone mentioned Nightingale Triangle area - that's not Clapham either, but Balham. Very nice too though, and just short walk to Northcote Road/Bellevue Road on Wandsworth Common.

Good luck with your search, I have been there and know how tricky it is!

[1605]

You will get slightly more for your money in SW11, SW4, SW12 and SW18 than you will in Chiswick.

Houses and gardens tend to be bigger and the housing stock more recently modernised. The trade-off is the mindset. Not everyone can stomach the nappy valley vibe, even if they have children themselves.

Would you look at Barnes and Putney?

[minipie]

Oh, yes I forgot Abbeville area and Nightingale Triangle, both nice and cheaper than Northcote Road area. And the tiny area behind Bellevue Parade too, but trains rather than tube.

Jeezima well Northcote sits between Clapham South and Clapham Junction so I call it Clapham but plenty of room for debate

[minipie]

1605 I'm interested, isn't Chiswick just as nappy valley? How is it different?

[likeatonneofbricks]

sorry to butt in, but Chiswick is not a nappy valley, lots of single young profs living there (mostly renting) due to all the amenities on the doorstep, and great transport, and also older generation - those who owned houses there for a long time. It's a nice mix. Southfields is just not a patch whatsoever, it's tiny, and you've got big shopping centre on Garratt lane which is still a rough area and full of traffic fumes - you have to drive there. Chiswick just has everything there is one long High street, incl a a big supermarket, the street is quite busy but it's not resembling a motorway, feels safe, has a welcoming feel unlike Garratt lane.

Putney is ok, but I think it's more expensive in the nice parts of it, nearer the river or by East Putney tube, and the cheaper parts on the hill are miles away from tube. The high st is very crowded, slow moving traffic, and not so clean to put it mildly.

[likeatonneofbricks]

I also see Northcote as Clapham, to me Battersea starts past Clapham J. to the north. Battersea is also big and quite diverse in quality/prices of housing. Yoiu can buy ex-coucil houses/flats in Battersea very reasonably (and there is lots of them - always smth on rightmove) but anythig period and on leafy srteets is v.expensive now, though not much more than better parts of Chiswick due to the lack of tube.

[LillianGish]

Chiswick is great, but you get much more for your money in Ealing and it has much better transport links.

[spotty26]

I love Chiswick but am now Sarf of the river in Tooting but we hang out in Wimbledon Balham and Clapham most of the time because they are all so nice.

There is a big debate in the Northcote Road area to call it by its historical and proper (?) name of... Battersea. See below...

www.lovebattersea.org.uk/

It is all the fault of the Train Station being called Clapham Junction really.

Either way it is jolly nice around there but very very expensive. Come into the Northcote Road Antiques Market (like the Old Cinema but smaller and cheaper). I have a stall upstairs!

[EdithWeston]

If it's SW11 it's Battersea and if it's SW4 it's Clapham. An important difference, if you're looking at size of Council Tax bills!

[likeatonneofbricks]

spotty that's the point, it's round the corner from Clapham J. (Northcote rd) so it makes sense to think it's Clapham, but interesting re historic name. If you think that Battersea park rail station is miles away near Chelsea Brodge bordering Vauxhall almost, then it's hard to see Northcote as Battersea.
Thanks a lot for the tip about antiques market! Which end is it - easy to find? I love those, and will definitely come and have a look, didn't know there was one there! And you have a stall there - wow (can you pm me maybe which stall?). I'll be in the area next weekend so will have a look .

[spotty26]

Edith is bang on, Battersea is in Wandsworth Borough and Clapham is in Lambeth. Northcote Road and "between the commons" is Wandsworth Council.

The Antiques Market is number 155 Northcote Road at the Cath Kidston and Farrow and Ball end of Northcote Road (ie the opposite end to Clapham Junction).

My stall is upstairs (this bit is crucial as not everyone ventures up the stairs) and to the rear, over a little balcony bridge on the left. There are over 20 stallholders all with very different bits n bobs. Painted, mahogany, kitchenalia, midcentury ercol, penguin classics galore, clarice cliff etc. So really diverse and very good prices!

I will be there tomorrow til 2pm so say hello. I am holding a baby you cannot miss me. It is take your child to work day for me every day I am in there!

[1605]

Others have beaten me to it answering your questions.

You haven't told us whether you need schools, work journeys etc.

YY to Ealing and also, er, Acton. £!.5m will buy you 3500 square feet. You'll thank me when Crossrail comes.