To think affordable AND pleasant areas do not exist in outer London area?

[CJ2010]

I currently live on the SE London / Kent border and have had enough of it. Area is rapidly declining and the train service into London isn't great. We have a DD (1 year) and another DC on the way, so we plan to do our move in the next year or so, before we have to start worrying about schools etc.

Where we currently live, it feels like you are in the minority if you actually go to work, lots of layabouts round here & it's just generally declining. I want to live amongst respectable working people. Where is this place???!!!

Things to consider:

1. We can afford to go up to 250k for a property.

1. Need a good train service into London - DP uses London Bridge station. Plus, no more than 1 hour commute each way.

1. Good schools

1. Pleasant environment, nice people, good selection of shops and cafes, parks & green space.

1. Hospital with A & e nearby, plus a number of good doctors sugeries and dentists.

I would be really grateful for suggestions, then I can begin to work on my escape plan!

Before anyone suggests St Albans or Richmond - we can't afford them!!!

No it doesn't Noway, I just meant you do have top account for travel when moving out. I was pretty horrified at how much a year travel was even just half an hour out of London.

Know what you mean - £4k from where we are now!! (thankfully neither of us commute there any longer!)

Bexley? but it sounds like you already live either here or in Bromley :)
The best thing about Bexley is they still have the 11 plus so you've got a shot at a grammar school education if your children are bright.

Also lots of green space, not a bad commute, locals a bit perma tanned but generally OK.

I think this is all subjective anyway, I've lived in Hither Green and now live in the borough of Bexley. I thought Hither Green was nothing special and much prefer where I live now but I bet there are just as many people who think where I live now is crap :)

IMO part from a niceish park HG is nothing special mousema - but there is a VERY good primary school there and you pay up to £30k more on a house if it's in catchment.

Apart!

Agree with valium and charlotte. As I said 3 pages back, no way will you get a family property in a niceish area of Brockley for £250k. Dream world time everyone!! Anyway, seems OP doesn't give a shit anyhow...

Forest hill is great. There's loads to do with children. The Horniman, about 4 or 5 big parks in walking distance, plenty of groups and activities.

Here's a 3 bed house (horrid decor but the house itself is sweet) for 299 www.kfh.co.uk/residential/houses-for-sale/london-sydenham-se26-halifax-street/2061773/

Redhill, surrey has everything on your list.

Horsham, Epsom, Cheam, Sutton would also be worth looking at.

Agree with Forest Hill and Dulwich. Would also suggest Herne Hill and Crystal Palace. I currently live in West Norwood which is known for being a bit rough, but I've never had any problems whatsoever, and it's in a great location with some beatiful (and cheap) properties and seems to be on the up.

Going a bit further out, I lived in Bickley (one stop from Bromley South) for a while a couple of years ago, was lovely but probably pricey. Bromley itself is great too, but expensive I think.

Even further out, Wickford, Billericay are worth considering. I grew up round there and find it nice but interminably dull but you might disagree!

Another Vote for Oxford, it's lovely

For those of you suggesting Brockley and surrounding areas. You may feel very differently about them once your DCs are teenagers, particularly if you have boys.

There are teenage gang problems in the borough, which are not entirely under control, despite best efforts by the police

Is there a 4-bed house, for £250,000, in Dulwich, Mackerel?

May I have it, please?

I will settle for the Herne Hill one, however.

I rather think I'll need a time-machine for those prices+locations.

My mum lived in Sevenoaks for a while. There and Tonbridge both have good trainlines into London Bridge (25mins ish from 7oaks) and they're both pretty nice. Sevenoaks might be a bit pricey though.

Thanks for all your suggestions - I want to avoid Sarf London, so no Brockley or Eltham, thanks!!

To those suggesting Welling /Sidcup im very near to those areas and this is the area we want to escape from!! I've grown up round here all my life and can sadly see the decline. London Borough of Bexley, where I am now, used to be 'Kent' but it has now been swallowed up by 'London'. I wouldn't mind this, but I don't live in 'London' I dont feel I get the benefits of London, even tho I have to pay for the olympics etc...

I s'pose what I am trying to say is, I want to move into a county surrounding London, but actually live in the county, not the London bit of it, if that makes sense. i.e Gants Hill is in Essex but it's classed as 'East London' and is on the tube line. Want to avoid a tube commute!!

Anyone know what Horsham is like? People have recommended it to me.

animula sorry, just checked RightMove and you're right, that was a bit unrealistic. (I rent, see, bit clueless about this house price malarkey).

I can't even afford to rent in Herne Hill/Dulwich so I guess it figures the house are expensive to buy too.

Bromley is an overpriced dump! Sorry to anyone that lives there, but it's so overated. Altho it does have a good train service.

I think this is what annoys me, all of us that live in the South East, have to compromise so much. Unless you have loads of money, you have to make really diffciult decisions and you have to spend a lot of money just to live near a station. If you are lucky enough to earn over 100k, you may even be able to afford a house with a driveway!!

Personally, I love Greenwich & Blackheath, however im not rich enough to live there and altho these places are full of great shops/ restaurants, lovely park, great public transport, you still get a load of crazy, mad people walking about drugged up, pissed or aggressive. I've noticed that a lot esp in Greenwich. I wouldn't want to bring my children up in London. It's a brilliant city, but I want to raise my kids in a relatively safe and dare I say, dull environment. If they crave excitement, they can go live in London when they are older.

Haven't read all the thread, but if you need to be close to a train line that goes to London Bridge station, have a look at the areas around the stations that are on the Hayes (Kent) line.

Beckenham, West Wickham and Hayes are all nice. Hayes is cheaper than West Wickham and West Wickham is cheaper than Beckenham.

I live in Bromley, and there are parts of Bromley that aren't expensive. Lots of green space, all the amenities too. Bromley North station links into Grove Park amd there are loads of London Bridge trains from Grove Park.

CJ2010 Thanks for desribing Bromley (where I live) as 'an overpriced dump'. There are absolutely lovely areas in Bromley (its a huge borough and a big town). There are lovely parks, good shops, excellent schools and good transport facilities within an easy walk of my house, and I am very happy living there. We have good neighbours and live in a nice quiet road.

I'm so glad I replied to your thread.

HappyasIam- Just to be clear, I am referring to Bromley town centre, not the whole borough.

I've always found Bromley to be quite rough and the parking there is awful. Do you honestly think it justifies such high property prices?

Chislehurst I would say yes, I think it's lovely but Bromley, NO!!

Am slightly offended by your "Bromley is an overpriced dump" comment. It's not. It's a nice suburban borough with good schools, good transport links and reasonably-priced houses. Like HappyAsIAM says there are lots of options.

We live in Petts Wood, near Orpington. We bought our pretty large, 3/4 bedroom (3 beds upstairs and a study/spare room downstairs) house for £290,000. We live round the corner from one of the best primary schools in the borough, and actually had a choice of four brilliant primaries. We're also close to good secondaries. It's 21 minutes on the train to London Bridge. We have a driveway. There is a park a couple of mins away. Good shops, nice people, etc etc. Seems to tick all your boxes really.

CJ2010 - yes, I am talking abut Bromley town centre. The area just north (north east?) of that, Sundridge Park, is really nice. Take a look and see what you think. It takes about 8 minutes for me to walk into Bromley town centre, but you'd never think we were tahat close - not much traffic on our road, residents parking, very quiet.

I would agree with Ashford.Although town centre not great ,its so easy to get to the coast. Good primary schools depending which area you live in. Also good doctors and dentists.

Mousesma posted about others areas outside of Bexley not having an 11 plus - do other counties not have grammar schools?

What happens to all the really bright kids? I don't know why I am feeling outraged at this as I attended a local comprehensive and received a good education, but I would like to think that if my DC's are clever enough to pass the 11 plus, I would like them to attend a grammar school. It's not me being a snob, it's just that I think the kids will thrive being surrounded by other equally clever children.

I can't really explain my resoning behind this, as I feel that all children, of all abilities, deserve equal opportunities and a lot of kids really come into their own at a later stage in their education. I failed my 11 plus, but I did really well in my exams.

What sort of secondary schools do other counties have then? I've heard of Academies, is this the new type of school that caters for everybody?