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!!!

I LOVE talking about property/areas etc - I should be an estate agent!

Is no-one else that Oxford and Brighton are now considered "outer London"?

Oxford yes MrsT but not Brighton - thats normal commuterville from London now.

I live in Bromley between Bromley North and Sundridge Park stations and, as others have said, it's great for commuting to London Bridge - takes me less than an hour door to door including walks and changing at Grove Park.

Also how you can refer to the town centre as a "dump" I have no idea. Yes it is suffering the effects of the recession with shops closing down which never looks pretty but I don't think that is just Bromley. Since having DD, I noticed we lack a big and pleasant park in the immediate area where I live (like, say, Greenwich Park or Crystal Palace Park) but if I walk into the centre of Bromley the gardens behind the library and theatre are lovely with a small duck pond and a couple of playgrounds for children - swings/slides etc. Yesterday there were loads of families in there enjoying a little bit of sun.

And I reckon you could get a smallish three bed for £250-ish if you look in the right parts of Bromley, though it may not have much character.

Anyway, looks like you want to live further away. I have friends in Tunbridge Wells/Pembury/Marden and they are all lovely areas and I think properties do seem to be cheaper than Bromley. Good schools too. Transport into London takes about an hour I think and is obviously a lot more expensive but you have the countryside to enjoy....

Crystal Palace! £250k will get you a good-sized flat with a garden, and there are lots of great restaurants, cafes, and a bloody great big park with dinosaurs for the kids. No idea about schools, but transport's great, too, especially now that the Overground extension has come down here.

what about something like this?

Watford. For people who can't afford St Albans 15 mins down the road . Looking at your first post:

Two state grammars (a boys' and a girls'). Other very good secondary schools - eg Parmiters and primaries (eg Nascot Wood, Knutsford)

20 mins fast frequent trains from Watford Junction into Euston. Also has two other lines (Watford North and Watford High St), and the Metropolitan line (although you'd use the train to commute into London).

Big shopping centre with John Lewis etc etc (Harlequin).

Lovely huge park. Very close to lots of lovely countryside for country walks.

You could get somewhere for £250k.

Big hospital with A&E. Plenty of doctors / dentists.

Perfectly respectable working people (eg me !)

Next to M1 and M25.

In fact you should move here tomorrow.

PlentyofPrimroses - I'm sorry but Plumstead is pretty awful and hardly any good schools. We live in the 'nice' part (on top of Shooters Hill) and there's an 'outstanding' primary school near us but it's one class intake of 30 and because it's CoE, all the parents go to church to get in. The other primaries are fairly shocking though there's probably 1/2 that's pretty decent but you have to live pretty near it. The transport links aren't great either - the areas near the stations are pretty awful so you either live a bit further away, then have to rely on buses or live close to the stations and put up with a pretty awful neighbourhood. We are moving because of the lack of choices for primary schools and transport links. You can get some decent houses for £250k though!

As lovely as that Plumstead house is - there IS a reason why that area is so reasonable.

Our mates live right next to Plumstead, and we stayed with them for 6 weeks in between houses. It's a terrible area, IIRC there were two stabbings there in the time that we were there.

LOL at valiumredhead - Any reason I have not mentioned? To be fair, I've loved living here (but then again, we are in the 'nice' bit) as there are lots of great stuff for small kiddies but I don't want my boys to grow up here once they get to school age...

I was trying to be polite not get flamed angel

A little further afield..

Rugby.

One the west coast mainline, and 50(ish) minutes to Euston with Virgin. The train isnt cheap, but is fairly reliable, and a quick hop on the tube, to be in london bridge.

Housing most definitely in your bracket, and all the mod-cons of a market town. With countryside a-plenty within 10 minutes

Oh, and most definitely not London.

U

A friend of mine used to call Plumstead 'Slumstead' - I thought it was great.

Disclaimer I live officially in Plumstead so I can slag criticise constructively!

A police escort for no reason because you wandered onto some estate? Sorry but I call BS on this one Happiestblond. Sorry.

Yeah me too capricon - I used to shop in Peckham all the time - no problems.

"brockley, honor oak, crofton park, forest hill are all lovely."
No they are not I lived in Sydenham and Gypsy Hill and no way would I live in those areas now. Both my mum and sister have moved out as well. My sister lived in Forest Hill at one time.

Live in Cheshunt now on the borders of London. You would just about get a 3 bed here for 250,000. Some of the schools aren't bad and we are in the middle of the Lea Valley park and 20 minutes into Liverpool Street.

oranges123 - I think we must live very close to each other! I am in exactly the area you describe! And I like it here too . We moved from Beckenham just under a year ago and I never want to move and unpack more boxes again!

Have a look at this

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-18068820.html

U

Lol at whoever suggested Plumstead!!!! Fucking hell!!

I'm getting a bit of stick on here for having a moan about south London, but please understand that I am not a born and bred, North Londoner just being a snob about South of the river. I was born in Greenwich, all my family are from South London.

Apologies to the Bromley crew, who I appear to have outraged. I don't like Bromley and I stand by my opinion that it is very overpriced for what you are getting, however I will retract calling it a 'dump' Lol!!!! Take heart that you must all be very middle class to afford to live there, blah blah blah....

I'm always on Right Move, like I imagine many others of you are on here, so I'm gonna get on there and start having a look at some of your suggestions.

Thanks for all your help!

I had a chuckle at Plumstead too! I've had the dubious pleasure of living there and my family still does.
You do meet a "special" kind of person there though (... thinks back to last visit featuring the lady doing rave dancing on the high street to the music in her head or the woman who wanders up the high street with knickers on her head).

well, I like plumstead - lots and lots of green space, access to the bexley grammar schools if your DC are frightfully bright and some 'outstanding' comprehensive schools (DS is at one) ... transport links are improving - Woolwich has DLR now and will be getting crossrail soon.

It looks a lot rougher than it is, IME. I used to live in Hither Green and there were fairly regular shootings in the area - feels much safer here (although the guy on the Plumsteadshire blog has had three brooms stolen recently ). According to that police crime map it compares favourably with Brockley or Hither Green. I live in a 'nice' part too - on the common - which is within easy walking distance of the station.

A comedienne at our local comedy club (yes, we have a comedy club) summed it up well when she described Plumstead as 'rough as fuck, but really quite charming'

It's up-and-coming*, I tell ya!

*i.e. you are very unlikely to find yourself in negative equity.

Is the rave-dancing lady the one who wears lurid leggings and big headphones? I quite like her - more than I liked the row of glue-sniffers at Hither Green bus stop, anyway

To be fair to Slumstead Plumstead, I have met some of the nicest mummy friends in play groups there. I can never understand when people complain about play groups cos I have been to some really nice ones. I will be truly sorry to be leaving them behind when we move!

PlentyofPrimroses I wonder if we have come across each other before... I've been invited to the comedy club plenty of times but not really my cup of tea but do know many of the Plummy mummies who go!