Do I really need a garden?

[sameyeam]

Give it to me straight....I'm moving to Lovely London...

But as a pessimistic New Yorker who has watched too many British films with endless mist and rain...

Do I really need a garden if my 3 girls are going to just watch by the window longingly for Mr. Sun to come out? Or for the Cat in the Hat to come and entertain them.

I truly want a garden, but will they ever be able to use it? Should I invest in a Wellington company instead?

You need some outside space with 3 children. London weather (regardless of the impression given by the motion picture industry ) does not consist of pea soup fog, endless mist and rain and chilling cold. It is far drier than, say, Seattle.

But it can be baking hot in summer with high humidity and I'd not want to be stuck inside with only public places available as an alternative. The Tube is deeply unpleasant in summer too so, for your own sanity, a little bit of personal outside space is essential.

Oh yes the cat in the hat...always lurking in my garden. Wtf.

I wish we had a garden. We only have a small yard. The park is only over the road, but the children are far too small to go there on their own.

Get a garden. England is actually very nice, and contrary to popular opinion, doesn't piss down all the time! That's Wales

You know when people dismiss Americans for being dim....and we all stand up for them and say "oh no its the media that portray them as such clueless feckers...they can be very culturally aware"

Sometimes one comes along and proves us wrong. Some really are that dim.

Thanks for all the feedback.

We are moving from NY...no garden, parks only, 3 kids 5, 3, 1. Hubbie needs to be close to St. Pancras and I need to be close enough to Hampstead as I am putting our first in a private school there. Only because, the State says they can't guarantee us a place at a school close to our home. That's a whole 'nother complaint...but, I back to the main issues of rain and gardens.

I understand that it rains more in NY...yes, we get floods and heavy rain all day, but I think we have more sunny days over all. In London, it's a bit more, grey (gray). I am all for them playing in the mist, just not the pouring rain like it is here...a kid could get swept away. Have you seen the infrastructure in NY?!

Hampstead is such major money, the Heath is there, but like posters said, I have to go, and I rather lock my kids in my yard and do the cleaning etc. So, where can I live as close as possible to Hampstead (for her school) while still getting a small garden? I do love vegetable gardens and have one at my mom's house in the summer.

I saw Muswell Hill was a bit better, but still pricey. I am willing to have them share rooms to get a garden.

Remember, walking is best for me because non of you nice UK ladies really want me driving on the (right) side of the road. :)

And one more question, no air conditioning in houses? Is that the norm?
Is London humid or more hot like desert (California)?

The US is so over air conditioned...sucking up and using oil everyday... (yet another post)

Thanks,
Sameyeam

Oh, and thanks, Coraltoes, I appreciate you not standing up for me, this time.

I thought this posting area was for people with a decent sense of humor...?

But, I forgot, the Brits don't have that. All proper and cold-prickly.

Come on, it's a joke...I just want to know if it's misty/overcast a majority of the time. My husband grew up in London and said it was...I thought I would get better feedback from MN, not a complaint about how dimwitted I am.

I guess sarcasm doesn't travel well over the Boards.

And just in case you thought my comment about Brits being humorless was a bash, let me remind you that I married a Brit, and his BEST trait is his humor.

Go easy. Just seeking some advice. Sheesh!

It almost never "pours" in London, a few times a year at most, generally you either get a day of persistent drizzle, or a pretty clear day, with either sun or high cloud. If you're happy them playing in mist, they'll be able to play out probably 350+ days a year.

It's simply not hot enough for air conditioning on all but a few days a year, and very rarely is it ever hot and humid, to get the hot temps we need dry systems generally. It also means no forced air heating, but radiators which are different, but equally it's very rarely as cold for any length of time.

coraltoes - maybe the 'cat in the hat' comment was what's is kniwn as a joke??? Why be so rude?
Sameyeam - air con is a very unusual in the uk (except in shops/modern offices)
Definately have a garden if you can afford it but be near a park if not.

Good luck with house hunting!

West hampstead, Belsize park, frognal, Swiss cottage. Try those. Close enough to hampstead by foot or tube or bus and a touch cheaper. More likely to get a garden there. Crouch end also great for families.

IMO hampstead is all American expats...so not really London anymore. Lovely Heath though. Shame about the brats in carluccios.

I forgot highgate, possibly the loveliest bit of north London.

Houses almost never have aircon. Offices often do. But there's really no need for it in England since the heat is rarely hot enough or prolonged enough to warrant it.

Also, and I don't know whether this is a British Thing, we tend to dislike the effects of air conditioning and are rather suspicious of how healthy it is to exist in an atmosphere of artificial cold. So in summer, while people might buy portable aircon units if it gets really, really hot, we tend to open windows instead!

The heat in London is humid rather than Californian. It is never desert-like. Typically, a heatwave starts with a few bright clear days which are followed by a series of increasingly muggy hot days and the whole thing concludes with a thunderstorm. Although our thunderstorms are not as exciting as those in the US.

British weather is much less predictable than that in the US. I'm always amazed at the accuracy of weather forecasting in the States - even in the Pacific Northwest where rain is a daily expectation, it arrives pretty much when predicted. Over here, we have something called "changeable" which can mean anything really. Also, it is quite commonplace to get whatever was predicted when it wasn't actually predicted. If that makes sense.

If you live in NYC you'll have experienced more extreme weather than in the UK. If your DC coped with that they'll be fine in the UK, which is more like a monochrome 18 degrees for 75% of the year rather than either boiling hot or freezing cold, which is my experience of NYC

I'd get a house with a garden if I were you, assuming you can afford it if only because you'll probably get more peace that way

Crouch end is lovely. I'd live there if I were you.

It really, really, really depends on how much you have to spend. Muswell Hill, Crouch End etc are lovely but outside most people's price range IMO. Highgate is gorgeous but you'd need to be a millionaire. East Finchley or the nicer end of Haringey (ie next to Muswell Hill) are slightly more affordable.

Yes, agree that drizzle rather than downpours and the extremes aren't quite in the same league!

Ignore the rude posters, OP

East Finchley...good recommendation. I would love Muswell, Crouch End or Highgate. I have seen them, and yes, a bit pricey. Always worth a check. Glad to hear the extremes aren't as bad as NY. I do love the thunderstorms, but am not a fan of the a/c as well. I have always thought the UK as a much more progressive place when it comes to health in all areas. Something I am very glad to be part of...even if it's a little drizzly now and then. :) Off I go to get a house with a garden. Hopefully, I win the lottery, Megamillions this evening (you guys have that?) and can buy a big mansion in Highgate. But then, with all that cash, I might just live outside the city, get a really big garden and then the other half won't have to make it to St. Pancras. I can dream. Thanks, Ladies.

Good luck and just try not to compare the two cities or assume anyone will "get" you. And brace yourself for the lack of sun, the difference is dramatic.