American family moving to London with 3 little kids...

[Arty3542]

Hello all!

I have no idea where to post this... My husband and I might relocate to London at the beginning of next year. He has a job opportunity in Covent Garden. Our kids are 6, 4 and 2 years old. We will be moving from the NYC area. We are very excited but I'm very nervous at the same time. I'm so worried about being isolated and lonely.

Which area is best for American Expats? Do we try for a church/Christian school? Do we attempt to apply to the American School? I heard this is very hard to get into. Will we be in for a culture shock? Do you think it will be easy to make friends with people? Only asking because a couple people told me it's very hard to make friends, the British keep to their own. I didn't know what to say to that and thought it was a bit silly.

AIBU? ;)

Thank you in advance!

I'm not sure the entire British middle class do go skiing.🤔

Nobody l know ever goes skiing...

Why wouldn't you move in the summer? That seems far more logical (long settling in period, nice weather, no partial school years).

American schools are a bit behind their UK counterparts but I wouldn't worry about that because your children are very young. If you really have your heart set on ASL call them tomorrow!

You could also check American Community School (ACS) Cobham which is in Surrey (you mentioned that a bit upthread).

Ok, yes, you're right. My oldest is turning 6 soon and is going into first grade in the Fall. She is in Kindergarten now(Year 1). If we move in the spring of next year, she will be in 1st grade here(year 2). And ofcourse, if we move over the summer, she will be going into Year 3. Our middle child is 2 years behind her.

Ugh, I'm wondering if we should move this summer just to get the kids acclimated but I know we're late in the game as far as school placements and such. But moving so quickly will throw me for a loop! Yikes.

Sorry I haven't read the full thread, so apologies if I am doubling up here. Covent Garden is a very easy walk from (London) Charing Cross Station. A lot of SE London and Kent have trains going in to this station. I didn't drive and lived in zone 5 and had no real problems. Agree that Blackheath / Greenwich would be a good location for you.

Also the weather in NYC is more extreme than in London. We get more rain than you but our summer is less humid and normally our winters more manageable (though you had a milder one than us this year!) In general though, the temperatures are similar. I don't think you'd find it too much of a problem. Also you can get flights to NY business class with BA from City and I think Gatwick have midweek flights too, though far fewer.

Oh yes. Buy decent umbrellas

OP- "Autumn", "mathS" and "acclimatised" if you please- you need to start practising if you are going to be one of us .

Ha, thank you! The temperatures are pretty extreme here. It can get so hot during the summer.

My husband's office will be between the Liverpool and Aldgate stations. However, he did mention that the company's two offices could merge into one space, their office closer to Mayfair. Might not happen for awhile though...

Someone on this thread mentioned being close to Heathrow Airport might be good. He will need to travel to NYC once every 5 or 6 weeks.

OP I'm a Brit who has never lived anywhere else other than a school year in Paris, but I have found all this fascinating. I think you will get on just fine in London

About 8 years ago I picked up a book in NYC that was written by an American columnist married to a Brit and who relocated to London. It's called the Anglo Files by Sarah Lyall. It's not wholly accurate (speaking as one who has the inside track) and it will be a bit out of date now, but it was a very entertaining and informative read for you. Worth seeing if you can track down a copy.

Good luck with your move if you go ahead, I hope you will all be happy here.

I absolutely will shout again about SE London. The City - NY airport route is just the best, especially for needing to go straight into the office. The South Eastern train service gets lots of complaints but in general they get you to central London very easily (Victoria, Charing Cross for Mayfair or Covent Garden, Cannon Street, London Bridge and Blackfriars for locations across the City). Most rail stations will get you to 2 or 3 of these options. My husband works in Bishopsgate, past Liverpool St and commutes into Cannon St. I would also disagree with a pp about the tube being quicker than the train. As long as you don't miss your train, commutes are comparable. Where I lived in Beckenham, at a Zone 5 station I could be at London Bridge in 20mins and 17mins from the other station near to me into Victoria.

How about an Adrian mole style converter is
Fries - chips
Chips - crisps
Cookies - biscuits
Trunk - boot
Boot - wellies

I'm out of ideas now, but you get the gist....

If someone calls you a silly sausage, they mean it affectionately. Not the same as a wiener!

The one golden rule is standing on the right on tube escalators. Do that & you'll be ok

Actually there are two golden rules. The other one is don't get to the top of the escalator and stop dead to check your phone to see where you are and what tube line you need next. People will just barge past.

Good point ZsaZsa. In London DONT stop dead anywhere! Londoners walk fast and will barge in to you or tut loudly. Neither are done maliciously. It's like fish swimming in a schoal. If you need to check your phone or map step aside!

If you can move in the summer it would be better. Moving here in winter is probably guaranteed to depress you !! But seriously, if you can start the kids in school for the new school year in September it may be easier for them to slot in. Also if you arrive when the weather has a chance of being reasonable you will be able to explore more easily. If your DH's work can be sorted out in time, I would make a push to move asap. We packed up and moved abroad with 3 weeks notice when DS was 5. It can be done and sometimes it's better just to get on with it. Less time to panic!

Another vote for Crystal Palace; easy commute to Whitechapel and Victoria (not too far from Mayfair), lots of green space, bars and restaurants, and generally a really nice, neighbourly feel. Property ranges from Victorian to new build, and your money will go a long way. You shouldn't

oops... you shouldn't need a car, but if you do, traffic tends not to be too bad compared to some areas.

Good point, ZsaZsa. Also, I imagine it's the same on the NY underground but if you need to stop & look for your ticket, do it BEFORE you get to the gate, because there will be a flow of people going through at speed.

Buses might be a bit confusing because some allow you to get on through the middle doors & some don't. Easiest to say if in doubt, get on at the front.

If you're lost or confused on the Underground though, someone will always stop & offer to help.

Fwiw: I work in the city and often go from St. John's Wood to Baker Street to change to easily get the met line to Liverpool st or Aldgate. Takes me around 30mins. Getting to Heathrow is also easy as Paddington is not far and then again to city airport on the jubilee one.

I still struggle with "boot" of the car, am forever calling it the trunk and being corrected by my dcs.

OP - just a note, schools here are only off for 6 wks in the summer, not 3 months like most US schools. So "summer holidays" mid July to end of August.

Slightly off topic but those in London (as I'm moving there soon), can you tell me about these blue signs someone mentioned that allow you to park on the pavement? (sidewalk) Or am I losing the plot and utterly misunderstood? Parking is pretty scarce where I'm moving, and I'm planning on getting rid of the car within 6 months (hopefully), but in the meantime, need to park it. And can I just park on the street and leave it there for weeks if I'm not using it? (legally parked, I mean, just not driving it anywhere). I know it's not a huge issue where I'm at currently, but wasn't sure if things were different as parking is such a huge issue.

Ginger, I think this is the sign you mean. Generally, you can't park on the pavement in London, unless there are specific signs allowing it. Here's a link that might help... www.parkingfinesandlines.com/ContraventionZone/Code62.aspx

Goring - thanks for that. I didn't realise you could park on the pavement elsewhere in the country without that sign!

Never, no, I didn't know that, though it's probably as well to check another site or two just to be certain - I'm not sure I'd risk doing it in Birmingham or another big city based on that one site.

Op

What areas of New York do you live in or would you like to live in - then we could match you to areas in London!

Like park slope = wandsworth/ nappy valley
Upper west side = hampstead

Yes gingerivy, as long as the car is parked legally and is fully taxed you can leave it parked in the street as long as you like. However beware that a lot of street parking in London will need a residents' permit or will be restricted for certain hours of the day.