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 have to run but if you do an advanced search in the Property topic you will find tons of threads about specific areas. Fewer about the really pricey chic parts of London but Dulwich, Clapham/Balham, Greenwich/Blackheath are all covered fairly regularly.
You can also post in the education threads about specific schools or areas and get feedback from locals.

Beware snobbery about "zones". The City [aka the old financial district where your DH will work] is on the eastern side of Zone 1. So parts of Zone 3 might be closer and more accessible than Zone 2. Its all about the route to work and frequency of changes adding time.

This might be useful as a snapshot guide
www.homesandproperty.co.uk/area-guides/all-areaguides
www.homesandproperty.co.uk/area-guides/city-of-westminster-borough/st-johns-wood/living-in-st-johns-wood-area-guide-to-homes-schools-and-transport-links-33986.html

Looking at your posts, I don't know of any private schools in central London that charge £10k per child per year. The cheapest I can think of charges about £13k a year (based on a 6 year old - fees tend to increase with age).

I think hampstead/west hampstead/Belize park could be perfect. Loads of private schools so you'll have more choice, very green with hampstead Heath on your doorstep.

I think you need to drop your housing budget and up your schooling one instead. You can find a perfectly nice 4 bed for far less.

Ok, thank you all! We'll need to figure out how much to spend on housing and schooling. We plan to visit London for 6 nights. We hope that we're able to get everything done in that time frame. 😕

Good luck!

OP please ignore the rubbish on here about the weather. London has very little rain, being located on the eastern side of the country. Annual rainfall is usually less than 25 inches compared with NYC around 45 inches. The weather is however unpredictable which is why we spend a lot of time talking about it and sensible people carry an umbrella.

Hope you & your family have a wonderful time - London is an extraordinary city and you are very fortunate to be able to live there comfortably and enjoy everything it has to offer.

It's raining in London today :)

You sound like me, I don't enjoy driving (especially in London where drivers tend to be a bit aggressive) and prefer to walk everywhere.

Can I suggest Pimlico as a place to live- we're in zone 1 but it's lovely and residential and you can live alongside the River Thames or in one of the lovely white stucco fronted houses, some of which are on garden squares. It takes 15 minutes to walk to Westminster (Big Ben) and I can easily walk to St James'/Green park/Hyde park (within 20-30 minutes depending on route) or Battersea park is 20 minutes walk in the other direction. Covent garden takes about 30mins to walk or there is a very quiet direct bus that takes about 10-15mins depending on traffic. I can and do walk everywhere within zone 1 and walking along the river is lovely especially when the sun is out.

Schools wise as we're very close to Westminster Abbey and Westminster cathedral there are a lot of Church of England and Catholic schools nearby. Or if you are thinking about private schools, Hill House International is very popular and is based around Knightsbridge/ Chelsea area which is about 25 min walk.

I know I am biased (I've lived in London since I came to university) but it's wonderful to live in London. There is so much to do and see and I never fail to feel appreciative of what we get to see and experience every time I walk past Big Ben or along the Southbank (where the London Eye is) or when we take our kids to the science or natural history museums. And there are plenty of lovely people around that are more than happy to chat once they overcome their initial reserve. Good luck with your move!

It's not really rain, more a light drizzle...

When does your youngest turn 3? I'm not sure how it works for expats but presuming your husband will be taxed in the UK and be domiciled here then you will also get 15 hours per week nursery free of charge the term after your child turns 3. Many private schools with nurseries will accept the free hours which is a handy discount on your first year of schooling, or two if you have a summer born baby.

I was thinking about this last night - logic would say to head for the areas around the American school as aside from being a nice part of the world that you can afford, a reasonable commute etc there will be other American families around. But then I thought, if you don't send your kids to the school will you be outside that community [the fees are a shocker - £24k for nursery?] of folk for whom either the fees are affordable or whose employers subsidise?

Only way is to canvas opinion from other American's in London?

Just a thought but have you thought about using the state schools especially for primary. In year admissions are a pain but they do exist and some London schools are pretty damn good and depending on the area get a good cross section of society. It might be worth seeing a couple once you choose an area.

Ha, thanks! I do wonder about the weather but I think it will be OK. I take that it is more cloudy in London?
The temperature is more mild in the UK though. Here in the NorthEast of the U.S., the weather is very fickle. It could be freezing during the Winter, like 10 degrees Fahrenheit. And it can be very humid and hot during the summer, in the 90's.

Thank you, Citizen. I will look into the Pimlico area. And thank you for the encouragement!

We are open to the state schools. I think we're worried about finding a place in the zone as well as accepting all 3 children.

Our youngest will turn 3 next February. She won't be going to any program here this Fall.

Yes, TreadSofty, I'm wondering the same! If we don't send our kids to the American School, will we be "outsiders"? Maybe when we're over there for a visit, we'll talk to moms in the coffeeshops and possibly go to a mommy and me type meeting?

We plan to meet with a Relocation and Education Consultant. I will give them a list of the neighborhoods and schools that you all mentioned. :-)

Ah - in which case she will be eligible for her free hours after Easter, and can start at a school nursery in September 2017 while still technically 3. Most private [independent] schools will have a school nursery and a school place in Reception [the following year when school is compulsory] is pretty much dependent on attending the nursery.

State schools are different though - even if a child attends the nursery [direct application to the school] they still go back into the lottery for Reception places with everyone else [applications through the local government borough council] so it makes little odds if you choose a different nursery to use your "free hours" or don't use them at all.

Have you got all boys or girls or a mix? Ideally you will want a school where they can all attend together too.

Has anyone mentioned Kew yet?

We have American expat friends who have been here 2 years and are going back next week (sob) - I would say they have made laods of local friends. I think she would say that kew is a lovely place to live - very villagey, lots of ood schools (local public church of england school and plenty of private schools as well as a more "normal" school!). There's a tube station here with about a 40 minute journey into COvent Garden.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/find.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E13862&minPrice=3000&maxPrice=5000&minBedrooms=4&sortType=2&numberOfPropertiesPerPage=50

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-54172918.html

HIghest priced rental in Kew just now - 5 bed modern detached house by the river, swimming pool and gym on the estate. 10 minute walk to tube

Our very small school with 200 children had 22 nationalities represented at international day - it's London not Much Marcle on the Wallop!

My American friend managed without a car here in Kew

Kew is lovely (I lived in Richmond for 5 years) but the commute to Aldgate would take a loong time and also there is a lot of noise from the planes. Northwest or north London much better for city commutes

The planes are really low over Kew, I notice the noise when I'm over there.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-41681004.html

This was the house that got me thinking OP. It's on the doorstep [200m] of an undersubcribed Ofsted Outstanding Primary School. So basically a top performing state school. For it to be undersubscribed is unheard of in London. The next closest school is the American school.

So - outstanding yet undersubscribed implies to me at least that the majority of the local kids [v affluent area with possibly fewer families than other parts of London] go to private schools. The state school in question looks excellent though.

Kew to Aldgate is 40 mins plus walking time on either end. Lovely part of London but doesn't meet OP's current requirements.
georgeeliotschool.co.uk/

OP meet your DH's new favourite website :)
www.commutefrom.com/

On the South of the River - Clapham [Common area] Balham, Dulwich, Blackheath, Greenwich all meet your commute time requirements and have nice family size houses with good local state and independent schools. The key will be to rent somewhere which is definitely in catchment for a state school. Leafy suburbs with open space, cafe culture and some level of boutique shopping availability. You will get more bang for your buck than in North London which might be handy if you want an au pair or predict an influx of family or friends regularly.

Wow, that St Johns Wood house is great! Good find.👍🏻

I will send the commute website to my husband.

Thank you for the neighborhood recommendations!

I read it takes awhile to set-up services in the home, i.e. Cable, Internet, phone, ecc. Is this true? I could have misread.

There you go op, we found you a school

How about a house? Tell us what you want and I bet we'll find you one near the school!

Cable, Internet, phone, ecc

not more so than the US. I found both countries to be a little bit bad about it.

What will be handy is if you can bring an unlocked phone so you can immediately pop in a UK sim with data plan (you can do that the day of arrival), so phoning and logistics can be dealt with quickly. 3 has a plan that has roaming in the US. I find it incredibly handy when I visit family in the US (it's also good for much of Europe). Anything to do with mobile phones is much easier here.

London, indeed England is a wonderful place to live OP . London is probably the closest thing to NYC, outside the US, anywhere in the world - so you'll be fine. People are very friendly, humorous, convivial and neighbourly on the whole. You could be years discovering London, it's places of historic interest etc. It's huge, ancient and jam packed with history and character.

I came here as a 6 year old from rural Italy and apart from a year in Rome as a student, I wouldn't/couldn't live anywhere else.

I understand entirely it must feel daunting for you, moving all the way across the pond. But if I may offer my thoughts coming from my own experience? London is an incredibly multi-cultural city and you will find a community of every nationality here – from Portuguese to Korean. Nigerian to Peruvian. As you know, there is a considerable American community too.

My ex partner of many years and the father of my 2 daughters, is French. He has lived here 30 years and all that time, purposely kept a respectful distance from the French community here in London (possibly the largest of all non – British born communities). Indeed we had French friends who had lived here for many years, for whom I was the only English person they knew. Their children went to the French Lycée, did sports in French clubs. Socialised only with their fellow French, bought their school books and groceries from the exorbitantly priced French retail outlets in South Kensington and went to France for every school holiday. This meant that London and Londoners for them always remained a somewhat foreign place and species, that they never felt a part of, or really got to know. Their children, in the main, didn't have any English friends, rarely even encountered English people and didn't feel particularly at home here either, despite some of them having been born here. London went completely undiscovered for them. Very rarely did they venture anywhere in London let alone the rest of the UK (which is wonderful too), or beyond their French 'bubble' of friends and South Kensington.

This would be a great shame and a missed opportunity for any family in my opinion. To grow up in London always feeling somewhat an outsider. London being 'out there', so to speak, at arms length and something that goes on without your participation. I'm not suggesting for one moment that this is how you intend to live, but I think it might be a bit of a danger!

It goes without saying that your children's experience of being here will differ from your own, so my advice would be, if you are able, to live in an 'average' London area, where you will doubtlessly bump into Americans anyway. But somewhere where your children can mix with English children, (whom I'm sure will find them fascinating being American) make lasting friendships with them, so they can keep in touch with, visit them and have contacts here in later life. I think it would be life enhancing and mind broadening for them and you, to really immerse in this country whilst you are here. Plus yours will develop English accents which I believe is quite desirable in the USA?

Anyway Ive said far too much, I'm sure this has all been covered and I'm not telling you anything you don't already know .. So here's wishing you all the very best anyway... Best of luck, you'll love it here!!

Arty - assuming the house you rent already has gas, electric then you just phone up the company when you move in and give them the meter readings and say you will be the person paying from now on. No problem. Gas and electricity often come via the same company.

If you are lucky, you can do the same with the phone company (probably BT, possibly a cable or other provider), and the ISP (internet service provider) and any cable/satellite TV provider such as Virgin or Sky - they may provide 2 or 3 of phone, internet, and extra TV channels. However if the previous renters or landlord have terminated the contract they may charge a reconnection fee and faff about a lot. And if they've never provided that service to the property, there may be a lot of faffing and delay, all blamed on other companies. So vital to have your mobile phone!

If you watch live TV you will need a TV licence (about £100/year). There's also council tax which would be £130-200/month depending on your borough and size of your home. Water may be metered or a flat rate. It's easiest to set up direct debits for all your services, or standing orders if you don't trust them.