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!

Wow, Vocational Goat.. this puts my mind at ease!! I find it amazing that areas outside of London are still walkable while being so close to the city. Here, it's entirely different as you know. In the suburbs, the space is bigger, the commute is longer, and nothing is really in walking distance.

Question... do you have a dryer for your laundry? Haha.

Plenty of Americans living in Surrey - if you want your children to slot back into the American education system you may want to look at ACS in Cobham or Egham, or TASIS which is near Staines IIRC (my info is from a few years back...) But you would need to drive in most parts of Surrey, though there are plenty of activities there and I'd move back to Surrey if I could afford it as that's where I grew up.

I will tell my husband about Chiswick! I'm so excited after reading all your responses! It's such a big move but I really feel that our children will benefit from living abroad.

I'll also tell him about Hampstead.

CruCru, we are presbyterian. :) And thank you for the links!

Have no fears about laundry, OP! Even tiny apartments tend to have their own washing machine - the dreaded apartment block laundry room is almost unknown here. A high end 8-10k apartment is 99% certain to have a dryer. Even if it doesn't, you can buy them for about $140.

You will have to get used to washing machines being front loaders though - no more adding that stray sock

Get a good street atlas, something like an A-Z of Greater London, so you can see where streets are in relation to Tube and rail stations when you're property searching. I expect someone has already linked to the Transport for London site, but you can use it to look up routes and journey times from different parts of London to your husband's prospective workplace.

Have to give a plug to the SE, which is my patch - Greenwich/Blackheath is very nice, with good train services to Charing Cross, which is walking distance to Covent Garden. Or your husband could even catch a riverbus from Greenwich to Charing X!

I love London. When you're settled, people here will have lots of suggestions for things to do. And as well as exploring London itself, you'll have good rail connections to lots of other places for days out or short breaks away.

Yes Chiswick is nice. And can use tube for work, bus and feet day to day.

However I would still suggest getting a car. It's not so much for day to day in London, but if your in England a few years it's easier to have a car to explore out of London. Things like going to the new forest, they can be done by train but a pain as stuck with no car on arrival. Or taking car to the beach for the day. Or driving to a castle/ stately home/ random place which can be neat public transport but often not or a hassle of Changing a few times.

My understanding is that all / nearly all "classic" English prep schools will be Christian (usually Church of England). Assemblies will include the singing of hymns and perhaps a reading from the bible - this will depend on the school though.

I don't live in central London OP, but in the suburbs so no advice as such but you will absolutely love London life. It's an amazing place to live and to raise children. You'll never be stick for something to do. Loads of leisure centres, so swimming, gym, tennis, badminton etc etc and are really cheap. Most museums are free to enjoy (usually they ask for a small donation as this is what helps maintain them and cover costs. Honestly, it's an amazing and beautiful city!

Hampstead/St John's Wood are very popular with expat Americans. Many new Yorkers gravitate towards Hampstead and St. John's Wood. Also Chelsea (and South Kensington). As others posters have said North London has an abundance of private (independent) schools and lots of American children go there. Heathside Prep is run by an American headmistress even (and a British one). Lovely school, though not overly academic by North London standards. It depends what you want though. The Hampstead Women's Club (and the St John's Wood one and Chelsea one) are usually good places to meet other expats (mostly American but not only) and make friends and get some guidance.

Lovely! This all sounds wonderful. Front loading washing machines works for us. ;)

I will get an atlas and look into SE.

So what are the cons to living in London? I know the weather can be rainy but I heard the temperature is pretty mild.

Does it take a while for things to be fixed in the home? Repair services? Plumbing etc?

What are the more artsy neighborhoods? Again we are a laidback family. We're not glitzy or anything. Though we do want a nice place and good schools. I guess everyone wants those though.

Thank you Grilled and Hampstead for the encouragement!

Thank you, thank you! I know, not sure if I will drive in London when we move there.
We love our dryer but maybe I'll do less laundry if I don't have one, lol!

Will check back soon!

OP I'm not sure where you'd find one but there may be a map about 'zones'. Londoners and those on the suburbs love our 'zones'! It basically relates to radius around the very centre. So zone 1 would be a central circle-ish area, zone 2 a round around that, working all the way to zone 6 which is an outer ring. It's really more designed re travel but it helps when looking at areas. Zone 1, no car necessary (prob zone 2 and 3 as well I guess?), further out in zones 4-6, things like parking are easier and less restricted, stations and underground stations begin to get a little more distance between them and you're sort of part way between central London and suburbs/countryside so you may fine a car handy. And obviously the further out the zone, generally you'll get more for your money when renting.

The main tourist parts get very crowded in the peak tourist season, but there are plenty of other places to go.

There's very rarely heavy snow in central London, although you might get some out in the suburbs. Problem is that because it's unusual we're not really geared up for it, so travel can be disrupted for a few days.

You can follow the daily weather forecasts on the BBC or other news sites, to get an idea of what to expect.

I've lived in DC & Massachusetts. Repairs & utilities here in UK definitely no worse than there. The DVLA (DMV) and Post Offices are miracles of efficiency and politeness, compared to their US equivalents; in other areas customer service tends to be slightly worse than the US but not terrible (for that, you go to France ). However the cliches about Brits being reserved are broadly true and they may seem rude until you get used to this.

Climate is mild. In the south of England it now only snows once or twice a year on average, which is lucky as we have no infrastructure to clear it . Adapting to the sheer unpredictability of the weather will probably be harder than getting used to the rain - London is a relatively dry area. We have just had a weekend of 22 deg centigrade (gonna have to get used to centigrade..) but last weekend it was snowing.

As well as having London to enjoy, don't forget that Europe is on your doorstep. From central London, Venice is a 2 hour flight and Paris is a 2 hour train trip.

If you want an artsy neighbourhood then have a look at Primrose Hill in north London (not that far from Hampstead). The most beautiful place in London IMO. Gorgeous green space, independent shops/cafes/pubs, home to Sylvia Plath back in the day. And very walkable into central London through Regents Park which is also fabulous (home to London Zoo and other things). It's expensive so I have no idea what £10k will get you.

Islington is also home to a lot of Americans and is very mixed - rich and poor living alongside each other. It has a proper High Street with great shops and restaurants. If you want to be right in proper central London and walking distance to everywhere then look at Marylebone. Good luck!

I live in south London and it's beautiful. Truly it is. I can recommend it, and you could choose from Richmond, Fulham, Wimbledon, Putney take your pick, but Id probably recommend Hampstead which is North London, as you have the budget for it and you probably wouldn't need to drive anywhere to get around. It has a lovely villagey feel to it, as do most other areas around Hampstead - St Johns Wood or somewhere around Regents Park, would be nice and even Camden. I like Camden (not too far from Hampstead). There are lots of nice parts to London and with your budget you could find a nice spot. You just need to find the right place for you and your family. All the best on your possible move.

Yes and I agree bring a letter from your minister or pastor saying which church you were at for the last two years - this is what you need for schools. And some Church of England schools are good, and some less so. I agree to you may want to look into Catholic schools as they do give a good religious education, whereas some Church of England ones less so these days. Up to you of course.

Absolutely no need to drive when you live in London.

Public transport is excellent. This map (which shows both tube and mainline rail services) is quite a useful way of thinking about where you might want to live.in relation to your husband's commute content.tfl.gov.uk/london-rail-and-tube-services-map.pdf e.g. if you wanted to live in Barnes / Chiswick (as a few people have mentioned it) then there are frequent mainline trains that go straight into Waterloo Station, and then he'd have a 10-15 minute walk to Covent Garden, over the Thames. Charing Cross Station is the other mainline station within very easy walking distance of Covent Garden.

While tubes and trains do stop running overnight (usually around 12.30/1am ish) there are buses that run 24/7, so there are always options.

Cargo bikes are becoming increasingly popular for parents transporting younger children (and the weekly shop!) - you see a fair few around nowadays, and London has more cyclists than NYC (and, increasingly, some great infrastructure). Cargo bikes can transport up to 6 small-ish children, depending on the model, so they can be a pretty good option www.babboe.co.uk/

I haven't read the full thread, but I live in NW3 and dc go to prep school in St. John's Wood. Lots of friends of dc are American and live in the area. Sadly his best friend is moving back to the US soon. Re ASL (American school) they prioritise American citizens and there is lots of movement so getting a space may not be as tricky as you might think if that's your preference - friends whose dc go there love it. There is an abundance of independents in north London but demand is high so places are competitive (from experience of getting my kids into school) but ring around and see what is around. Some expat friends do find the English system start formal education too early which you may or may not like. I believe ASL is quite relaxed. Fees at ASL are double English independents but generally it's the company that pays.

Another American in London here, you've had some great advice on this thread! I just wanted to add to what others have said about schools that there are a few schools in London that are more like what we might call a "Christian school" in the States. Dolphin School in Battersea has a good reputation and is in a very family-friendly part of southwest London (known as Nappy Valley ). There was another one starting in SE London called London Christian School but I haven't heard much about it. I used to work not far from where I think it is based (near Borough tube station) but, although I'm personally fond of the area, it doesn't have much of an American expat community that I'm aware of and is more urban than places others have mentioned. It's also a bit of a trek to/from Heathrow compared to Barnes/Fulham/Chiswick.

If you are after an arty area then from all the places mentioned here I would say Hampstead or Primrose Hill would be a better fit. Lots of galleries, museums, art festivals, small theatres, music studios. Traditionally Hampstead was an area of artists, journalists, writers/ poets (until the bankers/lawyers/media people moved in). I jest. There is room for everyone. 1/3 of the people I know in the area are in the arts and the other 2/3 in finance and law. With 4 parks nearby (Hampstead Heath/ Golders Hill/Regent's Park/Primrose Hill it is a very popular area with young families. In terms of distance Hampstead is roughly a couple of miles away from St John's Wood and Primrose Hill and next to Belsize Park. So all in the same general area.