London or Leeds. WWYD?

[endoftether82]

To live, with 2 young kids. Crouch end in London, roundhay in Leeds. Which one would you do? And why preferably!

Leeds. All the way.

If it's not in Yorkshire, it's not worth bloody visiting (never mind living there)

If you get on well with your family and want to stay near them then that changes things - how well do you get on with your in laws? How does your husband get on with both sets of parents? Would you definitely want to be round the corner from either family?

I feel hugely compromised. I'm very close to my family, but have literally never lived more than a 30 minute drive from them. It's a complicated situation in that I'm financially
Very indebted to my dad. My mother had a a serious health situation last year, and she would, quite frankly, be devastated if we left.

I don't want to end up regretting any move that I might have made when my parents pass away, however I also don't want to look back and think that we should have moved and we didn't because of them.

DH came to London independently, and he'd been here for 3 years before we got together. He is also close to his family, but his brother lives abroard and his parents are divorced. I think he can more easily see the benefits of living in Leeds since that was his own experience. However, he's as on the fence as I am (possibly a bit more pro leeds).

Leeds.
Traffic is terrible but nowhere near as bad as London.
Roundhay park is fab.

Leeds Pretty much anywhere over London tbh

Someone saying London for cultural diversity, have you ever been to Leeds?
My sister lives on an amazing community road with at least 7 different nationalities and that's just 1'street.

Roundhay neighbours Chapeltown, very culturally diverse!

OK, nowhere will ever be a direct comparison to London, but everywhere has its strengths and weaknesses. Leeds has many characteristics, and cultural diversity is one of them.

I tend to think that unless you have a big family income, or have inherited a house etc, London is not worth the lower quality of life. But obviously family considerations will come into it, and no one else can tell you how important that is. I do wonder though, would it actually be beneficial for you not to be so close?

Leeds!!!! It's boiling

Oh that's a hard one! Sounds like you are leaning towards London though.

I would say for me - London, I come from a UK city and London really is the UK's only world city. Agree that you need £ to live here in a safe, nice area. Crouch End is great and good access to Kings Cross to visit the in laws in Leeds. Would advise against it if you don't earn a fair amount. I really do notice the weather being cooler other places, I definitely feel the cold!

endoftether82

I am curious about the 'financially very indebted to your dad' part. It's horrible to feel like someone has that sort of hold over you. Your DH might resent it too in time.

I understand schools aren't the be all and end all but it comes around much sooner than you think.

I'm going to suggest two rather out there ideas.

1 - North: Harrogate or Ilkley. Near your DH family but more reliable through the cycle schooling (based on my research anyway.) I really love both places tbh. I'd move to Harrogate in a heartbeat. Have you been to either?

2- South: If you can afford Crouch End could you not do Muswell Hill and get in the catchment for Fortismere or Alexandra Park? Does the property literally have to be on one of your family's doorsteps?

I mean - you do have some time. You could stick around through Year Two and move up north after that. See how the land lies in London and what you think then.

I have watched a fair number of friends move for schools, so to speak. For them to in settle well, it seems like it's best not to leave it much past Year 3. But that is not on scientific research.

Once your kids start primary, if that is in London, you will soon feel the full force of the secondary school anxiety in that part of London. I think this will focus your mind on where you want to be long term.

Interesting OVienna.

We have also been looking at Muswell Hill, but it feels a bit further out, and also it just so happens that a house we really like has come up in crouch end.

The schools thing is snookering us a bit really. Because we don't know if we could afford private for secondary, but then obviously don't know what the state secondary schools will be like in 8 years time.

I think both me and DH ideally want to be settled before reception (which has Jan 2019 has a deadline for applications). Mostly because I feel like if we can't make a decision it wouldn't be fair to unsettle ds because of our indecisiveness.

I have family in Harrogate weirdly. It's beautiful, but I think I need more of a big city directly on my doorstep.

OVienna, could you expand on that a bit please? I think that secondary school pressure is exactly what I'm worried about.

I don't see London getting an annual 4 day professional cycling stage race any time soon

I don't get your point, Leeds hasn't had 4 day stage race either? The 2015 and 2018 Tour de Yorkshire went through Leeds, along with many other towns and cities.

London will however host the richest women's race in the world for the 3rd year running, and, once again, the 2018 Tour of Britain will end in London.

Leeds. All the way.

My son just moved into a flat there and absolutely loves it
I live 10 minutes away by train

Is your house not in the catchment area for Highgate?

What about Tuffnell Park area? A good selection of secondary schools there and not far from CE.

Highgate wood?

Come from Leeds and lived for years in crouch end. If I could afford a house in crouchy id be there in a flash. An utter millisecond.
We moved further out last year and I miss it so, so much. That’s without the added benefit of being close to family (mine are obvs in Leeds!)
It would come down to standard of living for me - and that’s what made us move out. We wanted space for our kids and quite simply couldn’t afford it in crouch end. But man, if you can... I know what I’d choose!

BarbaraOfSeville

London as the Capital has many, many if the big museums and galleries, as national institutions, funded by the DCMS via the Arts Council. Natural History / Science /V&A / Museum of London (funded by City of London), Museum of Docklands (ditto) Maritime at Greenwich, Astronomy (at Greenwich), Museum of Childhood, local museums such as the Hornimann, the galleries (Tate Modern esp good for kids). The South Bank Centre has free events every single weekend.

So, everything available to visitors is available to Londoners every weekend. In addition all the big cultural institutions run regular classes and courses: music, drama, art, you can find classes and clubs free or very cheap (drama, £2 a session).

People say London is crowded: it is, with international visitors bringing in their money for world class culture, and UK visitors, enjoying their Capital for a day or so. Most Londoners I know welcome visitors and enjoy tne privelige of access to tne Arts and culture that atttescts them.

London is, I think, the only net contributor to the economy.

As a PP said, the free fares for children (free on all transport til 10, then free on buses, child rate on tubes) is paid for by the GLA from monies contributed via our council taxes and other specific London revenue. But visitors are extended the same privelige.

Lobby your County or City Council, and encourage them to adopt an integrated all-transport contactless payment system while they are at it

Would be great if they could possibly afford it ScrubTheDecks. But as you correctly point out, London has much more money than everywhere else. Unless there is some genuine action to support other areas and make this country less London-centric it's not going to happen. (But there seems to be fat chance of that happening.)

London every time

Leeds here too. And if you can afford Roundhay even more so.

We are on the ladder - on the wrong side of the tracks to CE, but our girls go to primary at Weston Park. From my experience (DD1 I’m Year 4), the ‘secondary school angst’ isn’t that angsty.

If the kids are bright, they go for a selective. If they don’t get in, they go to Hornsey for girls, Highgate wood or Grieg City. All north London inner city comps. All with good and bad points.

Oh how are you finding Weston Park?