To ask you to talk to me about Chiswick?

[EastLondonLady80]

DH and I with newish baby live in East, and have always either lived there or North apart from a brief stint in Queens Park years ago. We want to move from our very urban high-rise area to a more family friendly area of London in the next few years and been looking at Chiswick. (DH needs access to city and I wfh). I have driven through Chiswick when I used to live in West London but never spent time there. I really like the vibe from what I've seen. We are really hoping to be close to very good expanses of green space as well as good transport and walkable to the shops, cafes etc. River walks would be lovely too.

On the map Chiswick looks quite a big area going from Strand on the Green up to Acton borders and then across to Dukes Meadows and over towards Hammersmith. After lockdown we intend to go and explore, but can any locals give me some intel about the best roads and micro areas for families? Can you walk from Chiswick High Road to the river for example? I'm just trying to get my head around distances and the best local streets and areas.

Our budget would be somewhere around £850-900k depending on when we moved.

Thank you!

It can be all of those things OP, but I actually just think of it as aspirational rather than snobby. The people I used to hang out with were successful people in TV or arty jobs or marketing / PR, they werent bankers or lawyers but that set does exist.

It is white, but I wouldn't say it was racist. It is not diverse in the sense that no one is poor!

[quote EastLondonLady80]@givemesteel do you agree with previous posts about it being overly white / not very diverse and too competitive / snobby? [/quote]
I live in Northfields but worked in Chiswick and have to agree with this.

And I'm not sure why you think Chiswick is greener, it definitely isn't and except for the streets where the houses are multi-millions they tend to be tighter with denser housing than Nothfields.

Have you considered Isleworth? Lots of green spaces, Syon Park and Osterley Park on your doorstep,riverside walks and you’d get way more for your money

Chiswick is nice, not particularly hip but safe. It's not diverse at all, you won't get much for your money so maybe surrounding areas would be worth a look.

You won't get much on that budget in Chiswick, and the District line is not ideal for a city commute. It's also a very wealthy area and it can feel a bit exclusionary if you're on a lower budget - lots of expensive activities considered as normal if you're making friends. I'd also consider some of the other options suggested here, you may have a much more enjoyable time.

I used to do my bikram yoga class there but never lived there. We have always lived further out beyond Ealing due to house price costs even in the 1980s!!!

This is a house in Chiswick in the budget of the poster - 2 bed www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/89327257#/
For a similar price further out on the Met line (so easy for husband in city) you might get more for your money www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/76886076#/
Or Acton 3 beds - www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/102384665#/

It is never easy to decide. My children bought in the Barbican, Queen's Park, Oxfordshire (that one does not work in London) and Chesham.

I live in Northfields for the parks (Walpole, Lammas, Blondin all, etc), the excellent schools and public transport which is better here than in Chiswick (although our roads, just like in Chiswick, are currently fucked by millions of LTN roadblocks). Your budget would cover a decent house in W5/13, it will be tricky in Chiswick.

I love Chiswick... I’m in W6 but often head to Lemons and Limes in Turnham Green Terrace for amazing fruit and veg. It is a wealthy area and with that full of nice shops, restaurants and feels safe. Lots of nice open spaces. However I would think if anything terrible for commuting to the City... maybe try it out... unless you’re near a central line stop (more Ealing) or right by Piccadilly line (which only stops at Turnham Green certain times of day). As for all these posts about it being full of rich white Tory people - well it’s just sad people think it’s ok to say that... I wonder if Bill Dickinson of Iron Maiden and Ant (or is it Dec?) are Tory? They’re definitely aspirational .... Dickinson at any rate

I have lived in Chiswick all my life. I would agree that it is a pleasant, safe area but that the property prices aren't great value.

I have lots of connections with different parts of Ealing (which would include Northfields) and you would get a much bigger property there for your money. I also feel that there is a much greater sense of community and families are a bit more grounded. This is something that has gradually been eroded in Chiswick over the years. There are green spaces all over Ealing - for example Northfields has Lammas Park. Northfields and Central Ealing have the best transport links. My favourite are is Pitshanger Lane but you would need to take bus to reach Ealing Broadway station.

Just to add, contrary to stereotypical beliefs about Chiswick, there are parts of Chiswick that are economically deprived. Based on government indices of deprivation, the area around Dukes Meadows is considered to be deprived. There are also schools where a large proportion of children are entitled to free school meals and where referrals are made to food banks. The overall affluence of Chiswick marks this - but it certainly exists.

I lived there for 15 years. Moved back there with a young baby after a stint living and working in the Middle East.

What I would say to you is look at the local school catchments and make sure you are happy with them because otherwise you need to factor in private school fees.

I left 6 years ago because the services were so over crowded (drs etc) and moved out to Oxfordshire.

Thanks for these suggestions. I think I'm probably quite unusual (compared to MN users it seems) in that the pandemic has only made me keener to live in central London and access all it has to offer (all the things we've missed doing). So although many people would want to move out to the suburbs, I'd rather settle for a flat that's more central but where we can access central London easily. A pp posted an amazing house out near Harrow, but I personally would hate living there. I'm not keen on the suburban feel or town living. I'd rather live in the middle of a city or in a very very rural area, but not a halfway house iyswim. Just mine and DH's preference and I know it's not for everybody.

But within city living I'm looking for a green area (leafy streets) which I know are always the sought after places, and so it's hard trying to pick the best area. I do feel we ought to narrow down to an area of choice in London, otherwise property hunts are so difficult.

@curious79

I love Chiswick... I’m in W6 but often head to Lemons and Limes in Turnham Green Terrace for amazing fruit and veg. It is a wealthy area and with that full of nice shops, restaurants and feels safe. Lots of nice open spaces. However I would think if anything terrible for commuting to the City... maybe try it out... unless you’re near a central line stop (more Ealing) or right by Piccadilly line (which only stops at Turnham Green certain times of day). As for all these posts about it being full of rich white Tory people - well it’s just sad people think it’s ok to say that... I wonder if Bill Dickinson of Iron Maiden and Ant (or is it Dec?) are Tory? They’re definitely aspirational .... Dickinson at any rate

Yes I'm pretty sure Any and Dec are Tories!

I lived in Chiswick for 12 years and moved to Northfields a year ago. Found Chiswick fine but bland and quite dull. It's that not diverse, it can be very stuck up so I needed to 'find my people' amongst lots of super wealthy and sometimes quite arrogant/entitled people (though of course not all of the wealthy people I met were like that!) There are lots of chain shops and restaurants along the high road and all the decent bars seem to have shut in the last year or so although there are still some good ones on Devonshire Road.

Our budget to move was the same as yours but we needed three beds plus working from home space and there was no way we would have got that in Chiswick.

We LOVE Northfields! Brilliant high street with hardly any chains. Really friendly. The parks other people have mentioned are lovely. Great primaries and secondaries. You can walk to Ealing Broadway which has everything you'd need and there is a big Waitrose in West Ealing which is a short drive. Useful bus routes and on the Piccadilly line to town one way and Heathrow the other. We got a four bed terraced house with a pretty garden for under our budget.

We wouldn't want to move back to Chiswick even if we had the budget but if I had to I would move to Strand on the Green by the river as it's got a lovely community, great pubs and brilliant primary and walking distance to a good secondary.

Pm me if you have questions!

Posh
EXPENSIVE

I lived in Chiswick for 8 years, but left in 2002 so I suspect it's a bit different now. It's interesting though how your view of a place can be coloured by what you know in advance. I never found it snobby or aspirational... even though by complete chance my first home in London was on Chiswick Mall

I knew nothing of Chiswick when I moved there. I was 24, just moving to London for the first time for a job near Shepherd's Bush, needed to find a rented room in a hurry and turned to 'Loot'. Ended up in a small room in a shared house on Chiswick Mall with a riverside garden!! Lived there for years. The neighbours who all owned their homes were friendly (we lived 2 doors away from Des Lynham!) and I think I paid £265 per month in rent on an 11k salary! Loved the place... great cafes and restaurants on the High Road, felt safe, green spaces. Loved the pubs on the river, 10 min walk to Stamford Brook and could jump off the District Line there and straight onto the Piccadilly line for the West End.

When I could finally afford to buy (because these were in the days when you could save a 10k deposit and afford a place in Chiswick!!) I had a teeny tiny studio flat on the Goldhawk Road - right on the border , as I didn't want to leave the area! Ah... happy days!

Anyone know if that lovely convent is still there by Hogarth Roundabout? Used to love going to it's Christmas Fairs every year!

@Pebble21uk Yes, St Mary's Convent and Nursing Home is still there. I really miss the fund raising events there, such as the Summer fete.

@Springquartet that's brilliant! Good to know it's still going and some things don't change! Ahh... haven't lived in London for years now but still find a lot to miss about Chiswick. I still tend to stay in hotels locally if I visit London - it just feels like home! And I say that as someone who never fitted the Chiswick stereotype!

I grew up there - in the 90s and early 00s and my parents still there.

Yes, there are lots of expensive houses and 900k is not a lot of money there. But it is more mixed than that and there is more council housing than you might expect - only one big estate (Duke Meadow) but various small scale ones dotted around. The state schools have a much more diverse intake than you might expect - not least because people in £3 million houses tend to send their kids to private school.

You will get a chunk of very wealthy parents - often in finance - who assume prep schools, SUVs and annual chalet skiing holidays are absolutely normal but there are lots of much more regular middle class families around as well at the state schools (all of which are totally fine Inc the secondary school although some parents might consider it akin to sending them down the mines compared to Eton or Westminster or wherever they are sending their kids)

The A4 splits Chiswick in two - if you are south of it, then you are further from the tube but closer to the Overground at Chiswick Station which takes you into Waterloo. Crossing the A4 by car from North to South Chiswick at rush hour and school pickup is a real pain and should be avoided at all costs. If you live south and need to get to the tube for commuting (or vice versa to get to Chiswick overground station), get a folding bicycle and you can zip under one of the many subways under the A4 and down some back streets.

I live in Hackney now and Chiswick definitely a lot quieter and less interesting...but it has a variety of tube connections, it's getting easier to cycle and there are lots of great restaurants and pubs around. And parks. And you can get into a more interesting area if needed for a big night out.

Yanbu to ask.

Are you very keen to leave East London? We used to live in Hackney but had friends in places like Snaresbrook which always felt incredibly leafy and family friendly when we visited. You could get quite a lot for your money there eg www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/78525813#/

Though we also found our part of Hackney pretty leafy, and lots of neighbours happily raising kids there.

If you don't want suburban you don't want Chiswick (or Northfields). And if you don't mind a flat why don't you look at Notting Hill, much more central and between Holland Park & Kensington Park for green.

I live in Chiswick. Absolutely love it. Been here 6 years. We have a 4 year old and the nurseries are brilliant and always bump into friends at the playgrounds and on the high street. We are but the river so either cycle into the city or get the train into Waterloo. We are really close to dukes meadow and Chiswick house so tonnes of green space and run lots along the river. If you have kids it is brilliant as so many classes, playgrounds and things to do. Always feels safe walking gone from the tube at night.

It is important if you have kids to pick a good catchment area though as otherwise you are stuck with private school fees. Happy to answer any specific questions.

I lived in Chiswick for a while, but a good 10 years ago now, so not much help for recommendations.
The only thing I would say is to look closely at journey travel times, depending on which part of London your husband needs to travel to. There are places in the home counties that would give you more bang for your buck in terms of house size, be more family friendly AND have a shorter commute than Chiswick.

We lived in Chiswick (Acton borders) for almost 10 years and loved it, but got increasingly fed up with the lack of parking - our road was just outside the new controlled parking zone so became permanently clogged with commuter cars - and the fact that, when we needed a bit more space, anything decent even a tiny bit bigger came with a massive and unaffordable price tag.

In the end we moved out of London completely and bought a period detached house with a huge garden and a garage. Getting back from central London takes (or took, pre-Covid) about the same amount of time as sitting on the 98 bus back to Acton Green. But we do miss the range of restaurants. Fond memories of Andy's kebab house (with the free fruit platters!) and Fouberts ice-cream.....