Best places for diverse, professional families near London?

[Paniconthestreetsof]

DH and I currently live (very happily) in Zone 1. We’re now thinking about moving as we want more space (a house and garden), good schools, and access to green space for our kids. Budget is around £1.5m.

We’re looking for:

• A genuinely diverse area, with a visible Black community (we’d prefer our children not to be the only ones in their class)
• A mix of middle-class professionals from different backgrounds
• Green spaces and a relaxed, family-friendly feel
• Good connections into central London for work a few days a week

We’re not from the UK originally and don’t have ties outside this bit of London, so wide open to ideas.

Worth saying upfront: well-meaning replies like “well I’m not Black and it’s not very diverse around here but we don’t see colour” or “there is a large (insert non-Black ethnic minority) community here” aren’t what we’re after.

If you’re Black or mixed race and living somewhere you love outside Zones 1–2 (especially if you moved from central), I’d love to know where you are and what you like about it.

Bedford. It’s very diverse. You definitely wouldn’t be doing the nod. You can either get a fast (EMR) train to St Pancras or use the Thameslink line. The north Bedfordshire countryside is very pretty (although the villages are rather white).

There are four schools near me grammar ( Asian and black students), independent (Asian and black with some white), catholic black and white (often redheaded as have Irish or Scottish backgrounds or Eastern European).
The non selective school (by faith, fortune or academic) is predominantly white.

I saw mention of Herne Hill up above and it might tick your boxes OP, although you said you hadn't much liked it in the past. Brockwell Park is a massive green space with a lido, tennis courts etc, there's the tube a short walk away in Brixton and good overground links. You could also try the areas around Burgess Park in Camberwell. Or Dulwich Park, as PP suggested.

The Op has said she doesn’t want her dcs to be the only black children in their classes, which is understandable and I can think of many schools in the villages outside Reading where that would be the case.

And Reading itself is grim. Really not somewhere I’d want to take a child, never mind bring them up …

(Sorry Reading residents, I’m sure you live in lovely places outside the town centre that I haven’t seen …)

We're in SE20 and the majority of kids (and teachers) in DCs school are Black- and they've done an awesome job of decolonising the curriculum as well. Super easy commute, easy access to a range of schools. Ace parks and good community feel.

I wouldn't go much further down into Bromley though, even Beckenham is very white comparatively.

I love oxford - used to live there, but the commute is ferociously expensive and 55 minutes turns into nearer 2 hours unless you're very close to stations both ends.

Brighton is the whitest city in Britain with a population over 200,000 people. As you say, very socially progressive, but there is every chance the OP’s children would be the only black child in a class.

Definitely consider Purley and Kenley. Genuinely diverse with a significant black population. Great transport links, great state schools, and you’d get a lot for your money. Kenley is greener and there are beautiful houses near the common. You could also look across the A22 at Sanderstead/Riddlesdown which has Riddlesdown Common.

The post states he/she does not want her children to be the only black kids in the class…..
it also says they want a school with middle class families. God forbid you mix with working class families? People who work hard for a living.

She didn't say she wanted everyone else in the class to be middle class, but she did say she wanted other middle class professionals to be there. I don't think many people like the feeling of being the one who stands out for being a different class than everyone else, which isn't the same thing as not wanting a diverse mix at all.

Forest Hill/ Honor Oak Park and around. Ticks all the boxes

Honestly, I live in the Streatham Hill/ West Norwood/ Crystal Palace/ West Dulwich area and I think it ticks pretty much all of your boxes. Decent sized black/ mixed race community. Green spaces. Easy-ish commute into central London. State and private schools all very ethnically diverse - DC's state primary class is 1/4 black/ black mixed race. Nice mix of middle class professionals and creatives.

@Vivienne1000 yep I agree. OPs response to me was rude so I won’t respond anymore . I personally don’t give a shit about people’s ethnenticity but I don’t think simply by being black gives anyone a free pass to what appears to me to be rude when people are trying to help by pointing out that most areas with a large black population are also very mixed . She didn’t ask for ‘mixed race’ areas, the OP asked for significant black populations and I get the impression middle class ones - pointing out that’s not that common is just factual -.im not answering a thesis , just trying to be honest having lived in lots of places And I’ve lived in lots of these areas too so feel I can comment , including Oxford for 2 years in our early 50s . Mind you I did find Oxford full of rude self important often rather odd professionals and completely unfriendly - freaking expensive too . Shame as i actually quite liked the place , just not many people I met

yep I agree. OPs response to me was rude so I won’t respond anymore

Excellent news. Off you pop.

Kingston is very diverse but much more Asian than black IMO, although there would certainly be no risk that your children would be the only black children in the class. For black communities I would head a little further over towards Wimbledon. However then you lose the green spaces.

I really like Wimbledon, but I don’t think we can afford it, unfortunately. We had a look and the house prices were eye watering.

Yeah I hear you but I’m not talking Wimbledon village. South Wimbledon, Raynes Park, Merton, Morden are (relatively) more affordable.

Winchmore Hill is pretty white for London:

https://www.enfield.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0027/41949/Winchmore-Hill-ward-profile-2023-Your-council.pdf

And this is why I suggested getting your thread move moved...

Aaah, noted! Will have a look, thank you.

We are both mixed and our kids are mixed. We've brought them up in Honor Oak Park they're now late teens and went to private school. Lots in Dulwich. But if I were to do it again I'd choose Beckenham. Really lovely London community which is naturally diverse. Most of zone 3 is now quite middle class but with people from the shires not lononers. Beckenham has great schools. £1.5 would get you a five bed detached on a good road. All central London stations. Great parks and woods. Good luck. There's a black Mumsnet - crikey I might never come off my phone!!! And a David Lloyd in Beckenham with the best spa ever and padel courts.

My parents have lived in Beckenham for 20+ years and it's quite diverse, excellent spaces and good schools.

I've lived in Croydon for many years and it's the same. I currently live in a very quiet, leafy and mildly diverse bit; but drive my daughter 15 minutes to school, where she has a very diverse mix of friends. Purley, Coulsdon, Shirley, Croham and Selsdons are all quite good areas where you can find what you're looking for. Great outdoor spaces and a good mix of diverse state and private schools.

Blackheath and Greenwich are great too.

I hope you find what you're looking for 🤞🏾.

OP, I do sympathise but your unpleasant attitude is not doing you any favours here. There are many measures of diversity and skin colour is just one of them. A little less navel gazing is advised.

Black Caribbean ?
Black African ?
Black South American ?
As not all people with the same skin tone have the same approach to life.

Good Lord!