Best places for diverse, professional families near London?

[Paniconthestreetsof]

Cross post with AIBU, as I didn’t know there was a Black MN Board!

DH and I currently live (very happily) in Zone 1. We’re now looking to move for more space (house + garden), access to green space, and good schools. Budget is around £1.5m.

We’re after somewhere that’s:

• Genuinely diverse, especially with a visible Black community (we’d rather our children weren’t the only ones in their class)
• Made up of a range of middle-class professionals, not just super high earners
• Family-friendly, with a relaxed feel and decent access to central London a few days a week

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

Worth saying upfront: well-meaning replies like “it’s not very diverse but everyone’s friendly” or “there are lots of Asians here” aren’t what we’re after. We’re specifically looking for places where Black families are part of the community, not just tolerated anomalies.

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.

I don’t think anyone in their right mind, with £1.5M and the entirety of the London and its surrounds to choose from is going to leave Zone 1 and move to a new build estate. Particularly someone as tub thumpingly middle class as OP comes across. You don’t get what she’s after at all.

You have to decide whether colour and race are more important than living standards.

She really doesn’t. She has plenty of options. And that was very oddly phrased. Are you actually Black or are you on Black MN saying things like this to Black women for shits and giggles?

They don't have to be inside London. Someone mentioned Oxford, which is being surrounded with new builds.

The point is that if the new builds are similar in price, then they would be bought by like minded people. Just a suggestion.

There are new builds in Sussex and Surrey, south of London.

Is it so impossible? Some commute even further.

Well each to his own.

You can search ''New Builds in/near London'' and there are quite a lot, at different prices.

I have had three new builds, and each has been on an estate of like minded people and it doesn't matter where they come from originally, once integrated.

I didn’t say anything about location. I said that this person isn’t looking to move to a new build estate.

Answer the question. Are you Black?

Yes: and in zone 1. You can google new builds in London Zone 1, and there are some not far off.

Of course if you are limited to £1.5million, you won't get a large house for that in the actual centre of London. You may have to go a few miles north or south.

You are right. She did not mention new builds. I made that as a suggestion, and I don't see anything wrong with that. I suggested that if there is an estate of new builds, where all the owners are new, they could meet like minded people.

That is what you find in a new housing estate, at a price you can afford.

The OP doesn't have to take any notice of any of us. She asked a question, I answered it.

Not all people of a colour get along with one another. It shouldn't be difficult to find a black community if that is what the OP is wanting above all else. There are many organisations and Embassies which could point her in the right direction.

I find it difficult to understand why posters rubbish other posters, as though they have somehow got into the mind of the OP and can answer for her.

You have said my idea is wrong for you. It might be OK for the OP and others looking for the same thing.

I have your measure.

The OP wants suggestions of places near London, so it seems she is thinking of moving out of Zone 1.

I see Beckenham was mentioned on the other thread so just here to say I think it’s ticks a lot of your boxes. I would look around the bits closer to penge so Clock House and Kent House even Penge or Anerley. Schools and wider community will be diverse.

Hi OP hope I’m ok to post (white British).

You might find the dot map of the 2021 census that tracks ethnicity useful, where you can zoom in on locations.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/maps/dotdensity/identity/ethnic-group/ethnic-group-tb-6a/ethnic_group_tb_6a-001~ethnic_group_tb_6a-002~ethnic_group_tb_6a-003~ethnic_group_tb_6a-004~ethnic_group_tb_6a-005

The OP has a range of criteria and is looking for advice based on lived experiences. For some reason, a number of people - all of whom appear to be white - seem to have reduced what she’s looking for to ‘a place with lots of Black people’ and responded as though that’s what was asked.

Why is that, do you think?

I thought this was a helpful post.

yes o/p is looking for “lived experience” but sometimes that’s individual perception. Stats help- as o/p herself says many areas considered “diverse” you can still be the only black kid in school.

for example I see beckenham recommended. IME I thought that area relatively white and middle class. I preferred slightly in like Honor Oak, Catford and Lewisham, where the Black community is not a minority.

if I were looking to move the stats would be useful in seeing the actual population by ethnicity, so I can get an idea of whether one persons idea of diverse is the same as mine. I’ve not seen those links before. If that poster had offered her opinion, then that would be different. But she’s simply provided links to factual information which may be helpful to o/p.

I don’t think it was.

• If someone has specifically asked about lived experience, they aren’t asking for stats. She wants individual perception. If she wanted stats, she’d have said.
• Similarly, if someone specifically posts to Black MN asking for Black and mixed lived experiences, they are 100% not asking for someone to pop up with ‘I’m white British, hope you do t mind’ and give them stats.
• Again, multiple criteria were given. Reducing said criteria to just race is reductive. She’s not asking ‘where do lots of Black people live?’

Additionally, Beckenham is very very middle class. But, that’s what has been requested. And it’s got a decent sized Black (generally also middle class) community. I think it ticks all her boxes, tbh.

Look them up on Zoopla and other sites.

So I'm Stupid so I must be black?

Don't you realise that is racist? You could get the site closed down for that.

The OP wanted suggestions. I made one.

Most of what you’ve written on this thread is gibberish, that comment included. Are you inebriated? On strong medication?

This is LITERALLY Black Mumsnet. That is where you are.

If you have an issue with its existence, please take it up with Mumsnet HQ. Write a letter of complaint. I’m sure you’ll get very far, advocating for your absolute right to tell Black people things, whether or not we’re interested in what you have to say.

Thank you. Provision of supplementary information that may be helpful was my intention.

So what? I can do that. It is a public site. No one told me when I join that there is segregation on mumsnet. Why would they?

The point I was making was that if OP was to look at the new build estates where everyone bought a new house at the same time, with the same finances and the same professional interests, there will be a mix of professions and interests, and in this era of equality and human rights, segregation is frowned on, and rightly so.

It is not difficult to find a location of mainly any race, especially in London.

Remember many are escaping from tribal wars and disputes.

Okay, we have now descended to the level of farce. I’m going to bed. 🤣

Well I see I have to start by saying I am white.

I suggest Acton W3 ( perhaps Ealing W5 ) West Ealing W13 and perhaps Hanwell W7
and I see someone else suggested West Ealing W13.
All of the above merge into each other - W3 into W5 into W13 then into W7.

All of the above are in the London Borough of Ealing ( which I lived and worked in for years ) and the Borough has several ' outstanding ' schools - both Primary and Secondary.