Where to live

[JadedCantaloupe1993]

Hi Black Mumsnetters,

My husband and I grew up in London (he's white, I'm black), but like many others we've been priced out. We're a young family, with a 3 year old and are now looking for a new city/town to live, but we have a very wide brief so hoping you good folk could help!

We're currently based in SW London, and we generally love the community but are feeling cramped in our 3 bed flat. We'd also like to add another little one to our family, and if we move out would like extended family to be able to come over and stay the night. Our families are based around Hertfordshire and London, so it would make sense to stay where we are but we can't afford to have the quality of life we'd like to currently.

Our budget is around £450k (I know, very low by mumsnet standards!) and we're looking for a 3 - 4 bed home to last us for the next 15 years. We don't like new builds. We could possibly extend to £500k for the right place.

The search criteria is:

• Close to good state schools
• Good sense of community - we'd love to join the local football team, reading groups, etc etc
• Walkable(ish) or short train ride / drive to city centre. If not close to the city centre then with a local high street - doesn't need to be flourishing but a Sainsburys local would help!
• Commutable to either London, Manchester, Liverpool or Cardiff (by that I mean 1 - 1.5 hrs max one way)
• Ethnically diverse (doesn't need to be predominantly black, but a mix of different races would be fab if possible)
• Socio-economically diverse - we are a middle-class family (despite our family budget!) so would like to find like-minded people but don't want to be surrounded by millionaires and would happily live around lower income families (having come from one myself)
• Safe(ish) area

Appreciate that we might be asking too much considering our budget, but would love to know if such a place exists!

So far we've been looking at properties in Reading, York, Beckenham (sadly too expensive), Didsbury (Manchester) and Welwyn Garden City. Does anyone have any suggestions - they'd be much appreciated! Thanks.

York is lovely, but not ethnically diverse. Look at the 2021 census data which shows around 93% white. Higher still if you exclude students

Don't do York I have family there and children were bullied. I would try Leeds if you want the north there's posher parts to Leeds and it's a lot more diverse.

Theres cheaper places in London try SE or Kent?

NC but black british Caribbean with 2 young kids

South east London has loads of 3 bed terrace/semis in your budget. Bexley borough has grammar schools. Zone 4 but easy commute into London thanks to Elizabeth line. Area v diverse, ethnically and nationalities.

Lots of choice in South East London, Essex and Hertfordshire.
Stevenage, Hatfield, Harlow, Elm Park, Chafford Hundred, Tilbury, Purfleet, Ockendon, Sydenham, Orpington, Seven Oaks etc though some places are almost predominantly black or siaan.

Hi OP. How about Trafford? Stretford at the Chorlton end would be in budget for you. Trafford has the grammar school system and Stretford has the met line.

Have good friends who are black who recently moved out of Welwyn garden city having found it too closed minded and lacking in diversity. Sorry to not add anything more helpful about possible areas which do include the things you’re looking for. We’re in Hertfordshire too and it does feel a bit lacking in diversity generally though not an expert on all towns and cities here.