need help with toddler friendly areas to live in london

[bermuda]

We are moving to London (from Bermuda) for 3 months in the new year and need help finding safe, family friendly neighbourhoods in London. Our son will be just two.
We need somewhere that is a short commute into the City (financial district) and that has a park, good tot activities/groups etc.
Any ideas? Thanks

Maida Vale is lovely and an easy commute to the city. Big gardens/parks walk to Hyde Park and Regents Park. Feed the ducks on the canal.
I loved it.

Check out that other moving to London thread, I've suggested a few places on there. If you/DP are working in Square Mile, vs. Canary Wharf - best Tube lines are Northern and Central or trains into Liverpool Street or Fenchurch Street, the other options can get a bit long-winded.

Crouch End or Muswell Hill. Both got good overland links to the city and great parks/playgroups/nurseries.

Dulwich is good, London Bridge 15 mins away by train.

Actually you're right Cocodrillo, a train into London Bridge is quite a good bet for the City, if you don't mind an occasionally bracing walk across the Thames at both ends of the day. Dulwich is lovely too.

I come from Dulwich and it is lovely, especially Dulwich Park.

Lived in Putney for years but moved last year when pg with DTs as needed bigger cheaper house, but it is very very good for toddlers (DS1 was 18 months when we left). Lots of places to eat, great play place (Eddie Katz), and it is 12 mins or similar into Waterloo and then one stop on Waterloo & City line into City.

Trains are massively packed mind you.

Thanks everyone. That gives me a few places to start looking for a place to rent.

When you say City - do you mean the City of London or Canary Wharf?

Greenwich...easy (20 mins or less) commute to the City, and LOADS of nice things to do with a toddler. Also Greenwich Park for a bit of green...

I was going to say Greenwich or Blackheath for Canary Wharf.

St Albans and Harpenden are only 22 & 28 minutes respectively from the City and are very child friendly places to live. Lots of open spaces and good schools etc.

I do mean City of London for my husband's office.

Are you going to drive when you are here?

How short is a short commute? And is he ok with tube/train? Or does he want to walk/bus/cycle?

Croydon has loads of parks, fields, shops, green spaces and public transport - it's only 18 minutes to London Bridge by train with frequent services.

I was keen not to drive to be honest as it has been so long since I drove fast (the speed limit here is 30 mph!!!

and my bubbie was looking for a 30 mins commute or less if possible. He is fine with tube or train - just the fastest way possible.

Greenwich and Blackheath, all the way!!
It's nappy valley around here, so many activities to join!

Greenwich or Blackheath all the way. I really miss it since moving out to Essex (although also like Essex). And it's not snooty either. DLR to Monument is half an hour and there's the train too. Cabs cost around 20 quid if you get stuck one night blind drunk

Greenwich sounds ideal.

Chiswick, west London rocks - lots of expats too, French, Irish and American. But if you're only here for three months, may be you want to be somewhere more Central like Marylebone, St John's Wood and Maida Vale. They're really acccessible for both the City and Canary Wharf, and you can get to some really fantastic shops walking. We used to live in Marylebone, but if I am entirely honest we began to find it too busy and it wasn't easy to make friends with other parents. We moved to Chiswick recently, and the commute is a pain, but we're so much happier with the area.

Should add, commute to the City is about 40mins to the City by tube. From Marylebone, St John's Wood etc its about 15/20min on the tube.

Forest Hill/Honor Oak Par/Dulwich!! FH has the highest no. of babies per capita (I heard) so it's the new Nappy Valley! I loved it there as I had a great network of mums (thru an postnatal group and NCT). There are lots of parks, toddler activities, and Dulwich (with all it;s chi-chi baby shops) was just over the hill. Of course, if you can afford it, i might also recommend South West london, Clapham, etc.

AA

Kennington - less than 15 mins on the tube to the city, but also walking distance to the South bank. Great parks, lots of other

If only here for 3 mths and someone else is paying I'd vote for St John's Wood

Just wanted to second Marylebone. We live there with three kids and love it. My dh works in the city. He either cycles or takes the tube.

We are 5 mintues walk from a Royal park as well as having smaller neighbourhood playgrounds. There is a weekly farmer's market. Excellent children's library with weekly storytime. Local toddler group. Leisure centre with excellent swimming programme. And lots of paid classes for toddlers.

The area has a real family feel. We love it.

Well that's lots of options. Thanks everyone. Once we pick a place, then we will be in touch again to network with some mums and play friends