Look at transport links - if reliant on train only or other options. Where do you need to travel to for work? How easy is that? What are the local amenities.
All are nice areas but with very different feels. Kingston upon Thames is alot further out than the other two and to me feels abit suburban. Battersea abit nappy valley but lots of shops and places to eat out. Ealing - depends on which area of Ealing you're looking at.
Dh and I both drive and have cars of our own so we shouldn't need to rely on public transport.
They're all within a sensible traveling time of dh's work and most of the schools we're looking at for the LO
Don't know names of areas or anything but the house we like in Ealing is about half way between Ealing Broadway and North Ealing Underground if that helps.
You'll find it's probably quicker and easier using public transport unless you're suburban. My choice would be battersea having lived both relatively central and also suburban. Suburban was really dull, there was much more going on close to London and more accessible which made the extortionate prices worth it. Plus shorter commute!
Hanger Hill is a nice estate (if not a bit boring). Fantastic Italian restaurant and Boden. I love living in ealing but like being nearer the broadway.
OK, if you are moving from somewhere rural, the first thing you need to know is that it will be madness to go everywhere by car in London. So do take a close look at PP's advice about travel, local tubes etc.
Personally I am not a fan of Ealing. I did 2 years there and was glad to leave!
I'd do Coombe. It's leafy, excellent schools and a good community. And easy into London and out of London. Driving won't be as congested as the other areas. It's nice. Bit suburban but meteopolitan suburban.
Kingston itself is quite nice but it's a long way out and the Coombe Estate is quite isolated. Parts of Ealing by, around the Broadway and Common, are very nice and good for public c transport. Battersea is obviously the most central, I'm not a fan but I can see why people like it. There was talk a few years ago if a Northern line extension to Battersea, don't know what happened to that.
Battersea is a pain for public transport. The Northern Line extension is going into the power station development (due to open in 2020) which isn’t actually that convenient for most of Battersea at all.
If your DH is working in Southwark have you looked more SE? You get a bit more for your money and his commute will be better than coming in from the west.
I no longer live in London but you def want to be located for a "good" commute. If you are commuting an hour plus you may as well look at living further out altogether and benefitting from cheaper housing and hopefully more school places.
I grew up in Ealing borough now live in Kingston borough. My extended family are from Battersea originally.
I would go for Kingston but probably not coombe as it's a bit of a trek to a train station. I would look at commuting to/from surbiton. Trains to Waterloo are much more frequent than from Kingston station and some are express trains thst take 15 mins but most take around 40mins.
I love living in the suburbs and would not want to go back into the city!
Kingston is quite far out feeling from London - I'm in Ealing (bit further west though) and it has pros and cons - not quite as urban as Battersea or as green and 'spacious' as Kingston...
lots of people live here as a compromise..and the schools are in the main very good however unless going private the secondary schools are very lopsided location wise so you would want to really check out where the kids that live there are going .esp if you're not religious..
catchments dont apply in London especially, its all distance and theres been a big baby boom here....
Southwark not the most straightforward commute but not dreadful and will be easier if/when crossrail starts.... you would be mad to even consider driving as a commute...however having a car is useful in Ealing..
I always thought would move further into town but since DC have ended up staying and there is lots on and mainly safe -
Happy to advise more -but in any of those areas I would start with schools then look at house ..
Battersea 'cooler' but not sure about transport links for big parts of it...and driving horrendous in my opinion
Although if I was going to work in Southwark I would look east/south rather than any of those places...if you want more space and rural feel etc you could look at Kent and sussex/essex rural as fast trains into town and easy to walk to/from a lot of the central stations to Southwark