Relocating to North London with one year old - Where to live?

[AnouchHa]

Hi mums,
My partner and I are relocating to London with our 1 year old after two years in France where I am from. I was hoping to stay in France, but unfortunately that's not a possibility and we are finding ourselves quite urgently looking for a place in London. We are looking to rent a 2 or 3 bedrooms with good connections to Kings cross where we work. I don't want my commute to Kings cross to be longer than 30 minutes because I work a lot and I want to make the most of my free time to be with my daughter. So we've identified areas along the Victoria line (Highbury, Finsbury Park and potentially Stoke Newington), Northern line (Chalk Farm, Mornington Crescent, Hampstead station, Tufnell Park) and Piccadilly (Arsenal). One of our big priority is of course to find a child friendly neighbourhood, with good green spaces and lots of families. Schools are not really a criteria for us for the moment.
Rent prices and availability are obviously a real issue at the moment, not to mention that we are still in France so it's not easy to visit. That's why I want ot be as knowledgeable about the areas as possible so I can streamline the search...
Would any of you live in one of the areas mentioned and would be willing to tell me more about what they love about it, and what parts of it are best for a small family vs what parts to avoid? Or have any tips on how to look for a property there outside of traditional ways maybe? Or would you have any other areas to recommend that I've missed?
Thanks so much for reading me !
Anouch

Kentish Town, although the tube station is currently shut but will reopen soon. You can go up the Dartmouth Park end near Hampstead Heath or further towards the high street where there are many roads of nice housing. There's lots of French people there because of direct access to Kings Cross and the Eurostar and a big French school

Of those listed hampstead would be top of my pops.

I'd also look at primrose hill (tube would be chalk farm) belsize park and st johns wood

I dont care for mornington crescent or anywhere south of that down to warren street, less green space and its not the most salubrious 😬

What’s your monthly rent budget? Hampstead is beautiful, Highbury has lovely bits but Holloway can be rough. What do you need out of a place to live and will it be long term?

Almost everywhere in North London is within 30 mins of Kings Cross. Your budget is going to dictate what's feasible.

Thank you all! Budget is max 4000 pounds a month but would prefer not to go above 3500. It would be long term for say 2 years no more. Looking for a 2 beds or 3 beds. Outside space would be a bonus, if we’re right by a park we could do without. When I say 30 min to King’s Cross I mean door to door and not change!

Thank you! Saw a house on Spencer Rise close to Tufnell Park station, would you recommend it there?

We live near Primrose Hill (Chalk Farm tube) and it's very family-friendly. Lots of activities for toddlers and older children, excellent preschools (but get your name down asap), green spaces at Primrose Hill/Regent's Park, nice cafes, the zoo and links to central London. Close enough to walk/cycle to King's Cross if the tube is down (I work near there and prefer to walk/jog to work to avoid public transport). Hampstead has the Heath and lots of activities too, but is a bit further out and more sedate.

Are you intending to stay until your child goes to school? If so, are you going to pay or send her to state school? If the latter, you need to consider catchment areas for school. I think Spencer Rise is lovely. But it won't be in the catchment area for the schools in Tufnell Park where you practically have to live in the playgrounds. Not sure whether it would be in the catchment for Brookfield which is fairly close too.

There is a fee paying French school in Kentish Town which is thought to be very good.

If I had your budget and was returning to London, I'd look at Highgate. It's a stunningly beautiful area, with loads of green spaces including the ancient woodland, Highgate Woods, Waterlow Park with the best views over London and the incomparable Hampstead Heath.

It's family friendly and has plenty of independent shops and places to eat. It's on the tube - just 12 minutes from Highgate tube to Kings Cross - although Highgate station is about a 10 minute walk from Highgate village, the most desirable part.

Thank you! So our daughter is only 1 year old so by the time she’ll go to school, we most likely won’t be renting anymore (we may even not be in London anymore) so not really thinking schools right now. Nurseries could be a factor though, I am French so would love to find a bilingual nursery, but definitely not a deal breaker. At this stage we’re more looking for a place with child friendly stuff to do, mainly lots of green spaces and lots of young families around!

Thank you! I worry that with our budget and the crazy rise in rents recently we won’t get what we want but will have a look around Chalk Farm!

Thank you! Will look into Highgate village, 10 minutes walk would be the max I’d be looking to walk to the tube :)

Kentish Town/Dartmouth Park. There is a bilingual French nursery and close to Hampstead Heath. Highgate is pretty but dull.

http://www.lapetiteruche.co.uk/

I'd cross Stoke Newington off your list. It has the facilities, but transport links are poor.

Thank you!!!

That’s true, I used to live in Stoke Newington and I agree, but was thinking of the Wyatt road area which is west of clissold park and 10 min walk to arsenal station…

I used to live in Finchley. I was single but knew a couple of people with children.

I actually lived in this block:

Which had a huge communal garden that only ever seemed to be used by me and one of my neighbours.

It's walking distance to a few tube stations, supermarket, pub, cafe, restaurant and schools.

True, that would be OK for your commute. But for £3500/mo you could probably find somewhere nicer in the Dartmouth park area or thereabouts as PP suggested. Living near Hampstead Heath would be fabulous!

You’re right looking at prices I am getting to that exact conclusion!

In terms of desirability and "poshness", the hierarchy imo is:
Hampstead
Primrose Hill
Belsize Park
Highgate (not my choice, spread out, tube station too far)
South End Green (I'll add this, very near Heath, 46 bus straight to Kings X)
Kentish Town
Chalk Farm
Tufnell Park

All of these areas are fine to live in, greenery is never far away in London (47% green), the very first National Park City nationalparkcity.london.

This is lovely and has outdoor space. Right on the edge of Hampstead Heath. Journey Planner shows several ways to get to Kings Cross, all of them 28-31 mins,

Lissenden Gardens is very nice. Very close to the Heath, tube and overground walkable

You don't have to limit yourself to the tubeline, train links to Kings Cross are also good in parts of Barnet, which is green, leafy, great parks with well maintained play areas, lots of stuff for children (lots of groups and classes for tots), nice cafes with soft play inside, good schools, plenty of nurseries, easy access to countryside if you drive etc

Davros That hierarchy is probably about perfect for OP. I would just about kill to live in Highgate 😭 I would add in Barnsbury/Islington too, walking distance to Kings Cross, and Islington has fantastic transport links, lots of nurseries, and is very family friendly. The area around Amwell Street across to Exmouth Market/Clerkenwell is great too.

In Tufnell Park there is also a bilingual French nursery https://lpe.uk/en/les-petites-etoiles-bilingual-montessori-tufnell-park/ .