Moving to London. Seeking advice on Neighborhoods

[Britv82]

Hello Mums! Would any of you kindly share your thoughts on great places to live with kids (girls) ages 7 and 9? My family is relocating to London from the US in June for my husband's job. He does not have an office to report to (he is in sales with the whole of London and the southeastern UK as a territory so we can live anywhere really) which makes it a bit harder to decide on location. He will have to travel out of London a good bit so getting out the city fairly easily is appealing (we will have a car). We have explored SW London a little bit and liked Wimbledon, Teddington, Chiswick, Wandsworth/Clapham. Any thoughts on Barnes, Southfields or East Dulwich? These keep coming up but we have not visited in person yet.
Here is what we are seeking....can you help identify a nice place for a family or give your thoughts on the above places if you live there?

1. Good state primary schools (feel free to name a great school to visit or send me a private message with recommendations! My husband is moving over in April so he can do a visit)
2. Good secondary school as that is coming up in 2 years
3. Strong community/family feel (we consider ourselves very social) :)
4. Good transport links
5. Green spaces & access to sports/fitness options
6. Good variety of restaurants and cultural activities
7. Our top end budget is about 4000 a month (renting - not buying)

I know this is a bit of a broad question and likely everyone is seeking this :) but we are overwhelmed and would so appreciate any bits of guidance from fellow mums! Thank you so much!

St. Albans question - is it walkable? We will only have one car so I'm not sure about getting the kids to school/activities if my husband is off with the car on most days. My dream is to walk the kids to school.

This link isn't working for me. Can you resend?

Thank you for this advice! Barnes keeps coming up and we plan to check this out in April when there for a scouting trip.

St Albans is lovely, there are several excellent primary schools but “walkable “ depends where you live!
There is the cathedral, beautiful park, loads to do and apart from the train into London you have easy access to the M25 and M1 plus of course Luton Airport is just up the road.

If your DH is regularly travelling north of London by car then Wimbledon is difficult. I moved from there to north London for a job in Hertfordshire because driving could take 90-180 minutes.

Wimbledon is lovely. Very walkable with a great theatre for panto and plays and a puppet theatre. The village is pricey but cute and boutiquey and up a steep hill. Not a lot of public transport so you will end up driving DH to the railway station and back. The town is less boutiquey and closer to the trains. Wimbledon Station is in the town and will go to Waterloo by rail. 20 minutes but standing room only by the time it gets to Wimbledon (pre-pandemic). Tube is always guaranteed a seat because it's at the end of the district line. South Wimbledon tube is close to the end of the Northern Line. The tennis is closest to Southfields tube.

I don't know about schools but there is a private girls' high school. There is a large Sainsbury's and Marks and Spencer (food and clothes) close to Colliers Wood tube with a large car park and they do deliveries.

Yes, in the main. I know someone who lives there who doesn’t drive and she walks everywhere - but her DH does do some driving for her. The bus system is baffling, multiple companies operating different routes.

But you’d want to park yourself reasonably close to the station, because it’s a bit of a slog to Waterloo. Friend lives about a 12 minute brisk walk.

St Albans is lovely. And expensive. Excellent schools.

Thanks for this additional info! Great stuff to consider!!

@Britv82 not sure why it no longer works.

www.zoopla.co.uk/to-rent/details/67676935/?search_identifier=abd3f5f3c5eb640a36671bdf9cd3f684d3f9566a49eaf8a4066165717a58a29e

but more expensive but very close to Kingston Academy

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/157753187#/?channel=RES_LET

One in Teddington

You can compare schools here

www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/school/141862/the-kingston-academy/secondary

Teddington has all you like as has Ham across the footbridge.

Lots of Teddington children go to Grey Court School in Ham although Teddington schools are good too. Ham Lands nature reserve, the river, streets safe for cycling and on the tow path between Kingston and Richmond. 2 regular buses each way. Richmond Park a mile away.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/159755258#/?channel=RES_LET

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/156814445#/?channel=RES_LET

The other good thing about St Albans is that it is very close to the M25 (orbital motorway around London) and the M1 (going north).

Outskirts of London Borough of Bromley. It's near the M25 and has good train links into central London and virtually all the schools, primary and secondary, are good.

Lots of geeen space eg High Elms Country Park and lots of cutesy villages within a few minutes drive in Kent eg Eynsford, Shoreham. There's even a Roman villa.

Please don't consider Barnes or Richmond. They are both under the flight path to Heathrow. Weirdly, people from that area say they get used to it but it's awful!! I used to work in Richmond and had friends in Barnes. We used to sit in their garden and pretend we couldn't hear the thundering of engines going overhead every 3 minutes. Impossible to talk outdoors. Incredibly noisy and intrusive.

Kingston area is a good option as the train line goes into Waterloo and is close to the m25 plus access to Heathrow

I agree with Eynesford, Shoreham or Sevenoaks. Pretty and country but London easily reachable.

Surbiton is better for trains, though. They got the fast trains because Kingston snootily didn’t want them 🤣.

Eynesford and Shoreham are a slow trek on the train into town, and not direct to Waterloo I think?

Southfields Grid / Wimbledon Park grid is a beautiful family friendly place to live

Wimbledon Park Primary is a great school

Wimbledon Park is lovely, with an athletics track. A boating lake, A playground, paddling pool, swings / Climbing equipment
With Tennis Courts and a cafe..

Transport links are great with the Underground and mainline Trains at Wimbledon going straight into Waterloo
Buses get you into Clapham Junction easily as well

There’s a Gym in Southfields and plenty of Coffee shops, places to eat etc

Yes you can. Train from East Dulwich to London Bridge (10min), then train from London Bridge to Waterloo East (which is waterloo in all but name, as it's only a pedestrian bridge that separates the two stations), so about a 15min journey, excluding the walk to the station.

Yes you can. Train from East Dulwich to London Bridge (10min), then train from London Bridge to Waterloo East (which is waterloo in all but name, as it's only a pedestrian bridge that separates the two stations), so about a 15min journey, excluding the walk to the station.

it's much easier to not have to change & wait for another train though...

I would recommend looking at Balham - especially the area around Telferscot Primary - it walkable to the tube and has a lovely family feel and also right next to Tooting Common.

You’re right. I think the journey from London Bridge to Waterloo East is such an awful (if short) journey I’d erased it from my memory 🤣.

I would recommend looking at Balham - especially the area around Telferscot Primary - it walkable to the tube and has a lovely family feel and also right next to Tooting Common.

But secondaries can be an issue here.

I agree, the South west of town is ideal. I live in East Dulwich and it takes so long to get anywhere unless you are on top of the station.

Private & state schools, loads of green, loads of outdoor stuff to do, loads of nice pubs, just…nice! Very family-oriented round there too.