Relocating to Kingston-upon-Thames

[BlanketSnow]

We’re considering relocating to Kingston from zone 1. We have primary age children. I know very little about the area other than schools being good (but with potentially very small catchments). I would love to hear from people who know the area. What should we consider? I am concerned about moving somewhere new where I don’t know anyone. I imagine it would have been much easier to meet people when the kids were younger.

Does the area feel safe? Is property there a good investment?

We have a child who loves ballet and swimming but have been told there is no council leisure centre so no local pool.

There's a pool at the Malden Centre which is in the borough

https://www.placesleisure.org/centres/malden-centre/

Love Kingston, lived in and around there for 25 years and planning to move back. The. Shopping centre is great, though slow train to London is a bit of a pain .

The location, green spaces and river are great.

Not sure about the schools. There is Tiffin boys and girls. Both super selective grammars and very hard to get in. Dont know about the other state schools

There is also a private grammar,Kingston Grammar, so not really a grammar , which had a good reputation when I was looking at these things about 7 years ago.

Kingston can be a bit rough, but isn't too bad on the whole.

Just a few minutes away is Surbiton, which seems to have loads of schools (can't personally recommend any of them), and is less rough than Kingston, while only being 10 minutes walk or 5 minutes bus ride away.

It also has a much faster train line into London.

What about New Malden?

I think the only part of Kingston that can reasonably be described as rough is the centre after dusk. Otherwise, it has a relatively low crime rate doesnt it? I live literally 15 mins walk away in LB Richmond, which is the safest borough in London. Kingston is almost certainly safer than wherever it is you are moving from, OP.

If you can tell us what part of the borough you are moving to we could be more helpful with schools.

I would be very happy to live in Kingston. It has excellent public transport, good shopping, good schools, a good hospital, low crime rate and is generally leafy and attractive. People are friendly and less rushed than they are in the centre.

The only downsides I can think of are the aforementioned town centre after dusk (which isnt terrifying but groups of warring teens do ruin the vibe for the rest of us) and the terrible traffic snarls around the centre.

Swimming pools: depends on what part of the borough you are in, and I see you've had one suggestion. Another would be Teddington pool, which is ten minutes by bus from Kingston bus garage and has lots of classes. The posh mums round here (sadly I am not one of them) join the Lensbury club, which has a lovely riverfront location, a pool, soft play and loads of classes.

You could also consider relocating to Richmond borough, which has excellent schools and is very safe and leafy. I live between the river and Bushy Park, and can walk along the river to Kingston or Richmond. By road, I can walk to Kingston town centre in 25 minutes. All the schools in this part of Richmond are really good, and its very safe. There is a lovely community feel.

Housing in Kingston and Richmond is a safe investment, so far as one can predict the housing market. It's not cheap, but people will always want to live here.

I moved here from zone 1 when my kids started primary, and I was stunned by how easily I made friends. (It gets harder when they go to secondary.) It made me wish I had moved here when pregnant, as I often found early motherhood in zone 1 lonely and stressful.

It's a great area to raise kids. The slow train to Waterloo is a pain, but for me countered by the ease of getting around locally. I don't have a car and reckon this is the furthest out I could go and not have that be a problem. I loved that my children were able to go to their local secondary, along with loads of friends from primary, and then walk ten minutes home because there are so many good schools here. I would hate to have them commute across town as many London kids seem to do.

I’m from up north and always enjoy visiting the Kingston and Richmond areas on my 3 monthly visits. I find Kingston good for shopping and it’s very close to Bushy Park and Hampton Court Palace, with good connections to Central London. I often stay in the area as it’s cheaper. Love walking by the Thames too. Kingston offers a lot - nature, history, good vibe and good shopping options.