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Original poster

Family friendly areas in London

60 replies

Booklover · 23/05/2006 22:35

We currently live in North London (Islington) but consider moving a bit further out as properties are just so expensive. Just wondering if you can recommend any areas that seem very family friendly, have a nice feel about it and are safe and affordable - hopefully they do exist?!

OP posts:
controlfreaky2 · 23/05/2006 23:29

errr reality check. you live in islington bl. in NORTH LONDON. ealing is in west london. it is a DIFFERENT COUNTRY.... (ill stop shouting now and go for a lie down).

unicorn · 23/05/2006 23:29

\link{http://www.godolphinandlatymer.com/content.asp?Content=The%20School\it's a girl's school}

Earlybird · 23/05/2006 23:36

Thanks for all info. It's fun to dream. What would be average price range for a 3 or 4 bed house?

unicorn · 23/05/2006 23:43

Posh Pitshanger- probably 500-600 thousand for a 4 bed.. further South Ealing more like 350-450

\link{http://www.findaproperty.com/area.aspx?areaid=0051&opt=story&storyid=0690\more info}

Earlybird · 23/05/2006 23:49

OOh thanks for that unicorn. It's really informative and helpful. There's alot to study, and I think I'll have to leave it until morning to do it justice. Off to bed now.

BrenthamBelle · 23/05/2006 23:57

It's a 12 minute walk from our house to Hanger Lane tube station.

I don't know much about the private secondaries (children very young), but there seems to be a proliferation of them. Our neighbours moved to Brentham specifically because of a private girls school nearby (sorry, don't know the name!).

Earlybird · 24/05/2006 10:38

I've never been there, but have always wondered about Wanstead as a place to live ever since it was named one of the best "villages" in greater London area by Time Out. Anyone know what it's like there?

Bugsy2 · 24/05/2006 11:16

Wanstead is ok. Surprised it was named the best village in Greater London, over Wimbledon, Richmond, Hampstead etc.
My ex-H's grandpa & grandma lived there & we often went to visit. There are some nice open spaces and recently money has been injected to tidy some of the park & lake areas up. The new M11 extension has improved the road links but some of the traffic routing is not great around that way.

Earlybird · 24/05/2006 11:39

Bugsy, thanks for feedback. The Time Out article was a few years ago (but was a cover story). IIRC, criteria was based on several factors, but some were to do with having a sense of local/individual community - ie neighbourhood shops/restaurants, rather than a high street filled with chain stores.

Bugsy2 · 24/05/2006 11:48

I'd say it definitely has an individual sense of community & certainly doesn't have a high street full of the major retailers. In that way it has a slightly old-fashioned feel to it.

Original poster
Booklover · 26/05/2006 11:50

Wow, haven't been on the net for a few days and now all these messages, great. We had a look at Crouch End and it is very nice and family friendly but still quite expensive. There is nothing wrong with Islington at all controlfreaky2, I love it here but we would like to move to a bigger flat and just can't afford it here as we are on one salary at the moment and my husband doesn't work in the City, seems these lucky people can afford properties in Islington without any problems. Will certainly look at some of the other areas you suggested! Thanks a lot

OP posts:
Marina · 26/05/2006 12:01

Interesting about Wanstead bugsy...dh has three colleagues with kids and they all happily live there or in S Woodford - does sound a good place to be.
Have to agree for the most part with Pollyanna about schools in Blackheath and Greenwich - not all the primaries are bad, some of them are very good - but state secondary education in LB Greenwich is in a dire state :(, near the bottom of London and national league tables at the mo
All those lovely families end up either moving or bussing their kids miles away to either state provision in neighbouring Bromley and Bexley, or going private. :(

mythumbelinas · 26/05/2006 12:05

booklover, how about southgate area? still north london but zone 4 i think. I had some friends who bought a new flat there and i remember a nice high st with lots of shops, restaurants, banks nearby, a lovely local pub called old cherry tree which was child friendly ..

blueshoes · 26/05/2006 12:55

Agree with Marina on Greenwich and Blackheath schools. Be prepared to go private - Blackheath better schools than Greenwich. Can try angling for good state primary, but you would probably be stuffed at secondary. If you can stomach private all the way, I couldn't recommend Blackheath and Greenwich more. Lurve it!!

MissChief · 26/05/2006 12:58

blackheath is wonderfully family-friendly! Move into the catchmt of Brooklands (ie cator estate) and you'll be more than ok for state primary - it's v good. Secondary fairly poor though, move or go private I guess!

Marina · 26/05/2006 14:12

Have you seen the prices for the Brooklands catchment area MissChief?! Shock The OP can't afford Crouch End...
I think this debate shows that when family resources are finite something has to give. I am not sure there is anywhere in Greater London that combines easy access to a fair choice of quality schools with affordable housing stock and a good range of family attractions.
We left Blackheath because we simply couldn't afford to trade up in the area :(. I miss it every day but we are better placed for schools at all levels and can afford a house in our much less bijou suburb.

MissChief · 26/05/2006 15:04

IKWYM, Marina! Would have loved one of those gorgeous georgian piles on blackheath park, sadly ever so slightly out of our budget..Wink
However, if you can stand them, there are all the Span estates (small-scale 60s private housing with private gardens set also with communal gardens). Love them or hate them, they are relatively affordable for the area.

foxinsocks · 26/05/2006 15:13

when were you in blackheath marina? (not that I would have recognised you anyway!)

Blu · 26/05/2006 15:18

Marina is 'down the road' from B'heath rather than in it, but I suspects hankers after Georgian piles...

Mercy · 26/05/2006 15:19

Booklover, a friend of mine moved to Enfield - house prices cheaper, ditto council tax. Don't know about schools though.

foxinsocks · 26/05/2006 15:20

I meant when did you live there?

(sorry, writing as I'm thinking rather than explaining myself!). I lived there in '99 briefly. It is a lovely place but the train service (which was rubbish at the time) used to drive me potty.

Marina · 26/05/2006 15:21

I was lurking in St John's Park (Standard end of the Heath Wink)throughout the 90s FIS. Sigh.
Actually I rather like Span, MissChief, and the Gough Coopers in Lee Park are fine by me too, but Blush even those were and still are just outside our price range.
Someone from my NCT group moved from the Cator recently and I nearly passed out when I saw the price of their lovely house...
My parents were Blackheath exiles too, after they had me Shock. And I never go on about it to ds because I grew up under the mushroom of "Such a shame we had to leave Blackheath" Wink

foxinsocks · 26/05/2006 15:22

I also liked Greenwich but found parts of SW london much more affordable than the nice parts of Blackheath/Greenwich.

Marina · 26/05/2006 15:23

Don't rub it Blu. I did live there once you know Wink and did briefly coincide with FIS from the look of things. If you saw a rusty-haired weeble tottering across the heath FIS that was me with ds on board...
Agree trains were rubbish. Sidcup line huge improvement!

foxinsocks · 26/05/2006 15:28

did you go the New Year's Eve concert in Greenwich park that year (99/00)?