In which bit of London would you choose to live?

[spacemonkey]

I moved to Islington in the summer. As I expected, it's a very mixed area - some posh bits, some rough bits. I know the whole of London is like this, pretty much, but this area seems particularly polarised. Anyway, to get to the point, I am thinking about moving again in the new year, in fact I'm going to look at a flat in Bayswater this weekend, and from the minimal investigations I've done it seems to me that Bayswater will suit me much better.

I'm loving living in London, and ideally I want to be somewhere central, buzzing (i.e. not quiet residential but lots of shops/restaurants etc), not too posh, not too rough and preferably further west.

Any recommendations for me? Where would you choose and why?

hugs, thank you TC, you really are lovely XXX

Do you think she just needs time to settle in SM, it is a big move but maybe if she can get involved in something and make some new mates, she'll settle down a bit? Sorry if i'm putting my 2penneth in where it's not needed.

yeah it will SM, they're plenty big enough bedrooms, could fit 5 to a bed

That was the plan DG, but she refuses to go out so it's hard to help her to make new friends. She's been out with my sis once and she came to the fireworks at Ally Pally, but other than that she won't even be tempted by offers of lunch at carluccio's.

we were at the fireworks too, SM, it was bloomin packed wasn't it?

I'm hurt sm, tc is welcome to you after that.

yeah! I couldn't believe how many people turned up! The display was pretty good though wasn't it

what if i get a massive bed and we can all three fit in it lou?

and I guess she prefers being home ed too. Hope you'll be able to sort it all out SM

3 to a bed eh, very cosy

was good, there's v little in the way of fireworks norf of the river these days so they all either go there or east.
speaking of big beds...i once had a sleepover with 5 other girlies at a friend's house and in the morning we all got our tea/toast and climbed into the hostess's bed - which was big enough for all of us! i'd never seen anything like it. .

Well actually she doesn't prefer being home ed, she wants to go back to her old (crappy) school, but they have said they don't have a place for her. So xh is going to lodge an appeal with the LEA to try and make the school take her back. Really it's me that's so keen on home edding her. Call me a stupid old hippy but I think it would be better for her than school. However the choice has to be hers.

Lou and I always share a bed, Eric and Ern stylee, when she comes to stay. It's brilliant!

that's a lovely picture

sm, I have lived in

Baron's Court
Bayswater (OMG Hatherley Grove too Bundle!)
Chiswick (Stamford Brook End)
Shepherd's Bush
Chiswick (Turnham Green End)
St John's Wood (but over towards Maida Vale, opposite Lords, not up the 'igh street with the diamond and fur shops LOL)
Chiswick (back to Stamford Brook end)
Putney (East)
Putney (West)
and finally.....

East Sheen (Barnes side, just)

I think of all the places I lived, St John's Wood was fab as you could walk to Soho etc, cab it back half or fully cut for £5, Regent's Park/Marylebone/Little Venice etc just around the corner and excellent transport.

Must say E.Sheen is great, but my needs are very different to yours. It has fantastic primary schools, I can walk to Richmond Park in 10 mins which is important with a Ridgeback and I can unequivocally say it is the friendliest place I have ever lived. Great mix of people too and realy people IYKWIM, not just Bankers and Eurotrash IYKWIM.(apologies to all Bankers and Eurotrash) Also is 15 mins into Waterloo and don't have to get on a bloody tube (which I think I used twice in my last 2 years in Putney, I really really think the tube is overrated and overground underrated!)

went to france for my hen weekend and we were 9 to a bed after our night out . A great laff, the poor waiter who bought us room service was terrified poor bloke !

Any particular views on Bayswater CD?

btw I went to visit sophable yesterday and we were listening to your mad 80s Lullaby compilation - one of the most bizarre things I've ever heard!

Agree it's better that the choice is hers I suppose but the likelyhood is, even if the appeal goes through its not going to be this side of xmas is it? So, things could well have changed by then, hope so.

Oh I very much doubt it would be before Christmas, no. Will just have to see what happens. It's just odd, they've been with me for the last 6 years (since xh and I separated), and suddenly they have both chosen to go and live with him. Perhaps that is actually a good thing, I really don't know at the moment. They are coming back for the weekend tomorrow though

wow, CD! we once had someone knock at our door mistaking our address for the brothel over the road!

so difficult for you SM. All I can say is, not that it will help in the slightest is at least you give them free will to make their own choices and will be there for them when they choose to return, which i'm sure they will. That can't be held against you at least, not that it helps now.

It does help (a bit) DG What really helps is hearing how much happier they sound now, and as their mum I want them to be happy, even if that means they're not with me all the time any more.

That nearly made me cry then SM

and that's what they'll remember, believe me! Have they tried to persuade you to go back too?