Anyone live in Southwark area of London?

[expatkat]

I'm increasingly fed up with my current neighbourhood and I wonder if moving somewhere else in London would be a less dramatic step than my current fantasy of moving back to NYC. What are the pros and cons of, say, Southwark for a family with 2 small kids?

Bran, Primrose Hill and Belsize Park seem to me like versions of where I live. And actually I lived in Primrose Hill for 4 months before moving to my current neighborhood (where I've been for 5+ years) and found lots to like about it, but in the end I thought it was overrated. Where I lived in P.H. actually bordered on Camden, spacedonkey, so I have some familiarity with Camden, too, but I suspect that contending with the market crowds each weekend would drive me bananas after a while. As for Bayswater, it's very near where I am now (I'm there at least once a week) and, again, feels similar. I feel like a more dramatic move is in order--and somehow I like the idea of south. Don't know why. Just like the feel of things there.

JJ, you bring up a very good point about switching schools. But I LOVE the school he's going to be going to, so I would switch him with a bit of heartbreak, whether that's here or in NY.

Oh, dear, I'm so difficult--I do recognize that. Thanks again, everyone, for all the helpful suggestions.

don't move a distance away from chosen school .. it will drive you loopy within 3 days .. I think you should always, if possible, be within walking distance of school

oh and if you love one school you may love another ..

Can I ask a question without offending?

Are you running away from something? Do you think that maybe if you moved area everything would be much better in your life?

are you sure there is nothing you could do with your current area that might make you happier? clubs you could join / places to go .. trying out new things?

is this all connected with relationship problems?

don't mean to be deep if not relevant but it does sound a little bit like running away not running towards something

Oh--I also like east, like Hoxton, but I think then I'd definitely have to rethink ds's school. Hackney/Islington etc. . .I like those areas, but would have to get over the bad associations I have with them due to painful fallings out with 2 sets of Islington people, and Hackney feels dangerously close to Islington. I have way too many half-baked and uneducated opinions about London neighborhoods, as you can see.

No offense taken, Twig. Yeah, the relationship is part of the problem, but I think my unhappiness with my surroundings is contributing to the relationship problems.

So what is it exactly about current area you dislike so much?

dp refers to Maida Vale as "cold" and warned me off going to live there

Perhaps you have a 5 year itch expatkat. DH and I have tended to move to a completely different part of London every 5 years or so, I just like settling in part, discovering new shops and restaurants etc. We've been in our current place for about 4 years, but the area is changing very quickly so perhaps that's why we aren't feeling the urge to move yet.

Why don't you contact estate agents, or trawl the property websites and then go and see different places, that's the bit that I really enjoy. Either it will convince you that it's not worth moving and make you more settled where you are, or you might find somewhere that you really like. You should definitely have a look at Wapping/Limehouse, the commute on the Jubilee line from Canary Wharf would be a pain but the area sounds like what you're looking for.