Moving back to London Full Time - any advice on managing work/living/ childcare?

[AllyBea123]

Hello - we are moving back to London and my husband and I will both be working full time in Canary Wharf. We have a 2 yr old and I am curious to know if anyone has advice on how to approach setting ourselves up. i.e. would life be better / easier for all of us if we lived, worked and had nursery in the same place with no commute ? Or is a commute do-able? Previously we lived in SW London and we love the nurseries, parks and kids activities there -- not to mention most of our friends are there. But if it means we can have an extra hour in the morning and evening with our little one then surely living / working/ nursery in the same area would be preferable? Any one have any experiences or thoughts on this one?

Living in canary wharf without any commute would be tricky as not much in the way of housing. A v short commute could certainly be possible by choosing somewhere on the Jubilee line or DLR. Greenwich would be extremely close with one of the best parks in London, very family friendly etc if you have the means.

I used to live in the Docklands when my dd was tiny. Nice to be by the river and Mudchute Farm is nearby. Not sure about childcare, but i think the George Green School is supposed to be ok.
How about Greenwich or Blackheath? Very short commute but nice areas, parks etc.

Think you would find canary wharf a bit quiet at the weekends and not many other families around. Greenwich would be great if you can afford it. The Lewisham side of blackheath for the commute.

Or look a bit further south on london overground (easy change to jubilee) like Brockley. Has own parks but also easy to get to dulwich and the green spaces around there.

thanks all -- appreciate these thoughts & comments.

Hilly Fields (Brockley, Lewisham and Ladywell areas) is gorgeous. Close to Lewisham DLR station.

"Primary school" springs to mind.... If you want to go private, call the relevant schools now to get on the waiting lists if they are still open, else look for the best state primary school and move close to there. school situation is tough in London.

"The school situation" in London is that we have a range of schools, many rated good or outstanding by Ofsted, many others while not rated so highly by Ofsted still highly regarded by their local community. Stop scaremongering!

I live in Honor Oak OP which is a stop along the train from Brockley and second the recommendation for Brockley or Ladywell - it's green, friendly, diverse, good schools, and you could be in Canary Wharf in under 20 minutes in the morning.

Good luck with your search!