So where *is* the best place to bring up children?

[BananaSkin]

Following on from the thread on Parenting about bringing up children in London, where do you think would be a good place to bring them up? Is there anywhere that is safer, interesting, has cultural richness, good schools etc?

[Lazza03]

Camden, Larkhall, Claremont, that's my neck of the woods, nice, quite arty, close enough to town and fields, Good views if up on the hill. And your kids can always score at snow hill.....only joking! (Kinda)

[OrmIrian]

Doesn't matter all that much. Assuming you're excluding really terrifying estates and areas rife with crime and violence (which is a tiny proportion really)

If they have a good network of friends (and family if possible). A good grounding at home. And involved parents.

A 'nice' place makes it easier for parents that's all.

[ANTagony]

I'm in North Wales. Beautiful sandy beaches, free prescriptions for young and old, excellent public transport, full time school available from 2.5 if you put them in a mixed medium school, normal school from 3 optional, no uni fees (I think), excellent subsidised pre and post school clubs, free leisure center use in summer holidays, local based WAG childrens groups looking after childrens issues, excellent fast train 2.5 hrs to London. Good road access (less than an hour) to Liverpool, Chester and Manchester. Rarely traffic jams - I actually have a friend who tunes into the traffic news whilst driving on clear roads on the coast road to remind herself just how lucky we are. Oh and really good house prices relative to South England. I sold a one/two bed terrace in Bath and brought a 4 bed, 4 reception in the middle of a village with half an acre, orchard, selection of mature trees and sea views and to top it all had change from the deal. Did I mention I like it! Horses for courses I guess - really depends on what makes you happy - what works for me maybe someone elses nightmare.

[staranise]

How many people can really move to their ideal location? I agree, PP make north Wales, Circencester, Bath etc all sound lovely but could everyone find work there? Not being sarcastic, am genuinely interested in how flexible people can be in choosing a place to live re. having to be somewhere specific for work (not counting a horrendous commute).

I work freelance from home so am v flexible but DH (by far the larger income) is firmly grounded in London for the time being and that's primarily the reason why we moved from my ideal place (Spain).

[myredcardigan]

It really depends what you're looking for and everyone disagrees on these things.

We moved up to Cheshire from a very affluent Surrey village last summer. We're the bit of Cheshire just south of Manchester and I love it here. It's very urban but just as lovely as surrey but unfortunately for us, we found it almost as expensive. We're southerners and I haven't had any problems.

I've lived all over the country and loved lots of it. I've always loved being by the sea or in the countryside but although it's great when they're little, IME they're not great for teenagers.

I love having everything Manchester has to offer on my doorstep but being far enough out to benefit from excellent schools and amenities.

[Heifer]

We moved up from Wiltshire to the Wirral in December. We could have moved anywhere and decided on the Wirral.

It is a lovely place, only 10 mins from Liverpool, 25 mins from Chester and 40 mins from North Wales beaches.

Great schools, enough workplaces nearby, great transport and very friendly people. Lots of sports clubs locally.

We can walk to school, walk to the village shops (grocer, butcher etc) walk to pubs, only 10 mins away from nice beaches, estuary etc and of course the mersey!

Tis the right place for us to be.

[BananaSkin]

Thanks Lazza

[mumof2fabkids]

We live in Merseyside now, just outside of Liverpool, bordering Lancashire and it is fab. Great place to bring up children, close to everything, very low crime rates, despite what you might see on TV. We moved here for the schools would you believe, made great friends, lovely country pubs, a country life with an urban mix, on the coast, just perfect, and the people are wonderful. We all Love it, just hope we don't have to move due to DH's job.

[Lazza03]

Places to avoid in Bath are, Twerton, Whiteway, Oldfield Park (don't be fooled by the victorian houses at nice prices) and Peasedown. Most other bits are OK.

[BananaSkin]

What's wrong with Oldfield Park? I thought it was quite 'respectable'.

[Bundle]

I'd say at home

otherwise would involve lots of commuting

[PeachyBAHonsBirthdayGirl]

I like it here, moved here 3 years ago, SE Wales (Caerleon)

villagey, close to cardiff, good schools, cheap housing, loads of free museums, etc

[PeachyBAHonsBirthdayGirl]

oh and we have 3 cities in 45 minutes drive, 5 in an hours- excellevt (cardiff, newport, bristol, bath, swansea)

[Lazza03]

Went to school there for 5 years, was always rough. Wouldn't live there, even if people try to persuade me it's OK now. Maybe it has changed, but it's right next to Twerton and the wrong side of town for me.

[granarybeck]

We live in Hertfordshire which is safe, good schools, 25 mins to london, close to countryside

[ThingOne]

Bananaskin

Oldfield Park is full of students. They take six months to learn which day their bins are emptied. Then they have exams and obviously can't remember which day when studying. Then they go home. Absentee landlords fail to maintain properties. It's a bugger as houses are nice. Primary schools not so good.

For St Stephen's you need to live within about half a mile or attend the church. For Bathwick St Mary (the other "excellent" school) I think this year only church attenders got it.

I'd also avoid Odd Down and Southdown.

Staranise - lots of the daddies commute to London or work from home. Not just in Bath but throughout Wiltshire and Somerset. You are right that there are not loads of jobs. There are jobs in Bristol and Swindon if you like commuting.

[notasheep]

Wales is fantastic (I have lived in Oxford and Surrey)

My children play out in the street unsupervised and my view from lounge is of the sea

[gladders]

We live in Blackheath SE London - nice quiet area, decent school within walking distance - easy access to London for jobs, airports and culture. Will not be moving!

[puppydavies]

lol at other person's nightmare antagony - i was a teenager in north wales and it scarred me for life, no kidding. i think if you're an outdoorsy type who doesn't mind driving everywhere and can fit in with small town mindsets it could be great...

[BananaSkin]

ThingOne - thanks for that. I guess houses around those two schools must be extortionate then.

Lots of people from Wales I see - are you all Welsh? how do the Welsh welcome you? (My Dad's Welsh, I guess I could play on that a bit).

[piratecat]

i think Blackheath is great, used to live down the road.

Prob the one place i would go back to if i could ever find the cash!!
Do they have housing asscociation properties there so i could do a swap?

[flubdub]

I live here. Its in Lancashire and a BRILLIANT place to bring up kids. Both my mum and dads whole families have lived here all their life, and Iv NO intention of bringing my dcs up anywhere else.
Its Britains first fair trade town too!

[UnquietDad]

Yorkshire. Cheapish housing, lovely countryside, cities nearby for culture and sport. If you can put up with people saying "grass" and "path" wrongly it's great.

[NigellaTheOriginal]

Bananaskin - I'm in marlborough! (have i just outed myself?)
Schools O.K secondary scool v good, lots of poncy private ones near. crime virtually zero. transport shite. Swindon average big town - mainline trains but picey but smaller stations not too far away which are cheaper. hour to Bristol, hour and a bit to london.
counrtyside beautiful. nothing to do for teenagers. possible new theatre in the pipeline. No cheap supermarket - Waitrose or M&S. Lots of posh ladies shops. No childrens clothes shops. Lots of sports clubs. leisure centre.
rather nice all in all. and safe.

[JRocks]

I live in Cornwall, and it's great for us - but I like the pace of life and can see that its not for everyone. There's plenty for DS right on our doorstep, and the rest isn't too far a drive away.