Where to move to in London? HELP

[MrsLilac]

I am pregnant the moment with my first which is very exciting but it is early days. I currently live in Kentish Town in north London which I LOVE! Unfortunately, out little place is too small for a baby and has stairs up the front door so would be really hard with a pram. DH and I have decided we have to move which is very sad but the start of a new era.

Anyway, we want to move to another area of London where our money will go further so we can get a 2 bed house or flat with a garden. I want the area to have a nice park preferably and other mums to make friends with and somewhere relatively safe to walk from train / tube at night.

Lots of our friends live east so we are tempted to go that way (although they are all childless). I don't mind being fairly far out but DH needs to be able to get to work around bond street quite easily (within 30-45 mins). I am clueless about good family orientated places but we are very flexible.

Any suggestions?

I would look for places in NW London.There are some nice places in Neasden around Welsh Harp,Gladston Park ...Jubilee line,Metropolitan.....

Budget?
It seems ridiculously early, but it would be good t think about schools, too.

Yes, what is your budget?

If you have friends east then south-east or east along the Jubilee line might be good. But it depends on budget and also whether you can stretch that commuting time to closer to an hour.

Yes, look at schools if you are planning to buy. And not in a vague 'oh, there are some good ones' way. Effective catchments can be tiny. Our old house in south-east London was near three good schools (0.4 of a mile, 0.4 of a mile, 0.5 of a mile) and we wouldn't have got into any of them.... Buying is so expensive what with stamp duty, etc that you really, really don't want to be doing it again in four years.

Southgate/Oakwood are perfect for families IMO and both on the Piccadilly line. They are pricey though. What's your budget like?

Kilburn/west Hampstead are relatively nice area's.

I'm in West Harrow and it's lovely. Quick on to town on the Met line, huge park near me, we've got a 2 bed maisonette with a garden :) there's loads going on for mums and babies as well :)

Yes budget would have been useful! We are either going to rent out our current house and we should get £2000 a month for it. We have done amazing well on our house. Bought for £280,000 now worth £650,000 -£700,000 coz of new French school across the road hiked property prices 40%! Would rather not spend it all and we are tempted to rent to make sure we like an area. No idea what is better. Schooling is definitely important to us, hadn't thought about it and I'm a teacher!

If you've got that much to spend why not just go to nappy valley! I used to live in clapham junction and loved it, unfortunately couldn't afford to buy there. South of the river is lovely!

What about Crystal Palace? Very like Kentish Town in feel (funky, up and coming, new shops, restaurants etc). Fantastic park and good schools, starting to have a lot of young families. Commute to Bond St would be about 40 mins via tube, change onto Jubilee Line at Canada Water. Easy reach for friends in East London on Overground. Your budget would go a long way there too. Close to new leisure centres in West Norwood and Streatham.

Have you thought about South East? If Bond St commute is your aim, you could consider south east london, close to the stations on the Overground (old East London line) - good journey with a quick change to jubilee line at Canada Water. Honor Oak, Forest Hill, Sydenham, Crystal Palace etc. Sydenham very baby/family friendly. If you can afford more then Dulwich again super baby friendly and if you pick the right spot trains go into London Bridge for change to Jubilee.
The advantage of this area is that you are still close to central London (only zone 3 ish) but with much more of a suburbs/family feel.

Some great suggestions. I'm spending far too much time on right move at the moment! Definitely thinking east would be better...

Just looked at clap ham junction- wow, money doesn't go far there!

Would definitely recommend forest hill/honor oak. Same commute route as from crystal palace, but a bit shorter. Forest hill has the horniman park (and museum) and a short walk to dulwich park.

Also recommend dulwich if you can afford it, lovely place! Though not on the orange overground line like crystal palace/honor oak/forest hill, which would get you and a buggy to your friends quickly and easily.

Perhaps plan a day trip down that way over Easter weekend?

Something else to consider, being pregnant in dulwich/some parts of forest hill would put you in catchment for kings college hospital, which has fantastic antenatal care and facilities.

Harrow, Ruislip areas are good for families. Also Perivale and Horsended (Sudbury tube stations on Picadilly line.)

Just looked at clap ham junction- wow, money doesn't go far there!

No it doesnt but if you've got kids it's a really great place to live, very easy. Got a good atmosphere about it. Lovely shops, the c

Silly phone.

The common is great, and loads of baby groups and child friendly cafés. It's full of mums.

Or look to tooting or balham just down the road. As clapham is expensive people have started moving down. We're in streatham and it's still affordable but it won't be. They've built a new leisure centre here.

Look around Denmark Hill and Peckham Rye stations. Close enough to east Dulwich for loads of baby activities and mum groups, but your money will go a bit further. Puts you in catchment for King's superb antenatal care. Friends in East London very easily accessible via the overground from both stations (although if travelling with pram, DH is step-free, PR isn't!)

I would echo Frumious's recommendation of Denmark Hill / Peckham Rye area. It's pretty central and if you like Kentish Town, there is a similar 'buzzy' feel (lots of great restaurants round Camberwell Green etc) but still near enough to nappy valley in Dulwich. Don't go too far north of Peckham Road though as it gets a bit rough - although lots of regeneration planned etc.