Hi!
I never post on here but thought I would this time, in case it's helpful!
We've lived in the area you talk about for 6 years. We moved from Stroud Green (near St Aidans, where I was at school as a kid). Just to stop the worrying about whether the area itself has a good vibe, it's brilliant! We've loved it here so much and found we've become part of the community so much more than we did in Stroud Green. I loved Stroud Green and Crouch End too - I'm just really saying that it's great here too! There is a lovely local community feel and lots and lots of young families too. People say hi in the street, that sort of thing, and you get to know pretty much everyone who is around at all during the week. We love closer to Ally Pally overground station, on Crescent Road, but that whole sort of triangle of roads from there over to Rhodes Ave has a great community, extending to the streets up towards Muswell Hill.
If you go for Rhodes catchment, you'd be right in the area I'm talking about, but you'd have to be very close (this year it was 0.27 miles, so even Clyde Road didn't get in at first). There is a lovely cafe there, called Owens, where you always see the same people, a few good crafty shops and delis, and the maid of muswell pub (which despite being a but shiny for my pub standards, has good beers and is very friendly, with lots of regular locals). Albert Road Recreation Ground is a great park, with a good cafe and lots of children's activities going on there. But most of it comes down to the fact that the area is friendly and feels slightly more laid back than Crouch End to me (although, as I say, I do like Crouch End a lot). So it's defo not downgrading! It's also good for transport as you can walk quickly to the Pic Line at Bounds Green from there, or the overground into Moorgate (you can nearly always actually get on the train at Ally Pally, and sometimes get a seat even, as the hordes at Hornsey have not yet got on).
Schools-wise, I hear very mixed views on Rhodes Avenue. Friends with kids there often speak of disliking it's exclusive feel, elitism and the fact that it really isn't multi-cultural in the London sense of the word. Some friends with kids who aren't white have decided to look elsewhere, which says something I think. You are expected to shell out a fair bit of cash at the outset on various bits and pieces, and donations, and so on. Fine if you can afford it. It's very much a school of the upper middle classes, generally, as far as I know. People move from all over London to get in and there is a lot of renting to get in going on. A house at the "right" end of Victoria Road would be up to around 300 grand more than the other end. And I've heard of significant snobbery among some parents. BUT a lot of my friends have had their kids go there and these parents really aren't the Rhodes cliche, so clearly it really is that - a cliche. You find what you're looking for, I think, to a certain degree. Kids I know there are happy, and the grounds are nice and away from the main road, next to a park, and as always it's down to parental preference in relation to what's important to you.
I've heard better things overall about Muswell Hill Primary - it seems to be known for it's liberal feel and I think is a bit more mixed and poss laid back. However, I know fewer parents with kids there, so I'm not sure.
I don't know what you like or what's important to you, but it might be worth looking at Bounds Green Primary too, if you do move to the Ally Pally area near Rhodes. Just to throw yet another "type" of school into the mix. This year the catchment expanded due to an extra class, so it went from 0.2 something to 0.48ish. Bounds Green does not have the Outstanding OFSTED label, but it's very very popular with parents for whom Rhodes just isn't right. Our older son has just started there and we already love it. The classes are a lot more mixed culturally and economically - much more of a reflection of London. The head is charismatic and hands on, and it has a great sort of buzz about it. It feels very laid back. No uniform, no rules on clothes or whatnot. But apparently has very good behaviour generally. We briefly considered moving closer to Rhodes but looking at Rhodes and then Bounds Green we realised that we as parents weren't cut out for Rhodes. Bounds Green was way more what we wanted for him - we wanted him to benefit from his local community mix. We've already met some fab parents there, too. Just an idea of something else to look at.
Hope this helps. It's so hard as it's all just other people's jumbled opinions! I'm sure you'll be happy with whatever you choose and find what's best about whichever you go for:-).
Helen