Surbiton vs Kingston Upon Thames

[Londonbaby]

Looking for reasonably priced surburb or town outside of London. Can anyone tell me which place is nicer to live for family with very young children in terms of state primary schools, safety, communte to London, community facility, property price/rent? Any more advice if I add Epsom and Esher?

Commute: train from surbiton is quicker than kingston; kingston station quite inconveniently placed as majority of housing is a way away from it. Surbiton has housing both close by the station and a bit further away.

Schools - watch out for tiny catchment areas around primaries in Kingston area - especially latchmere, alexandra. Surbiton has good primaries and the catchment areas are traditionally a bit bigger. Watch out also for church schools unless you're established church-goers. If not, you probably won't get your kids in.

Kingston and Surbiton aren't exactly cheap I have to say: SE london suburbs eg Beckenham will get you more for your money and the commute's good. We're primarily staying around here because we've got friends around ehre now. Don't get me wrong, it's lovely, but it ain't cheap!

Community facility - kingston has a good selection of shops, parks and groups. Also sports facilities. Surbiton also has a high street with day-to-day shops.

I would be tempted to look at New Malden - it's not pretty (well, the high street's not lovely to look at!) but you get far more house for your money than north kingston, schools are generally good and the train journey to waterloo is 20 minutes.

I would pick Kingston because it is bigger and more lively, close to the amazing Richmond Park, and some of the loveliest stretches of the Thames.

I have to say I also love dull old New Malden.

Yeah, me too naked - I think it's a bit underrated, old New Malden. Coombeside is nice, but a bit of a walk from the station. I think N Kingston is really, really overrated and so overpriced compared to what you get new malden way!

I could very happily live in the streets around Beverley Park though those houses go for a lot of money nowadays.

They do....and also, there is road noise from the A3.

Lived in Kingston. Was great for crossing paths with other people during the day, then arranging to get together off the cuff. Live in Surbiton and the place is dead during the day. However the houses all have big gardens (wouldn't get same house in Kingston), are generally bigger I think and it's a "nice" place to live even if it makes me feel v old. Still walk/bus it into Kingston loads so is possible to have best of both worlds. Primaries in both areas good, but both under pressure from numbers of small children in area. Big headache in few years with secondaries I think.

Lived in Surbiton. I wouldn't say it was dead during the day! Loads of young families IME.

Flipside of that is that schools are massively overstretched; most Surbiton and Kingston schools now have extra classes in Portakabins. They're building a new primary on the site of the old Surbiton Hospital as we speak though so that should ease things slightly. Tolworth end of Surbiton is less prestigious but more affordable and still has green space and stuff.

Epsom is cheaper again, the town itself is nice but very varied in terms of residential areas - you'd have to look carefully. Esher/Claygate lovely but super-expensive.

HTH

I live in-between Kingston and Surbiton town centres, so get the best of both worlds. Property slightly cheaper than that in North Kingston, Surbiton station is brilliant for a London commute and area lively thanks to families and hoards of uni students.

I should think the ops made her mind up and moved by now sallybee