Stoke Newington and Crouch end too expensive.

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Hi Mums, For those of you that are finding properties and stoke newington and crouch end too pricey, where are you heading or where have you landed. I really want to buy somewhere but my budget is around 500k for a house. I would appreciate your views on new areas in North London which you feel are up and coming in terms of families.

thanks, Asmywhimsy! how fast and frequent is the train to Lon?

I commuted from Hitchin for a few years. There are at least four trains per hour, two fast (approx 25-30 mins to Kings X) two a bit slower (45 mins). At peak times there are more.

The downside is the cost of the train. Fares are not cheap, an annual season ticket is £3,400 or £4,500 with zone 1-6 travelcard and station parking is in the region of £1,000 per annum.

hi Cuthbert, thank you! it it good for someone who doesn't need to commute daily in terns of thiongs to do - is Hitchin very small, any cultural activities at all or clubs etc? if not, what is the nearest bigger city/town apart from London, for more choices? St.Albans?

'in terms of things to do'

Have you looked into Barnet at all - good schools and the end of the Piccadilly and Northern line near by or you can get the over ground.

Ooh, we used to be in crouch End - don't half miss it sometimes. Sorry, not very helpful! We solved the problem by moving out to Bucks

Hitchin's not that small, it's a decent sized market town with all the usual coffee shops plus some nice independent ones too.

When I lived there I commuted full-time so didn't really get the chance to find out about daytime activities.

According to people I know who still live there it's a great place for families.

Walthamstow definitely offers decent value for money, great transport links and has that vibe Stokey had 10 years ago before the wankers moved in and prices got silly

I love Clapton personally, but its still pretty rough.

Green Lanes / Harringay Ladder wouldnt be my first choice. Tube options arent fab and its just not Crouch End, is it?

Wood Green is ropey.

Bounds Green? North Finchley? Slightly more suburban but on the tube and great schools...

Turnpike Lane-Bounds Green.
Green spaces, good transport, good, quite spacious, well priced (for London) properties. Lots to recommend that area.

Walthamstow's good too.

thanks, Asmywhim, it's true that as it takes 30min to London then you can do ALL your cultural stuff there. Definitely worth having a look, thanks.
oh, and what's St.Albans like? not to buy (too expensive) but as a neighbouring town?

We live in crouch end and love, love, love it but with a 3 year old & twins on the way we are having to move. After a v lengthy search process, we have chosen Palmers Green. Still close enough to CE to see friends/ continue with some groups, lovely Broomfield Park, attractive vic/Edwardian housing stock & a couple of good schools ( we hope to be near Hazelwood, also has a children's centre). The high street has a Waitrose - yup, yah. maybe they know something! Keep hearing how people from ally pally, muswell hill & crouch end have been moving there over the last 2 years as obv. being priced out.

We have just bought a house there so can you tell I am trying to sell it to myself as much as you!!!

We're soon-to-be Stokey refugees moving to South Tottenham or Bruce Grove soon. There's are two 'good' and one 'outstanding' primaries within striking distance of broad lane (the one way system) and an outstanding secondary and you're minutes from the Victoria line (15 mins to Ox Circ).

It's not Crouch End or Stokey but, anecdotally, all the estate agents are telling me their offices are full of people moving 'over the hill' from Stokey so in 5 years, who knows...?

I used to live not far from Crouch End. OP, if you PM me, I might be able to help out with your housing query.

You will be lucky to find a family house in Lower Clapton/Homerton for 500k. Unless you want a gut it job. 525 was the most recent price on a 3 bed that I know of. Sorry. It's gone bonkers around here recently; we've had at 3 letters through the door from speculative buyers in the last couple of months. People have even put posters up on lamp posts saying they want to buy a house in the area and leaving their numbers.

Good luck OP - plenty of good advice on this thread.

We're in Southgate/Palmers Green - lots of lovely Edwardian housing stock here (we moved from London Fields when we needed more house for the same money). Transport links are good - Southgate is on the Piccadilly Line and Palmers Green is on a train line into Moorgate...takes 20 minutes in peak times so great if you work in the City and good for West End too as it stops at Finsbury Park and Highbury & Islington.

Primary schools are good - but you need to be careful as they change each year depending on sibling intake and we were caught out by this. Secondary schools also good, but again, need to check your catchment as there's a couple of dodgy ones.

I reckon quite a few people are crossing the North Circular to this area from Muswell Hill, Crouch End etc as they get priced out of those areas.

It's close enough to London to still feel like you're a Londoner, but there are beautiful parks and open spaces and it's very quick into the Hertfordshire countryside... Highly recommend it.

Happy to talk schools/different areas if you're interested...

I should add that unless we end up in catchment for Gladesmore (and it remains good for the next 10 years!) then we'll likely want to move again before our 18mp DD gets to secondary age, though...

Everyone we knew ten years ago in Hornsey, Bounds Green, Crouch End, Palmers Green has now moved out to Hertfordshire, or Enfield at least.