Maybe moving to London. Very in need of advice. Please help!

[Kate1603]

My husband will start working in London soon. Currently we live in Oxfordshire. We are deciding between a move and a long commute. We have two children, 6 and 4. We like where we live, but he wouldn't see the children from Sun evening to Sat morning. We looked at Charlton, as has gplood space, is afforrdable, is an easy.commute and is quite but close to Greenwich and Blackheath when we need busy.
My Mother thinks it is e crazy to move to London with children if you are not pretty rich. She says we are putting the choildren at risk from crime and poor quality air.
My brother says that London is great, but that the east has a reputation for a reason, and we should.not live there.
Can anybody help? Is London terribly dangerous for children or teens? What is Charlton like to live in?

[sats1977]

Another vote for Crystal Palace, we lived there until this October and we all loved the massive park with it's great playground, maze and dinosaurs. There are also lots of events in the summer and the restaurants in the triangle are fantastic (esp. Numidie, Exhibition Rooms and Joanna's). Also great pubs such as the Westow, very quirky and homely. The area has a very villagey and leafy feel, great for families and there are fabulous views over London. Also, it's very easy to get to London Bridge on the train that runs overground.

[Moominsarehippos]

God, you are close then! Probably... one stop from me! Wooooooooooo.

[mumzy]

I think your db is being very insular every "naice" part of london borders onto less saburious areas for example blackheath is a stones throw away from plumstead, lewisham and welling. I think if you are serious about living in london you need to factor this in otherwise opt for a commuter town to the east in Essex for example as then your dh will have have a reasonable commute to Tower Hill

[Kate1603]

This is accurate, she is.

I am open to suggestions, forest hill and CP were on our list. We saw Charlton and really liked it. I had found some schools but now further complicated by eldest nppossibly needong extra support... A separate discussion. Wasn't sure whether to keep looking, or stick with what had seen and liked. London so massive, feel could look forever.

What are places south and east of Charlton like? Kid brook, Eltham, Woolwich....

The diversity is something that really draws me to London, that and keeping my family together of course. Does the cosmopolitan aspect extend to Surrey, Kent, etc?

[Kate1603]

Also, a few people have mentioned to me that I need to factor in well off and less dell off areas in close proximity. Personally, I think that's how the world should work, but what does it mean practically? How do you need to factor this in on a daily basis?

Thanks for all your help and advice, we are really valuing it!

[DowntonTrout]

For example I live in an area in, but on the edge of, Marylebone. A couple of minutes up the road and it becomes Lisson Grove. Marylebone is lovely, Lisson Grove has had serious problems.

I have no reason to go in that direction but people from Lisson Grove need to come in my direction for tubes, buses shops etc. I live on a side street so not the main thoroughfare but even so, it is very much more culturally mixed than the area around Marylebone high Street. Yet that is still only a few streets away.

I feel safe. I have my 11 year old daughter here and am quite happy to let her walk to/from school but we walk past cars that have had their windows smashed regularly. I make sure all the doors and windows are locked in my flat. It's things like that.

[hatsybatsy]

Kidbrooke - maybe- there is a massive new development which has lovley new houses and the landscaping etc looks great - kidbrooke station would be about 20 mins direct to London Bridge. drawback is that it has no village centre as such - and the new development is untested.

Woolwich - have no direct insight - the town centre is not great?

Eltham - there are some really nice areas close to the High Street. Transport links look good. Large housing stock nearby but - per earlier comments, you'd need to take care over where to live - Eltham/Avery Hill - good. New Eltham - not so much.

In terms of living near not so well off areas - I don't think this affects day to day living? It's just something to be aware of - but not something which affects my decision to continue to live in SE London?

if you are struggling with the idea of London but need commute to London Bridge - then Chelsfield has very good train links in? And is much greener/less urban.