From the burbs to Zone 1/2

[Samnella]

We currently live in the suburbs of London on the SW trains line. After trawling through houses and schools nearby we have had a change of heart and want to move back into London. Most people seem to go the other way but DH is miserable spending an hour a day on the train/tube so where can I focus for good schools/nice places to live.

Depends on your budget and the age of your children - will you need primary?

It largely depends on your budget. Zone 1/2 is pretty pricey hence why a lot of families move in the opposite direction. Dulwich has very good private and state schools yet still fairly close into central London. Islington is also a good bet, not sure about schools. St johns wood and Maida Vale are lovely places to live again not sure about schools. Further east towards Victoria Park is also really lovely, no tube, however as we found when contemplating this is that there are fewer good schools in East London therefore the only option is to travel to the next borough or go private.

Budget £600k but we would consider renting out our house and renting ourseves. A garden is not a necessityif near a park. We would need primary and secondary. Thanks.

Depends where your DH works as well - I'm in zone 2 but travel over an hour to work in Canary Wharf.

jammy, isn't there a tube in Victoria Park? what are the lovely bits there - and is there an overground? hope Op doesn't mind me asking own q's!

Good primary schools in Hammersmith, but catchment is tiny! Not sure about secondary schools. Chiswick is the same - good local primaries, but not sure about secondary schools.

alla No tube but Id say about a mile or so, south west of the park you have Bethnal Green or Cambridge Heath overground. I found I felt cut off from the west end. (I lived near London Feilds and later further up towards stokey) As you largely have to get a bus to the overground or nearest tube etc.

The Gatehouse School is really good. We went to see it and were really impressed. It was our closest option, had we decided to stay in London. Most of the roads joining the park are lovely. Think large Georgian houses and some Victorian too. Victoria park village (I think it's called) is lovely, nice cafe culture with various reastuarants and gastro pubs. It just has a very relaxed, family friendly feel to it. We were looking at a mile radius of VP village and loved it.

thanks, jammy! so you mean you didn't mind being cut iff from West End, as it was so lovely anyway? or did you eventually got tired of transport issues? I must say. I've nver been in VP at all. Bethnal Green as such I've been to but nothing nice about it (on the surface so to speak), I assume it's not classed as the same area.

sorry, so many typos, I must get away from computer, long evening!

alla Bethnal Green is a bit meh. Not the same area at all. If you get a chance go at the weekend, it always seems buzzing. Lots of things happening. The park itself is packed on a weekend morning. It seems every familly in a 5 mile radius takes their kids there to let off steam. Ohhh and the fish and chips place in VP village is reason enough to go.

what I meant was as lovely as it is, I couldn't get over being cut off from the tube. 15 minutes bus journey then 25minutes or more on the tube was too much hassle every morning. I happily lived there 4 yrs ago as I didn't need to be in the west end every day. We contemplated moving back that way for more space and the school. But in the end we weren't getting much more for our money than where we are at the moment.

thanks jammy, is it as expensive as B.Green despite the lack of tube? and I;m wondering where you are now (am also looking for cheaper options in london), maybe pm me, if you don't want to say?

Pm'd you. VP is more expensive that Bethnal Green. Houses tend to go or a premium especially on roads not overlooking the council estates. I'd say the further east you go the cheaper it gets. I think Clapton and the surrounding is the next place happening as everyone gets pushed out by prices in shoreditch, dalston, haggerston and areas like VP.