Where would you spend a million in London?

[hiphophippity]

I have NCed for this. Would love some ideas/MN wisdom. if you have a budget of a million or thereabouts and wanted to buy a family house in London for a young family of 2 young girls where would you look? Can budget for independent school. Have been looking West but wanted some new ideas thrown out. Happy to go pretty urban... Too suburban would probably put us off.

But more I would love to here where YOU would go (or already are) and why. Need reasonable access to town for daily commute (West End/City). We have lived all over (but not with children, and now moving back from abroad)

Clapham Junction, known as nappy valley. Lovely place to bring up children. Wandsworth council tax, cheapest in the country. Great shops, cafés etc down Northcote road. Plus loads of kids shops.

Or Richmond, Putney, Barnes, Sheen etc.

Camberwell not much cop for young kids really. No tube either.

Copenhagen street not that great for little kids either.

Southfields might be too suburban for you..otoh it's walkable to Putney.

Location, location for me - a two bedder or 'cottage' in Hampstead.

I'm not clear how you can put 'kings cross' and 'not dodgy' into the same sentence, Laurie.....

Sounds like you want quite urban but still family facilities. I think I'd go herne hill/North dulwich/peckhamy area - it's got dulwich yummy mummy land in one direction, trendy brixton in the other. Lots of green space nearby. Excellent transport. Great primary schools within reaching distance both private and state (tho state catchments teeny tiny, but that's the same anywhere in London).

I'd go for the Camberwell house. You have Kennington Park not far away. And it's on some great bus routes, so lack of tube no real big deal.

Sorry - didn't read your post properly

Agree with the comments on Victoria Park. I also like Stoke Newington.

'Nappy Valley' and East Dulwich are a bit too sterile for me but understand why they're so popular.

I live in a 'trendy' part of SW London but don't recommend it with a family.

Peckham is a dump and I don't care how much certain parts of the London media like to big it up.

Lol. Dodgy as fuck 15 years ago but that bits the nicest probably and closest to the better areas.

You can definitely get nicer areas in Barnes, Chiswick, Richmond, twicks, - but they're not central London - they are beautiful 'villages' with their own character and community.

I don't think the King's Cross area is really dodgy any more, Emeline. DH used to live there, and it has been "regenerated" beyond belief. Anywhere that central won't stay dodgy for much longer.

With Bloomsbury a stones throw away it is actually lovely.

Avoid anywhere the far side of Wimbledon which styles itself "park" - Raynes Park, Motspur Park, Wimbledon Park, Merton Park. Suburbia central and yawnsville.

can't open the sodding pics on my computer for some reason, but this looks quite interesting? Not that i know ANYTHING about Kennington.

www.fieldandsons.co.uk/Property/Residential/for-sale/London/Kennington/Walcot-Square/3120832.aspx

ignore that, sorry. Found it on right move and it has sold. looks gorgeous though.

Kennington is super central, lots of students and politicians I think. Tons of buses and very flat.

East Dulwich definitely. We moved away from there 2 years ago and I would move back like a shot. Lovely high street, great parks, good buses and trains and great independent schools.

Oh, I see! Thankyou for updating me. I had friends I used to hang out with who lived in Copenhagen St, and that area was joyless, grey, and perilously red light district after dark. Got so tired of kerb crawlers, as a young woman round there.

Really good to know it's changed.

Another vote for Sydenham, Crystal Palace or Beckenham. You could get a massive, stunning Victorian in a great location for a mill.

That house in Kennington is fab! Round the corner from the imperial war museum and about 10 minutes walk from the south bank.

can't quite afford it... but this?

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-47341657.html

IMHO Kennington is dreary as hell and the air quality there is very poor. To do with the flatness and the amount of heavy traffic on the main roads there.

Idk if air quality really does vary a great deal in diff parts of london....or if it's subjective. I always feel Kennington Gridlocked, air-wise.

Dunno if this makes sense to anyone... I also dislike camberwell in summer, for the same reason, the fumes of the buses around the green seem to just sit there.

Crystal Palace, Sydenham or West Dulwich. Great selection of independent schools, good transport links, parks, shops, restaurants.

I agree with eme. Kennington, though very convenient re travel and for South Bank/Waterloo, has a ton of traffic passing through.

I definitely wouldn't do Kennington with young kids.

Just had a look at property in the herne hill/dulwich areas. Looks like you can def afford East dulwich, in which case that seems a pretty good option. Or if you want edgier then look between tulse hill and brixton.

Elephant & castle has its charm (kind of!) but with your budget I think you can do better- I'd much sooner go for Brixton or Peckham or Camberwell.

That's if you want urban and central.