Hi folks
Am struggling a bit with working out where to move to. Ok...moved from north london out to small commuter town just before DS was born. Hated it almost immediately. Am in 1930s suburbia. It's actually a naice place, safe, a park, some shops etc but it's dull. I've tried for 18 months to like it. It helped a bit going back to work but I still panic a bit when DH leaves in the morning and I have the whole day to work out what to do with my DS. Again, there are things to do, but they are usually a 20-30 min drive away. Nothing, other than the park and few shops, is walkable. We have some friends dotted about around the southern fringes of London and suburbs. No family nearby (SW and E Anglia). The schools here are ok but not fab. Commute about an hour door to door for DH. Not so important for me as not in all the time.
Sorry, am waffling....anyway we've been looking at pretty much everywhere in and out of London that might suit us better. It's more me that wants to move, but DH does get the reasons why. However we just cannot find a place that ticks all the boxes or we go yes! let's move there! It's either great schools but crap area or crap commute. I'm currently thinking we are either better back in London or out in a proper town. However my concern about London is a) if we move back we are looking around SW London corner as leafy and easy access to SW. But is this just another suburbia? Will I feel the same way again here? I do know parts of SW London but never lived there, and b) I felt really bad on mat leave, but as I said, things have got mildly better, but what happens next? What is life with a toddler and onwards like? What happens day to day? i.e is city life, suburban London life, suburbia out of London life, or country life better for kids and teenagers? Am also a bit nervous of moving back inwards as I read about the competitiveness of getting into schools and that fills me with doom too. Oh my god, I can hear myself and I sound ridiculous. I know there are pros and cons to every situation. This is just going round and round in my head. Argh. Basically I'm nervous of making another move somewhere else new and the same problem happening. DH wants to move to an area and stay put so I guess that is worrying me not to make another mistake. I get why he wants to do that - as he doesn't want to move kids about in schools. I miss London so much. But am I just missing my old life. If you moved to suburbia and hated it what did you do? Go further out? Go back? Stay? I would also move back to where I was living in a heartbeat if I knew it was the right thing to do. I do have this thing about not going back somewhere though, and because we don't know anyone that's bothering me too. We basically could move anywhere, and that's the problem. There is no draw to anywhere in particular and I feel lost but hate where we are now!! I just want to feel happy and settled again :(
Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.
Property/DIY
What's London like with a toddler? Or where best to live in the long term...I feel completely lost :(
postmanpat1scrapathisj0b · 06/07/2015 13:55
Definitely East Dulwich. Or somewhere thereabouts. Soooo much to do with a toddler- Ive been living and working here for 2 and a half years and have a 17 month old - I've never been bored! And you're in good company as there's plenty of other mums and toddlers around. Plus £1m will easily buy you a nice 3 bed with a good garden. Unfortunately for me we've been renting a 1 bed flat here and our deposit will barely buy us a garage in Dulwich so fairly soon it's back to Yorkshire we go. 
I'd stay here forever if I had £1m to spend.
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.