Affordable and commutable to Kings Cross/Euston/st Pancras?

[Handsfulloflavender]

Hello Mums! I am Mela, a mother of three living in the USA. My husband just accepted a position in London near the British Museum. We have never been to England before (!) and won't be able to visit in advance, so I am desperately researching towns on the train lines from Kings Cross and Euston so we will be ready upon arrival in December. I have read the older threads but thought it might be worth it to put our situation out here in hopes of some current information. We hope to pay around £1,100 or less and we are prepared to squeeze into a two bedroom flat if necessary, and we love to walk. We live in a small mountain town now and don't mind small villages but we need to be commutable to London. Of course I dream of a tiny garden but I think this may be impossible? I've read a lot about St. Albans but I worry we won't be able to afford it.

Thank you, thank you for any suggestions!
Mela (who will probably be posting many more questions)

Huntingdon has some nice parts and would be in budget. Lots of americans in the area too because of the air bases. Canterbury is a great place to live, more expensive than Huntingdon but much more to offer. St Neots is ok. Rochester has nice bits. For your budget you'll get more in Huntingdon but having lived in both I would choose Canterbury and squeeze into a smaller house.

2.5 miles from Foxton Station (can use electric bike to get there)

Posh area

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-50895769.html

Yonic - no, Watford mainline train station (Watford Junction) is in the middle of Watford. The Metropolitan tube line Watford station is a bit out of the way, but you use the train not the tube to get into London as the tube stops everywhere and takes 3 as long. There is also Watford North train station and Garston train station, but they are on a little branch line and you'd need to change at Watford to get into London, and branch line trains are very infrequent.

Just remembered Rickmansworth, which is on the tube line and take you straight into Kings Cross in 45 minutes. Season ticket for zones 1-7 is £2544. This describes Rickmansworth:

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Rickmansworth has a good selection of shops and supermarkets which include Marks and Spencer, Waitrose and Tesco. The Metropolitan and Main Line railway services to Baker Street and Marylebone are available from Rickmansworth Station. The M25 at Junction 18 lies within a short distance, connecting with the national motorway network and airports. The surrounding area provides an outstanding selection of schooling, both state and private. The Aquadrome in Rickmansworth offers two boating lakes and a network of paths around the park, Grand Union Canal and wildlife sanctuary. A great place to relax is to visit Café in the Park where you can purchase drinks and snacks. A Leisure Centre providing a 25 metre swimming pool and gymnasium is located in Mill End, just outside the town centre.

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www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-51313756.html
0.1 miles from station
Access to gym!

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-50816143.html?premiumA=true
0.2 miles from station and access to communal garden

In fact I would seriously consider this as an option as the mainline trains into and out of London are very expensive and very crowded, whereas this reduces the commute to 45 minutes plus about 10 minutes on a Boris Bike at the other end (Kings Cross is 1.8 miles from the British Museum) or you could change tubes and go to Russell Square if you really wanted, or walk it if you wanted the exercise (28 minutes).