Northcote Rd, sw11 area

[Arty3542]

Hi all,

We are considering moving to the SW11 area. We are coming from the States and have never lived in the UK before.

Pros for us: we like the school, seems to have a laidback vibe, and Northcote Rd is in-between two commons.
Cons: lack of transportation and distance from the center. We heard the surrounding areas are a little sketchy. Feeling confined to only the Northcote Rd area.

We do have the opportunity to live in Kensington or Belsize Park also. Not entirely sure yet.

Does anyone live in the SW11 area or know it well? Can you explain why you like or dislike it?

Thanks!

Bear in mind, confusingly, that Clapham Junction/Northcote Rd is not in Clapham! It's not that close to Battersea either.

Northcote Road to Mayfair is a pretty gruelling commute for him.

Traffic in Battersea and Clapham is usually hideous at peak times so if you do move to SW11 then don't bother travelling on buses at the busy periods unless you have a lot of time to spare.

NW3 is the better area, with the Heath nearby as others have said with a big American community, Primrose Hill on your doorstop, and a reliable Northern Line tube. On the whole you can't go much wrong with north London.

I've lived in both, Hampstead and Clapham and loved south west London. Horses for course and all that.

I live very near Northcote Rd and find it a bit insular. If I had the money (and the energy to move), I'd prefer somewhere in north London but my children are in schools now, yadda, yadda. It is a very safe area and there are lots of people from different countries - you should have no problem meeting other Americans if that's what you want to do - but I prefer having a tube on my doorstep rather than being reliant on CJ railway which is a bit of an endurance test at rush hour. However, not difficult to get to Mayfair (train to Victoria or Vauxhall and then tube to Green Park). You could do worse.

Thanks all! All of this information is very helpful. 😊

You're right, I guess we can take a black car to the center of London. We did drive over from Kensignton to Northcote Rd around 3pm and the traffic was intense.

I'm guessing DH will take the train from Clapham Junction to Waterloo then Tube to Mayfair. I think it's just more me getting into the city.

How is the area I general? I know it's known as nappy valley but is it a very young crowd? We're in our late 30's and don't want to feel too old, ha! Well with all the very young mums with babies and all.

Lalalonglegs, what do you mean about SW11 being insular?

We do see the pros of the north too! Amazing parks, tube lines, playgrounds, leafy, etc.

DH really likes the Parsons Green area. But I think all of the schools are full so far... Thomas's Fulham, Kensington Prep, and Parsons Green Prep.

We have the option to live in Kensington but I don't know if I'll fit in. Would be awful if we weren't in a warm and friendly community.

City? Wouldn't it be nice to get the Northern Line from Belsize Park straight to Bank, no changing? He'd only have to change once, at Kings Cross to get the Vicky Line to Green Park. Personally I would do anything to avoid Clapham Junction station, the busiest station in the U.K!

It's all City professionals witht families which means mid to late 30s And up in the UK. You won't feel old. I feel young at 36! And like to head over to Brixton or tooting to keep it real on a regular basis (which are both being yuppified at an horrific rate too...)

Honestly, it's absolutely fine to get around. If your H is happy with the commute, then you meeting him in town won't be an issue. You can walk/cycle to Clapham South tube or bus to Clapham Common if you want to get straight on the tube. Or go via Waterloo/Victoria. Then black cab home easy peasy. Daytime traffic can be intense but it's not really necessary to drive on the day. There are so many kids activities and clubs. Plenty of decent restaurants. And really not far from town. If it wasn't for the pesky kids and the price of babysitters I'd be out in town every night.

There is loads of green space round there, Wandsworth Common and Clapham Common for a start. North Londoners think that Hampstead Heath is it for green space in London .

I've lived in SW11, though a while ago, there's nothing insular about it. And CJ is a fantastic station, way better than the Northem line, that's for sure. I lived in Battersea (just north of CJ) for 3 years, really easy to get in and out of town, and also right out of town to the countryside.

How exciting, Arty, I've been following your threads. I think you'd like it there.

You should also remember that there is a massive north of the river/south of the river divide. 😄 So if you like the feel of houses/schools etc then don't be too Swayed by those north Londoners! They don't know what they are missing 😉😉

I think inward-looking would have been a better choice of words, than insular: it is very conservative (with big and little C), everyone seems very keen to stay on their patch (good to hear ButtonBee makes it over to SW9 and 17 ). It's all very conventional, I struggle to find people who are interested in visiting art exhibitions or alternative theatre or art house films, for example. I live very close to NV and know lots of people who do live there through school but I find more kindred spirits in Battersea proper, Balham, Streatham etc.

If you want the city then get the train from Clapham junction to Waterloo and catch the Waterloo and city line to bank.

I don't get what the problem is on this thread with CJ station, it's the busiest station in the uk (I'm pretty sure I'm not making that up). There are trains all the time and everywhere. You can be in Brighton in an hour.

You definitely aren't too old being in your 30s, you're just the right age!

I would choose Belsize Park over Northcote Road any day. Feels less crowded, Heath is lovely.

Belsize Park has the Heath but on the south side you have the river! SW11 is part of a big swathe of lovely areas including Battersea, Putney, Barnes, Richmond, Twickenham.

Agree that Londoners tend to be either North or South, and if I had to live in London I'd definitely be South, and Northcote Rd area is lovely. Lots of families and less nanny-fied than Kensington. You'd get to know some peers.

Clapham junction is a busy station but if you're not in the rush hour it's fine. Going into London is easy on buses and more exciting for DC than the tube as they can go on the top and see where they are.

Plus you can walk for miles switching between lines at some tube stations!

It's worth noting that if you live south of the river, the river becomes a real part of your lives as you have to cross it every time to get into the centre. Discussed this with North London colleagues once, who never saw the river from one week to the next. Crossing the river twice daily has always been a highlight of my commutes.

Is Dolphin your only choice? There are much better schools in the area. You might want to ask them how many boys in the upper years have left recently and how they cope if children are struggling in any particular areas.

It is a lovely place to bring up young children but a lot of the housing stock is pretty cramped. You'd get a lot more for your money a little further out

Yes, the river will be nice! We're thinking most museums are south of Hyde Park too.

Noitsnot, so far Dolphin is our only choice. What don't you like about the school or what have you heard? We have all girls.

Our goal is not to commute to the school our children will go to. 10-15 minute walk tops. :-)

Thanks RiverTam!! Looks like we'll be crossing the pond😉

Honestly, everyone on this site has been very helpful. I tell my husband the advice I have gotten on here. :)

Are the families and "vibe" similar in the North(Belsize Park) and South(Northcote Rd)?

Re getting to the city; I think there might be crossed wires upthread (apologies if not).

I read it as the OP was meaning the city as in Mayfair where her DH will be working, rather than The City as in the financial district/Bank. If so, it's easy to get the train to Waterloo and then Jubilee line to Bond St and walk the rest of the way.

Fwiw OP I have lived in Clapham and North London (not Belsize Park but near) and I preferred Northcote Road as it is so convenient and has more community. Kensington is much harder to judge (and it depends which part of Kensington as some is quite rundown so I'm generalising) but it is more self-contained and with more super-rich so more second houses, I.e. Empty for months at a time.

When I lived in Clapham I'd cycle through South Ken and some streets would be eerily quiet every single day!

Also, Battersea Park is just gorgeous, there are dozens of different sports and activities, a little children's zoo, Sculptured gardens and the river - walk or bus-ride from Northcote Rd.

Dolphin doesn't have good facilities in comparison with other private schools, and some people will dismiss it entirely as it is a Christian school of a different league from say a Church of England school. But it has a warm friendly atmosphere and lovely teachers. You will be so welcomed into that school community as it's international and very friendly.

Ok here's my tuppence worth (as a local resident):

Schools: There are loads, state and private. Dolphin is the most Christian (and probably one of the ones most likely to have space) but there are plenty of others with a Christian ethos. Broomwood and Thomas's for example have weekly church services.

Churches: as well as the ones you mention there are plenty of other churches depending on your style - St Lukes (C of E, quite old school), Balham Baptist Church, Church of the Ascension (C of E, more happy clappy), Broomwood Methodist, Holy Ghost (Catholic), etc.

Transport: It's not just Clapham Junction! If you are at the south end of "between the commons" (eg between Broomwood and Thurleigh Roads) then you also have easy access to Clapham South (Northern line, good for West End and City of London, change at Stockwell for Mayfair) and if you are in the SW corner you can use Wandsworth Common train station which is relatively uncrowded and goes straight to Victoria (walkable to Mayfair).

Demographic: I would say most people are in their 30s and 40s with 1-3 kids, or at least having kids soon. Lots of Brits, lots of Europeans, quite a few Americans. People tend to be resident all the time - unlike eg Kensington. Most families have one or two parents working in City/Mayfair/management - well off but not super rich. It is not a mixed area - if you want a true cross section of London life then look elsewhere, Northcote road is a privileged bubble (but so are Belsize Park and Kensington). Any rough areas are a pretty long way away (and Belsize Park/Kensington will have rough areas equally near).

"Insular": Yes that's fair. I think it's partly because most people have youngish kids so they tend to stay in the local area (naptimes,activities, playdates etc). This has its upsides as well, it's easy to get to know people as you see the same faces in the parks.

Gardens do tend to be small.

Forgot to say - PM me if you have any questions

Thank you all again for your guidance. :-)

OMG, this is so much harder than I thought. I guess you can tell that I get pretty anxious when making a big decision. London is huge and there are many different areas. ...I don't know how the atmosphere, vibe, and community are in each area so do forgive me for asking such basic and silly questions.

So my husband will be working in Mayfair, guessing he'll take the tube to Bond St Station. Do you think it'll only be a 20 minute commute on the train from Clapham Junction?

If we do send our children to The Dolphin School, we will for sure live in between the Commons because I really want to have no more than a 15 minute walk to school.

So the reason why Dolphin has openings is because it's strongly Christian? We are Christians(Protestant) so that's actually a plus for us. We did find the school to be extremely warm and nurturing. All the teachers we met were very sweet and caring. Besides the facilities, are there any other cons of the school? I.e. The academics?

I will probably out myself... but we also really liked Sarum Hall in Belsize Park. Great facilities and still seemed like a nurturing school. Big with the Arts which is a huge plus for us. But again, how is the community in that area? IS it similar to Northcote Rd? BUT sadly they don't have spots. However, we are on the top of the waiting list. (fingers crossed)

St Mary's in Hampstead does have spots. We liked the school but unsure of the Catholic Ethos. It seems very Catholic.

I think the Kensington area is gorgeous but seems a bit sterile. And I will be taking the children to Hyde Park for green space if we live there... yikes.

I guess in my dream world we would have a quick walk to everything, i.e. school, a large park, church and work for my husband. If we live in the Belsize Park area, he could walk through Regent's Park or hop in a cab or hop on the tube.

If we live neat Northcote Rd, my main social life, running errands, and walking, will be on Northcote Rd. You need to take a bus to go anywhere else, correct? I.e. Battersea Park, swim lessons for the kids, stuff like that. So in my mind, I'll mainly be in that little area. I don't know.

Ack, so many questions! I'm totally ruminating. Really grateful for all of your help.

It depends how much you like walking. When I lived there, I routinely walked to Balham & Wandsworth (strictly utility walking) and often to Kennington, Chelsea or South Ken (nice brisk walk plus shopping/theatre).

Museums, not theatre. I have theatre on the brain today!