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!

And Latchmere Rd swimming is totally walkable from twixt the commons. Battersea Park too if you're at all energetic.

I agree with a previous poster that CJ takes you everywhere. It's two stops to Victoria which gets you to Chelsea for shopping, and your husband will easily make it into work. Do you drive? Because I live relatively close to the NR and can get from there to town in under half an hour. Battersea park etc are all within minutes. North is nice but you'll get more for your money South. Clapham is largely made up of people that had flats in Kensington / Chelsea and wanted a family home so moved a bit further out. I too find Kensington sterile. Very few full time families. I'd vote Clapham, or if you're going north I'd look around at john's wood, lovely area very popular with young American ex pat families.

Bear in mind that London is relatively small. So wherever you end up, you'll be able to get to town.

You really don't need a bus to get to Battersea Park, you can easily walk there!

I used to walk all over the place.

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 you move to, say, Belleville Road in the heart of NP, he'll need to get a packed bus or walk it to CJ, then get on a train to Victoria (no chance of him getting a seat at peak times), he'd have to change at Victoria to get on the Vicky line to Green Park, then change again for Jubilee line to Bond Street. If he's the type that works on his commute then all he'll be able to do is emails one-handed. He'd be facing a door to door (and pretty crap) commute of at least 45 minutes in total. I know I'm repeating myself but it's much less hassle re commute when living in NW3.

Can't comment on schools but agree with others on the insular atmosphere in SW11.

How about Clapham old town? Lovely area, easy access to northcote road and you have the northern line into bank to change at bank for Bond Street. However it's a packed tube :)

Will he consider cycling?

Sorry ignore my comment about the tube above. There's definitely a more efficient route!

Depends where in Mayfair his office is. I used to work on Stratton Street which is literally one of the Green Park tube exits. Clapham Junction to Victoria or Vauxhall standing is easy as it's under 10 minutes (you wouldn't get a seat on the tube anywhere at that time of day anyway) then a small number of stops to Green Park (only 1 if you get off the overland at Victoria).

I live in Balham (Heaver Estate SW17). Plenty of school parents live round Northcote and love it though properties and gardens are much smaller than the Heaver. There's a lovely independent school over this way called Eveline Day. They have spaces at the moment and get excellent results but aren't pushy so there's a bit focus on drama and music too.

We're not as glam as Kensington or Belsize over here but more bang for your buck on the property front, access to both tube and overland trains at Balham station and great independent schools (though not all have places) plus it's dead easy to get to Northcote. I was there on Saturday with the kids for tea (5 minute drive) and went shopping there today with DD1 (5 min on the overland).

Just get the train to Victoria from CJ then the tube to green park? I used to get the train everyday, it's very quick. Everywhere is awful in London in rush hour, tube, train or bus.

Arty - I have friends with children at Dolphin and they've not been too impressed tbh

It's a very friendly school but the reasons it always has spaces are it's very religious - some families actively want that so see it as a plus but it puts a lot of others off; the facilities are pretty basic; the classes and year groups are very small so limiting the opportunities for sports and friendships and despite the small classes children with any sort of difficulty in learning are left to struggle.

There are two very good state schools both in roads off Northcote Road - the vast majority of parents who got offered a place at one of those would jump at it rather than pay the fees at Dolphin

Great, thanks all!

Noitsnot, you can PM me if you'd like. :) Curious why parents who are not Christians would send their children to a very Christian school? Are the academics pretty bad? I guess I was thinking that the children would get more one on one attention in a small class.

Curious about the "insular atmosphere" in SW11 too.

We had a friend in Clapham who simply wouldn't come over our way with her kids. Really really odd. She was by Clapham Common which is rammed in summer, hellishly busy traffic-wise and its tube station is hatefully crammed, but apparently The best place for kids and SE London (where we are) had nothing going for it. We don't see her anymore, unsurprisingly! I also worked with a north London woman who, because they have Hampstead Heath, was insistent that there are no green spaces in south London. Errrrrr - Wandswoth Common, Clapham Common, Battersea Park, Streatham Common, Brockwell Park, Dulwich Park, Crystal Palace - oh, and the biggest green space in London, Richmond Park. To name but a few. Some people are just idiots who can't see beyond the end of their own street.

I'm expecting to be here, there and everywhere over the summer holidays with DD. I'm in a great area for kids, but I'm also in London too. Why fork out a fortune to live here without living here??

Where do you live, RiverTam? How far are you away from your friend in Clapham? So you're saying families in the SW11 area pretty much stick together?
Yes, I see that there are loads of parks in south London! So cool!

Hmm on the "insular" thing:

I have friends in several different areas of London. TBH I rarely see the ones who don't live within 2 miles. None of us want to travel far (>2 miles is far when you consider the London traffic). Not the ones who live in Clapham, and not the ones who live in other areas either. Not because we're horrifically insular or think other parts of London have nothing to offer, but because we all have babies and preschoolers, usually more than one, and jobs, we are knackered, and getting them out of the house with the right kit and naps is a logistical challenge never mind trekking them an hour across London.

That's why it's important IMO to live somewhere where there is the best chance of making local friends. I will regroup with my further away friends when my DCs are all over 4...

RiverTam it looks like your Clapham friend has two children (at least) while you have one. That alone could explain why she finds it a bit more daunting to travel than you do...

However Arty your kids may be all 3 or 4 and over in which case travelling around London is much more doable and finding local friends and activities may be less important.

mini there's a big age gap between her two and at the point I'm talking about, she only had one (we lost touch before the second was born). Even before she had kids she was like this, it was Clapham, Hoxton or nothing! We're not that far from Clapham, and with the Overground it's really easy. I agree with more than one and with little ones it's harder. And once they're at school and if you make good school parent friends, you do stay closer to home, but I don't think that's peculiar to SW11. I guess the point is London is made up of lots of 'villages', and some don't stray far.

Ah I see River - mind you it sounds like she'd be like that no matter where she lived so I don't think you can say Clapham is insular based on her!

As, in fact, you have said yourself

Northcote Road is full of people who look the same (white, mousey blonde, badly dressed in that peculiarly English minor public school way), and only socialise with people they were at school or university with. They all ski at Easter and all go to Cornwall in the school holidays. They all do the same boring mid-level City jobs and are driven entirely by status anxiety.

I lived there for 10 years

^that sums it up for me. It's nice enough to visit but I wouldn't want to live there.

West Battersea doesn't really exist as a "desperate" part. Batters was fairly big but has some v. Naive areas and some slightly more urban areas. There are social housing areas and you're going to get that in London, whether you're in Kensington or Battersea. Clapham North has some great restaurants & bars, and great commuting. Battersea is lovely, I lived there as a child / teenager and still visit regularly.

Look sw London is perfectly pleasant and easy place to live. If you are happy with the school then you will have a lovely time. There are plenty of non English public school folk about (I'm certainly not and j know plenty of people who are not). They will almost all be terribly ordinary and unglamorous and middle class (whether that be French, Danish, second generation Indian/Pakistani etc) There is plenty to do within walking distance and lots within short car journeys or short public transport. For example, driving into central London on a Sunday is v easy. We often park behind the Nat history museum or harrods, have a gambol about and a bit of lunch with 3 under 4s and drive home. Lovely. I wouldn't try that on a Friday afternoon but there are ways of making London work and people will love to tell you what's what. Belsize Park is also very nice and you'd be equally as happy so just go with your gut. The fat that there are millions of MNers in SW11 may or may not recommend it to you!

Ahahaha, I don't travel too far with the little ones too. They're 6,4, and 2. I'm totally outnumbered! Though, DH and I take them to many places during the weekends. But while they're at school, I hope to venture out with the little one which I why I'm asking about the area. Maybe we just got a bad feel driving over the river during mid-day and couldn't believe the traffic. And the fact we had no idea where we were going.

Oh boy, is northern London(Belsize Park)the same, W8woman? Or do you live in W8 and really like Kensignton?