Thamesmead or South Kensington?

[cheeseisgood]

So excited about moving to the UK from Oklahoma in November and am currently house-hunting - wanting to move to either South Kensington or Thamesmead. Would be great to know which one you would recommend in terms of housing stock/community feel/shopping etc - budget could stretch to either. Thanks a lot!

I don't know OP but you could help me out with my forthcoming move to the USA. Shall I move to Long Island or Des Moines?

This thread is hilarious. I grew up in the general vicinity of thamesmead. My dad banned me from going there. He had no such issues about south ken. HTH.

Haha... 😂😂😂
South Kensington!

When I was learning to drive I wanted to practice roundabouts. My instructor took me to thamesmead. Lots of flats there.

Ooops, suppose I shouldn't try and write messages when half-asleep on a train! Kind of see what you mean that there couldn't be two more different areas in London! - I was intending to write Chiswick, but just started talking to a man who moved to Oklahoma City from London and when he worked there was involved in the design of the Thamesmead estate. As I can't have more than one thought in my head at any one time, I typically got the two placed muddled up!! This did encourage me to do further research on Thamesmead though and heard its called an 'up and coming area' - who knows in 20 years time that comment may not seem quite so ridiculous! Funnily enough the only time I've been in London before I was visiting a friend in Slade Green (in Bromley borough?) which isn't that far from Thamesmead so I may even have glimpsed the dreaming spires of Thamesmead before! When I eventually get to London, I think I'd better go on a pilgrimage to Thamesmead to find out how it really compares to South Ken!

Ah, the mystery solved.

Chiswick is very nice too. Depends whether you want to be right in the midst of things or a little quieter.

It will be a good long while before Thamesmead ups and comes.

heard its called an 'up and coming area' - who knows in 20 years time that comment may not seem quite so ridiculous!

That's what they were saying about thamesmead 20 years ago too.

Op you’ll absolutely have to visit Thamesmead now (although don’t take anything valuable with you when you go).

South Ken and Chiswick are both lovely. Chiswick is considered more of a self contained “village” if such a thing can be said of London. South Ken is more city but you are by Hyde Park and the museums.

Som questions which might help Mumsnetters assist with area:

Do you have children, schools an issue/any preference?

How about work, where do you need to commute to?

Budget for housing? Also do you want flat/house, you’ll get slightly more for your money in Chiswick then South Ken and there will be more houses (although this is all relative as houses may be a lot smaller then you are use to in Oklahoma).

Thamesmead was potentially up and coming when I moved to near Canary Wharf in 2000. Sounds as though the 'potential' is still entirely untapped.

Ah....
Chiswick is less touristy.

However my budget is more Thamesmead so I'm not an expert

Easy to fund. Follow the smell to Crossness, probably Londons largest sewage plant.

Personally I prefer Chiswick. But always found South Ken 'de trop'. Chiswick is further out and greener. South Ken is very nice but with a Manhatten feel. Kids polishing their Harvard applications from a young age. Leadership, sport, music. Social death if you cant get your child into one of the alphabeti spagetti schools: SPGS, PHS, G&L, and so on.

Find not fund...

South Kensington hands down!!!

Chiswick is leafy and green and lovely, with a real community feel. South Ken is full of tourists.

The comparison is quite boggling op

Although thamesmead house prices have jumped over the past 10 yrs. My £175k house 10yrs ago is now worth £390k (but I don’t live in south or west of thamesmead) it definitely helps that they are knocking down the estates and relocating the traveller communities to make way for cross rail and the new shopping complex that will surround abbey wood station. If you have kids the schools are shit and oversubscribed because they kept building houses without any regard to infrastructure. The people can be rough as fuck although if you want to go out in pjs and onesies anytime then it may be the place for you.

I can see the gentrification coming though. I wouldn’t dare to put a timescale on it though.

Haha bollocks

Blimey what a mix up. Years ago with lots of friends in Catford, Crayford and Abbey Wood, I often found myself driving through/near Thamesmead. Doors locked and praying for no red lights, and it’s not like I was down from the Cotswolds, I was coming from Valance Road Bethnal Green

Slade Green is more Dartford way than Bromley (and relatively close to Thamesmead).

Slade Green.

Oh dear.

Oh my goodness this has made me laugh, what a mix up!

I live in Crayford (not a dodgy part I hasten to add) and work in Belvedere so unfortunately have to venture near to Thamesmead - do not go their OP, ever. Ever ever.

Chiswick though is v nice

Well, this has made me laugh!

You'll get more for your money and fewer tourists in Chiswick.

I worked in South Ken for years and I'd hate to live there. Far too many non doms for it to feel like a community. Maybe Chelsea?

Thamesmead is twin Towned with Mos Eisley.

I'd go Chiswick every time - villagey, green, the river is lovely and nice architecture. South Ken is just too... Much.

But yes, LOL to the relative weighing of South Ken and Thamesmead :)