Ideas for areas in London, nice but not naice

[NightBus]

Currently live in London and looking to love in next couple of years. Looking for suggestions I've not thought of for areas in London that fit the following criteria:

• nice area with nice architecture (eg period properties) tree-lined streets etc
• access to good green space, large parks within walking distance (this is essential)
• either v central or excellent transport for commutes within London (45mins max to city)
• v good / excellent secondary schools
• conveniences / shops etc nearby

AND CRUCIALLY

• nice but not necessarily "naice". Not homogenous white middle class. Somewhere more diverse. Want DC's yo go to school with a diverse intake of students.

Budget for 3+ bed house would be anywhere between £750-1m ish.

Looking to move obviously!

Where do you currently live? Where do you need to commute to?

I'd recommend SE London with your criteria, somewhere like Forest Hill, Brockley, Hither Green - those sorts of places.

These are the sorts of property available

Harcourt Road, Brockley, London, SE4 2AJ
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-64378401.html

• close to station, several good secondaries in the area including Prendergast for girls and Haberdashers for both boys and girls.

Rockbourne Road, Forest Hill
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-79703639.html

• again close to a station, don't know so much about the school's there but I think the Harris Academy is a possibility

Manor Lane Terrace, Hither Green
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-85324892.html

• likely to be able to access the Bexley/Bromley grammars if you're looking for that.

Tooting! Fits the bill.

Greenwich or Blackheath. One good secondary comp or lots of children travel to the neighbouring Grammar schools and several private options. Prices are dropping so you should be able to pick up a nice place on the Westcombe Park/Maze Hill area. Not quite as edgy as the Lewisham area but still urban!

Where do you live currently @NightBus?

I'd also recommended SE - Crystal Palace, east dulwich, Brockley, Hither green all fit the bill for what you're after.

Forest hill isn't as nice as the others imo and Blackheath, whilst lovely, is more 'naice' than nice

Crystal Palace has a huge, gorgeous park and you'd def get a nice property for your money there. Great travel links too and a really good independent high street. The schools are great and you get the architecture you're looking for too. There's a real community feel too.

Currently live in Stratford. Commute is to the city, plus easy travelling around town more generally as I have meetings in my work.

Thank you @laburnumtree for those links. Houses look lovely. With the likes of Brockley / Hither Green / Forest Hill I have previously rejected mainly due to convenience of travel. I've had friends in those areas and always find it a ball ache to get to, plus I'm concerned about the morning commute- trains being too intermittent and packed. (More than normal). Currently we are spoilt with the convenience of the Jubilee line and all the rest at Stratford. Also not sure if eg Hither Green has wonderful green spaces within walking distance. This is really important to us.

Tooting is a really good shout @AfterSomeAdvice1234 - I have looked at Furzedown before. Do you have any specific recommendations for Tooting areas? Do you live there and if so what's it like? Also I would need to check secondaries.

@Lightsabre because of our top criteria of green space Greenwich and Blackheath have been high on our list, but I wasn't sure if @MrBobLobLaw is right about the 'naice-ness' - I'm keen to avoid too much snobbery or yummy mummyness if that makes sense, but want my cake and eat it I know- because I still want the green space and nice houses! Have you lived in Blackheath and if so what's it like?

So basically overall, we are not too worried about primaries, but secondaries matter as DC won't be going private.
Green space, good transport.

Thanks for all your ideas X

I grew up in Furzedown and loved it! Plenty of good primary schools, you're sort of removed from 'high street' Tooting but a really quick walk, walk to the tube station in 15 mins, close to Tooting Common, Tooting Market is great...etc etc. Lovely community feel too. Super biased but I highly recommend it! Many of my childhood friends have moved back there since having children (I left London in 2017).

Also I went to Graveney School (lived right next door) which was great, but it's a huge school and not for everyone. I think if you're an excellent (hopeful Oxbridge) pupil or SEN then it's pretty good, but not excellent for the middle of the road kids. However, my brother went to Cardinal Vaughan and plenty of my primary school friends commuted to other schools ( La Retraite, Oratory, Dunraven, Streatham/Clapham) etc. so I think in that part of London it's quite easy to commute out for secondary.

Hope that helps!

I always come on to suggest Brockley on these threads, so... Brockley.

In your budget you can get a house just next to the Conservation Area with lovely streets, tree-lined, period properties etc and near Hilly Fields Park. Lewisham schools are all at least OFSTED "good" at primary, secondary is Prendergast for girls (not sure about boys). I'd look specifically at streets like Brookbank, Fossil, Cliffview and Shell Rds - immediately outside the conservation area and in the cheaper SE13 (rather than SE4) postcode, with all the benefits of the location. And you have St Johns station (Southeastern) and the DLR from Lewisham if that's an easier commute than the Overground.

EG:
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-70851742.html

On the other side of the park:
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-65624346.html

I've lived in the area for 30+ years but now in the outer 'burbs'! Blackheath is 'naicer' than Greenwich - quite a few city banker types and ladies who lunch but it's a nice spot and has cheaper areas around Blackheath Standard. Greenwich has a more creative vibe and East Greenwich is close to the Jubilee line at North Greenwich - many people cycle to the Wharf or East London via the Greenwich foot tunnel. Greenwich Park is a wonderful space and feels so safe. East Greenwich also has a small green space called the Pleasaunce where community festivals and events take place. We loved living in the area but had to move out for a bigger house etc.

The sought after Primaries are; Halstow, Millenium, All Saints and the one in the middle of Blackheath (can't remember the name). The better of the comps is Thomas Tallis School and there's a good catholic comp in Eltham called St Thomas More but I don't know the catchment. John Roan secondary on Maze Hill currently in difficulty - transitioning to an Academy.

Lived in Nunhead a while back. Very lovely- great little village-ish. vibe in the middle. Brockley too, perhaps Honour Oak. Lots of green spaces between these 3 and not naice really. Pretty trendy though these days I guess.

The sought after Primaries are; Halstow, Millenium, All Saints and the one in the middle of Blackheath (can't remember the name).

John Ball, or at least it was twenty years ago when my DC were there.

This is a nice road (lots of families):

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-74001019.html

This is also a good location within Furzedown:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-74094754.html

Or closer to Wandsworth Common, just seen this which would be a great project (if you're into that):

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-65022243.html

Would also vote for East Greenwich or Charlton! Fast access to London Bridge/Cannon St/Charing Cross, or Jubilee line. Green spaces definitely ticked. There's lots going on for families but it isn't all yummy mummies.

www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/find-a-school-in-england

Have a look at schools there if you're going to use state. I can see that places like Forest Hill or Tooting would fit the bill (Tooting definitely good for schools).

You could also maybe look at Raynes Park - nice period houses that aren't too jammed in together. Or maybe South Wimbledon (lovely period housing to one side of the station and a lot of social housing to the other) so a bit mixed.

I'm a bit further out in Sutton and Sutton or Carshalton Village could possibly be worth looking at too. Direct trains to London Bridge as well as the City Thameslink (and trains to Victoria for good measure).
Zone 5 so not exactly central lol but at least you get a seat on the train. Lovely international mix of people and highest attaining state secondaries in England. Super green and loads of family amenities.

Examples of houses:

This Edwardian house is in a conservation area:
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-83948153.html

A cutsey budget option:
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-64917279.html

I thought this one was very cute in Carshalton Village:
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-62491113.html

Streatham! :)
Lovely common, or still near Streatham Common, excellent schools (both primary and secondary), v family focussed but not at all yummy mummy.
I accept I may be a bit biased!

Tooting would get my vote. The Common is fab and Wandsworth council tax in LOW!

is

Muswell Hill / bounds green / East finchley way?

Balham you get the low Wandsworth council tax, good mix of shops and cafes and big Sainsburys, Waitrose etc, decent schools or in good cachements for nearby ones, can get to Clapham and the common easily, Northern Line but can usually get on train and get a seat (can't by Clapham), near Clapham overground stations.

North Dulwich, Herne HIll and East Dulwich are all good. Depending where you are you can access both Brockley Park and Dulwich Park from the north end. East Dulwich can be near a small green and childrens play park called Goose green or near Dulwich Park. A short drive will take you to Dulwich woods and Sydenham Hill woods. Decent schools (be careful with cachements). Good mix of independent shops, supermarkets etc. Lots of families so lots of activities. Only on the overground but lots of city commuters.

I live in Stratford!! Why are you moving, out of interest?

If I had enough money I'd move to Hackney. For me it has everything, beautiful, architecture, lovely wide roads and not actually that many cars in the residential streets, amazing parks. Although, maybe becoming a bit 'naice' now. But it's £££ so that might be an issue.

Hither Green.

Walthamstow

Sydenham? Lots of parks and the streets in between Sydenham and Penge East station mean you have direct trains to Victoria, London Bridge, Canada Water, Shoreditch etc.

Greenwich, Blackheath, Eltham, Welling.