That's a very specific question 
. Can't comment on the actual road itself but Finchley central in general is a perfectly ordinary surburban/outer North London area, nothing spectacular or particularly pretty about it but as you say schools are good, good transport links, range of local shops, restaurants, coffee shops, pubs and bars and other amenities. The tone/style of the place would be more towards the chain restaurants, generic high street, variety of ethnic grocery stores and bargain shops style, if you see what I mean, as opposed to the fancy/high end/'naice' bistros, artisan bakeries and boutiques you'd get in somewhere like Muswell Hill or Hampstead, or the hipster independent shops and craft breweries in Hackney/Camden/Brixton areas if that's a concern to you - although there are 2 waitroses now so that's something ! At that end of Finchley you can easily get to the Lido leisure complex which is handy for occupying kids/teenagers. You have Victoria park nearby also which is well used by local families, dog walkers etc.
As for safety, I would say it is safe, certainly no worse than any other part of London. The roads are busy which is probably the main safety concern for families (you have the North Circular running past very near which is obviously heavy traffic pretty much 24/7 and there are some other quite busy/trafficy parts too). There would be some issues with petty crime/anti-social behaviour as in any urban area such as graffiti, littering, occasional burglaries or drug-dealing incidents or very occasionally violent crime connected with gangs or organised crime rings, but as I say nothing you wouldn't find anywhere else in London. For the most part it is a mix of 'normal' (for want of a better word) families, young professionals and elderly people living there so all get along with their lives perfectly satisfactorily!
Happy to answer any questions you have.