Please suggest multicultural town/suburb near London (ideally popular with British Chinese),

[Desiringonlychild]

I am not actively looking to move as i like our 2 bed flat in East Finchley and feel very much at home here . But I just want to know if there are any alternatives. Since Covid, I realize the importance of living in a diverse multicultural community for a mixed race couple raising 1 DC (I am singapore, husband is a British Jew). In the past, I looked into a lot of white suburbs because I thought that Chinese people face a lot less racism than other minority groups, this has changed. Would really appreciate any suggestions. Thanks. We would be happy with a 3 bed house near good schools (state and private) and commutable to the City/St Johns Wood!

Budget please?

@Lightsabre I bought my flat for £400k so I would be hoping to upsize from that. I am not moving in the next 5 years but I just want to have a few places on my radar so I can monitor and ask the opinions of people I know! Anywhere you can get a 3 bed for £550k at current prices and below is good.

Or actually could probably manage £600k

I don't know the areas that well but the train line out of Liverpool St might work - basically East London/Essex? Wanstead is great but I think it's £££. Or further North West - Hertfordshire? Not as multi cultural but you wouldn't be out of place. Most places within the M25 are fairly multi cultural. I think you'll probably be in a more suburban area for a 3 bed on that budget. East Finchley is great and property prices may be lower in more central areas in the future.

New Malden? Not specifically Chinese but Koreatown so you might get less racism there (not that the Koreans and the Chinese love each other tbh.)

Trains go to Waterloo so you can then get the Waterloo and City line to Bank.

@Lightsabre thank you! I toyed with moving outside London but was put off by the commute costs and also I didn't want to stick out..Finchley is very ethnic but yet feels prosperous. I know a few of my Chinese colleagues live in Kent (Orpington).. but Kent has a reputation for not being a bastion liberalism to put it mildly. Or has that changed! I know Asians happy in royal Tunbridge Wells but that's really quite far out.

Orpington has quite a diverse population but has a very different vibe from Finchley! It's very suburban. Greenwich might work for you (Charlton, SE7, has some nice houses in your budget) and access to Thameslink which goes into the City. Great area, river, park, shops but not sure how easy it would be to get to St Johns Wood (probably fairly easy on the Jubilee Line from North Greenwich which is easily accessible from Charlton). Worth a look.

Your husband may want to stick around NW London so I’d suggest looking up the North Circular towards Barnet and further out to Herts
Barnet/Brent is among the most multicultural corner in London with big Chinese store (Wing yip in Cricklewood) so you would be fine
Stanmore at the end of the Jubilee line is popular with families and might just make your budget

@YesThatIsMyRealName not sure about chinese and koreans, but I am singaporean. My great grandfather left china 100 years ago so while I speak Chinese and still identify strongly with Chinese (diaspora) culture, Koreans would be able to tell I am not from mainland China. In the past, people used to think singapore was part of china, but I rarely get such a sentiment these days.

I was also going to say Wimbledon /New Malden, partly on account of the well established Korean population. I’m aware it’s not Chinese/Singaporean, but you wouldn’t attract any attention there based on looks. We had American Jewish/Korean friends who lived near us in Wimbledon for years, and they loved that their children could just blend in. There’s also a synagogue in Wimbledon. And tons of mixed race families (including mine, but different mix to you).

If you are specifically looking for Chinese, my Hong Kong friends say North London (areas around NLCS) are good.

Oh and I had friends from Singapore who moved to Tunbridge Wells, but were very disappointed that they couldn’t find any local Mandarin tutors.