Hither Green vs Charlton...

[FoxsSocksToes]

... for a young family who can't afford Blackheath? Looking for a 3-4 bed. Would love to be near green spaces (Blackheath / Greenwich Park) but probably can't afford it.

Which would you recommend and why?

Sydenham or Penge. Lot more for your money and still accessible to blackheath and Greenwich park

OOOh that's a hard one

I think the trains are better in Hither Green, just a bit more flexible across the lines as it is an interchange.

I think the houses are nicer in Charlton and I feel the roads are quieter in Charlton (maybe not on match days)

Both are heavy on Victorian houses... I expect the roads and parking are equal on both. Is Hither Green Lewisham and Charlton Greenwich? The Council tax may be cheaper in one than the other.

What about the parking permit price ?
I think both have terrible squeeze on school places, but it's been a while since I looked at the stats.

I've not answered very well have I!

Don't fancy Penge as I feel it's too far out.

Charlton's much better for green spaces but compared with Hither Green it's really quite boring (unless you like football), you're not walking distance from a decent sized town centre and it takes ages longer to get into London.

If you really want affordable green spaces it's worth looking just slightly further out at Woolwich - Plumstead - Abbey Wood. Woolwich is on DLR and both Woolwich and Abbey Wood are getting crossrail stations (eventually - it's all gone a bit 'jam tomorrow'). You can get into central London a lot faster from Woolwich than you can from Charlton.

Thanks @LangClegsInSpace . I know Woolwich - we are not that far - and although areas of it have been redeveloped (and once Crossrail actually bloody arrives it will be good) at the same time the town centre is really rough in my opinion and areas of it feel not very nice. I'm not keen on that basis. Apologies to sound snobby but I don't feel that safe walking round there at night.

Good to know about the Hither Green trains being better. I was never quite sure.

What is your budget, how many bedrooms, and where do you commute to?
Charlton prices and appeal vary depending on where. I'd rather be on Charlton slopes than Hither Green, but on other bits of Charlton it depends....

Which bits are the Charlton "slopes" @Blue5238 ?

Budget 750-900, commute to city and also generally across town. 3 beds or 4 obviously even better.

Charlton slopes is the bit I have circled.

But I'd also look at East Greenwich and Blackheath Standard / Westcombe Park

This is in budget in East Greenwich. Under 10 mins walk to park or river, still an easy walk across the heath to Blackheath. Train from Maze Hill to Cannon Street in 15-18 mins. www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-85886026.html

Thanks @Blue5238 very helpful. I saw that house but wasn't sure if the proportions looked a bit small in the rooms.

What is the reason the slopes are best can I ask? Just more aesthetically pleasing than the rest of Charlton?

Lived in both, tho was years ago. Loved Charlton. Hither Green felt really suburban to me, felt like commuter belt where neighbours didn’t want to get to know each other. Charlton felt much more like a community.
Know what you mean about woolwich too! Worked there. It felt tense to me at times.

Mainly closer to the park, heath etc and shops at Blackheath standard. The other side of Charlton feels much further from all that. But there are other bits worth considering too....eg Elliscombe Road is nice and some nice victorian houses on other roads near there and nearby.
The lido is great if you like swimming but the roads around it less lovely in general.
You get more for your money Woolwich side of Charlton but no longer feels close to Blakckheath/Greenwich

Makes sense, thanks. Blackheath Standard is probably a useful "centre" to have on your doorstep.

Loved Charlton. Hither Green felt really suburban to me, felt like commuter belt where neighbours didn’t want to get to know each other. Charlton felt much more like a community.

I have also lived in Hither Green (left two years ago) and had the exact opposite experience! I had absolutely lovely neighbours and found it to be a friendly, neighbourly, peaceful place with nice shops and cafes. There are some great parks in and around Hither Green and if you’re looking for fast links into central London it’s ideal - trains go direct to London Bridge in under 10 mins.

I would move back there in a heartbeat if I could but was renting and couldn’t afford to buy. Honestly OP I would choose it over Charlton every time.

OP, with your budget, I'll look for a huge 4 bed detached house around zone 4 or 5 with huge garden. I'll never consider 3 bed as it's cramped and less space with storage

Charlton slopes nearer to Blackheath than Hither Green but both nice areas with good communities. I would think you'd get more for your budget in Charlton than HG. Charlton less 'edgy' than HG I think and has shops etc at the Standard and a couple of bus stops to Blackheath with several buses going there. Westcombe Park Station quick into London but Charlton Station has the two lines. HG has better train links.
Good primary schools at the upper end of the slopes (Invicta/Sheringham). Fossdene not so great.
Secondary choices are trickier in both areas - lots of kids travel to the Dartford, Bromley or Bexley Grammars by train.

Thanks @Lightsabre - so is Westcombe Park as good as Hither Green for getting around?

@chukwe

OP, with your budget, I'll look for a huge 4 bed detached house around zone 4 or 5 with huge garden. I'll never consider 3 bed as it's cramped and less space with storage

@chukwe we want to be as central as possible so it's about finding the balance. I really dislike the suburbs so I can't think of anywhere in zone 4/5 or beyond which would suit.

@FoxsSocksToes, Westcombe Park has the normal SE trains and Thameslink but with trains every 12 mins or so taking around 15 mins to LB. HG has trains to London every 7-10 mins also taking about 12 minutes. Not much in it I'd say but it depends how much travelling around you need to do. There are also buses from the Standard and lower Charlton on the main road to the Jubilee Line at North Greenwich. All night tube at the moment on Fri and Saturdays if you're partying then a quick cab to Charlton. I like having the option of a tube line close by also.

The environment feels safer to me around Westcombe Park. Crossrail is also coming to Woolwich which will be one stop from Charlton in the fast train.

HG is a much busier station, quite often homeless people begging in the tunnel and around the little Sainsbury's. Big school interchange at HG so lots of pupils from different schools around. To get to the tube you'd need to change at Lewisham onto the DLR or go to LB.

Gardens aren't big in Charlton on the whole though.

Forgot to add, really look towards the secondary school years as the primary years go fast. A lot of people in both areas send their kids to private for secondary or the Grammars in neighbouring Boroughs which can be very competitive. The local state secondaries are John Roan (not great at the moment) and Thomas Tallis (better). Lewisham has a wider range if you buy in HG but some Lewisham schools have a poor reputation.

Thanks @Lightsabre really helpful. Yes - secondaries, that's an issue to consider. We are mulling over these areas vs East Dulwich, as there are a couple of good secondaries there.

@FoxsSocksToes

Thanks *@LangClegsInSpace* . I know Woolwich - we are not that far - and although areas of it have been redeveloped (and once Crossrail actually bloody arrives it will be good) at the same time the town centre is really rough in my opinion and areas of it feel not very nice. I'm not keen on that basis. Apologies to sound snobby but I don't feel that safe walking round there at night.

Yes sorry I forget when people here talk about Hither Green they mean the area to the east of the railway near Manor House Gardens. That's a much safer area than Woolwich (possibly more burglaries).

Which side of HG is it - the Blackheath side or the Catford side. I'd go Hither Green - Blackheath side then Charlton then Hither Green Catford side would avoid.

I'd say Hither Green over Charlton, not least because you avoid the Greenwich tourist traffic and Charlton football traffic. If you go for Hither Green proper i.e. not the Lee side which is tangling itself up in an impenetrable LTN, you will be within reasonable walking distance of Lewisham, Ladywell and Catford stations which give you access to different train lines and routes into London as well as better bus connections to Bromley, Victoria, London Bridge and out to Elmers End. Brockley and Ladywell are worth a look too.

I wasn't happy to send my DC to John Roan or Tallis (based on talking to students, teachers and looking around the schools - over a number of years. Not a knee jerk reaction) so we've gone priviate. If secondary schools are an issue and you're not going private then I think that may well be a deciding issue. You'd need to check the catchment but once you start getting a bit further up Shooters Hill Road toward Welling you're in grammar catchment. My DS got an out of zone offer for a grammar but in the end we went private. If we'd been in zone he would have had his choice of grammar schools.

If there's something in East Dulwich within your budget and you are ok with Harris Academy schools that might be an option.