Want to leave London, have no idea where to go!

[Buggritbuggrit]

We’re looking to move out of London, like everyone else. The issue is that we have no idea where. Neither of us is English, and we’ve never lived anywhere in England that wasn’t London. Please help!

We’re an interracial couple, so would ideally like somewhere with some racial diversity where neither we nor our kids were unusual.

DP loves the great outdoors and I love the hustle and bustle of Islington. We’d ideally like somewhere with both of those things, decent schools, house prices that aren’t insane and a manageable commute into London.

Apart from those criteria (and I have no idea if any of that is reasonable), we’d be happy with anywhere in the South East. Budget is about £600K. If anyone has any recommendations, I’d love to hear them.

Brighton's very lefty and all that, but I still found the schools very white when we looked around there. As pp said, nowhere is diverse like London and even in more multicultural towns, they're not necessarily mixed like London. So I think if you want the mix and the buzz, then staying in London makes more sense, but going further out than Islington. Highams Park is a good shout. Parts of south Croydon may be worth a look too.

What sort of house are you looking for on a 600k budget you could consider chem, ewell or sutton and get something nice.

@YukoandHiro don't think you'll get much for 600k in Richmond or Dulwich!

What about Bromley area? Still diverse but near the countryside & good schools.

I don’t think I’d leave London, just maybe pick a different area. Nowhere else in the UK has a buzz quite like London. Sounds like you would just make your lives more difficult by throwing in a longer commute for no particular purpose.

This has been really helpful! Lots of great ideas and suggestions. Also lots of food for thought. Thank you!

@Buggritbuggrit if you haven’t discovered it already there is also a FB group called ‘Life after London’ where many people have already asked and had replies to dilemmas extremely similar to yours. Might be useful in your quest for the perfect place. Your own personal paradise is out there!

@Adreinnesarmy I didn’t know about this. Will have a look, now. Thank you!

Have a look at Woking

What can your budget buy in your current area? How many beds do you need?

How about bath ? Long commute though but good city ?

I would agree that SE London or Hove/Lewes will offer a greener, calmer environment with 'buzz'. To avoid commuting charges, maybe look at SE7/SE3 (Blackheath Standard)? Zone 3/4 still but very easy to get into C London.

Invicta Road, Blackheath
www.rightmove.co.uk/property/78893619

Good schools, good transport links, close to Blackheath and Greenwich Park/Town and the river.

@Ladybud

Northampton is lovely and very ethnically diverse, with a 50mins train to Euston.

Northampton is really not somewhere they should be considering! Anyone looking for a "buzz" is going to realise they've made a mistake very quickly.

@Gemma2019

Stay in London but move to Highams Park, it is a quick commute to Central London but has Epping Forest on the doorstep.

I’m not sure if Highams Park would suit your requirements. For £600k you could possibly afford a 3 bedroom house but there is no ‘buzz’ at all. The overground goes directly to Liverpool Street I’m around 35 minutes. Schools have a large mix of ethnicities but personally, I think it’s the worst of both worlds. It’s not ‘London’ but there is no atmosphere to justify the move out. The nearest tube would be Leytonstone (central line) which is a bus or drive away. But there is a large Tesco and a couple of independent cafes. Just my opinion, you may decide otherwise if you decide to visit

Northampton is a shithole. Avoid it like the plague! And Bedford.

We moved from central to SE London, edge of zone 3 - and now feel we have the best of both worlds.
So much green space, very close to Kent countryside and still within easy reach of central London. And very diverse.

@Stokey You're right, I didn't see the budget. Sorry!

Yeah Northampton, Bedford and Luton are not what you’re looking for. Leicester is up the same train line as Bedford and is very ethnically diverse but while it has nice pockets it is generally quite run down and a very small city. My advice would be to move to Tooting, the south side towards Mitcham should have something within your budget. I used to live there and it’s great, Tooting Broadway has a buzz and the market in non covid times is a bit like Brixton market with bars and places to eat. You’re close enough to Surrey to get the train out to Epsom or drive there for a walk in the country. And you won’t have to pay £800 a month to commute

Walthamstow if you hurry.

@AnotherBoredOne It could get a two bedroom flat around here. We ideally want a house, minimum three beds and a garden. Which means going elsewhere. Which is a shame, as I love it here. But, wide open spaces await.

@hamper555 Have added Woking to list, thank you. Will have a look.

@AOwlAOwlAOwl I know nothing about Northampton, but your comment made me CACKLE! Was worried I’d wake everyone up!

@Blyatiful I’m now intrigued by a place that provokes such mixed reactions! 😂

Dartford? Bexleyheath?

There's some lovely parts around Crawley in West Sussex.
My aunt lives there, it's right between London and Brighton.
Also great transport links. And very close to Gatwick Airport.
Ive visited a few times (before Covid) and shopping is great too

@PerfectlyImperfectx You’ve basically summarised our worries about moving somewhere suburban. I don’t want the worst of both worlds.