Family areas in London with short commute

[pyjamastoday]

DH and I are really struggling to find somewhere to move to in London. We have 1 DC and another on the way. Would be looking to move next year or so before DC 1 would need to start school. We currently live in Canning Town but we don't like it as it's really polluted, loud, lots of late night incidents, and there's very little green space. Schools aren't great either. Transport us excellent though so it was a good place to live while we were child-free and working. Not so much now we have DC or during lockdown!

Stumbling block is that DH needs to be within 45 mins max of the City as he works very late. We are prioritising green spaces and schools.

We looked at East Dulwich after seeing it recommended on here and whilst it was nice enough it felt a bit too 'trendy' for us, and also the walk to the park was about 30 minutes which is too far to just pop to the swings before lunch or something.

Every time I look at a nice area I see that secondary schools are an issue and so I go back to the drawing board. Not sure if we should forget about secondaries for now as DC is still young or will we come to regret that?

Anyway, if anyone can recommend a great family area with the short commute that would be great. Our budget might go up depending on DH's job but if we moved today we'd be looking at around 750, ideally for 3 beds.

Have you looked at Tooting, streatham Hill, streatham common

Houses near the tube (northern line) will be a little bit more but the overground goes to Victoria and/or City Thameslink so it’s a very easy commute to the city

I did streatham hill to Mansion house for years and it was 45 mins door to door

Loads of open space with great facilities, club and activities for kids and a lot of people who move to the area for families

And the family Mecca of Northcote road is very close without having to pay the £2m house prices to live there

Would Liverpool Street/ Bank stations work for your DH? How about Leyton/ Leytonstone? Wanstead is nicer and more green but more expensive. All would get you to the City in less than 45 mins. Also East London so you could keep your old connections etc

Depending on your budget, look along the Thameslink line to sevenoaks from Blackfriars. Nunhead, Crofton park, Catford and Beckenham all fit the bill (and have additional connections like the overground and other rail services).

Greenwich and Blackheath are lovely though I’m not sure on schools. Another option is Shenfield/Brentwood area, a bit further out but excellent schools including grammars and is on the new Elizabeth line when it opens. Shenfield to Liverpool St is about 20-25 mins on the train

In the edge of Tooting Common, 3 mins from the massive Triangle playground
10 min walk to Balham tube, 5 min walk to Streatham hill overground
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/111318650#/?channel=RES_BUY

Slightly further from the tube but closer to the overground and shops, with a street parking
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/103474934#/?channel=RES_BUY

Tooting, within catchment of the excellent Graveny school
And I’m Wandsworth borough for lowest council tax in the country!
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/84825571#/?channel=RES_BUY

I'd recommend Blackheath (east of the heath is a bit more affordable than south), huge parks on your doorstep, very family friendly and 15 minute train to Cannon Street

Woodford, South Woodford or Wanstead.

South Woodford and Woodford have better schools but Wanstead is nearest Central London. Wanstead has good schools but there are black spots where it's really difficult to get any school. Woodford and Wanstead are more leafy.

All great family areas. It's 20ish mins on the tube to Liverpool street so if you live close to the station, you'd easily do it in 45 mins door-to-door.

Thanks @SW1amp this is interesting. I don't know south London at all. Been to clapham / Balham but don't know streatham. Which roads are the best around there? Would the ideal be to live by Balham tube, if we could afford?

@FluffyFerns

Would Liverpool Street/ Bank stations work for your DH? How about Leyton/ Leytonstone? Wanstead is nicer and more green but more expensive. All would get you to the City in less than 45 mins. Also East London so you could keep your old connections etc

Thanks for this. DH is now saying he also needs to be able to get to Heathrow easily! So I'm now thinking either further West or around Crossrail.

Aside from the Heathrow issue, Wanstead is nice and we should look more closely at it. Wasn't sure if secondaries are grammars round Woodford area? Not keen on having to tutor our DC or anything. Would prefer a non-grammar area.

@ChloeR81

Greenwich and Blackheath are lovely though I’m not sure on schools. Another option is Shenfield/Brentwood area, a bit further out but excellent schools including grammars and is on the new Elizabeth line when it opens. Shenfield to Liverpool St is about 20-25 mins on the train

Thanks. Yes we love Blackheath but we're put off by a friend who lives there saying everyone moves out or sends kids to private school for secondary.

Balham is really great for transport links, day to day living, green space and schools
But houses will start at a million
So the Streatham hill/Balham borders would be excellent because it gets you a lot of those advantages without the price tag
The overground from Streatham hill is pretty reliable but you do have the interchange onto the tube
Or you can walk a bit further to Balham tube and go straight to the city on the northern line. And it’s not too busy at Balham. By Clapham Common, it’s packed

Tooting common has got several brilliant playgrounds, tennis courts, a huge outdoor pool etc, and there is a new leisure centre in streatham

There are several really great schools at primary and secondary level, lots of nice pubs, restaurants and shops

In terms of streets, there is a real mix of Victorian, Edwardian, post-war and modern
Some will be closer to parks, others closer to shops and stations so it depends what your priorities are

But there aren’t any dodgy areas or dodgy estates to stay away from

It’s definitely worth a look and drive around to get a feel for the area

Penge? Really nice area for kids and families. Easy to get to the city / wharf.

Why Heathrow? I think if DH is putting these conditions on he needs to present some options as well lol.

Penge / Sydenham are easy for Gatwick and City airport if needed.

Is he going to be going to Heathrow once a week, once a month or once a quarter? Makes a big difference. I wouldn’t worry about secondary schools if your youngest hasn’t started primary school yet.

My son is starting secondary school in Blackheath this week, I think people exaggerate the problems here (the kind of people who won't consider anything other than grammar schools or private). Most schools are rated Good and anyway a lot can change in 10 years. If you can get into the catchment for John Ball, this is an Outstanding primary that we've been so happy with.

For Heathrow, it would be a short hop on the train to Woolwich or Canary Wharf and then Crossrail. But unless he's travelling every week or two, I don't think you should base where the whole family lives on that!

Have you looked at Herne Hill as well as Dulwich? It's less trendy I think and right on Brockwell Park, with good schools around.

There’s a grammar in Woodford but it’s a girl’s school and not necessary at all to apply for it. The local high schools are all great, Redbridge has some of the best schools in the country.

The Heathrow thing is tricky but Crossrail will make that journey easier from East? You obviously know about City Airport from living in Canning Town!

YY to Thameslink in s London, or areas like Brockley, Honor Oak Park etc which have fast links into London Bridge (if London Bridge is any use).

Leytonstone next to Wanstead flats- you should get a decent 3 bed for £750k. Feels more like London than Wanstead, IMO, but still v quiet around Bushwood. Wanstead is posher, but more expensive. Lovely community feel in Leytonstone. Easy to city. Heathrow less so, but then neither is Canning Town…

Good point about crossrail, @FluffyFerns- it’s taking so long I’d forgotten about it

Maryland and Forest Gate both within easy reach of Leytonstone- parts of Forest Gate are lovely, Maryland best avoided.

Thanks @dreamingbohemian good to know. Is transport / commute from Blackheath a faff?

Heathrow and the city are kind of polar opposites. The areas that are genuinely accessible to both I.e SW London are probably not in your budget. Or you’d be looking at a flat rather than a house. Would that be an option?

You’re not going to buy a decent house in blackheath for 750k. You might be able to get one in Charlton at a push but blackheath no - that mil+ territory.
You might be able to get something in Ealing - great transport links onto City and Heathrow and it’s pretty green/ decent schools etc.
Tough one though as for that money you should be able to get something lovely but London is crazy.

Personally I don't find transport a faff, there are direct trains in 15-20 minutes to London Bridge, Cannon Street (during rush hours), Waterloo, Charing X and Victoria. You can go one train stop to Lewisham and hop on the DLR. A fairly quick bus (10-15 minutes?) gets you to the Jubilee tube line in North Greenwich. Oh and there's the riverboat service from Greenwich.

A lot of people in this area work in the City.

I know someone whose daughter went to Rickards Lodge School (state girls) in Wimbledon and has done well. Some nice Wimbledon primaries. I think that’s 45 mins from the city.

You don't need a million for a house around Blackheath, look in Van Brugh Park and a bit east and west of the station, houses come up that are more in the 700-800K range. Not loads but it's worth looking. John Payne seems to be the main estate agent around here.

But just generally, I would look at SE London before west or SW London, e.g. Ealing and Wimbledon are like 45 minutes on the tube I think? Almost all the trains from SE London are going to London Bridge/Cannon Street/Blackfriars and don't take as long.