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.

Not sure how @Circle3 is managing to make it to Waterloo in 25 minutes from West Molesey - the walk to Hampton Court station is 25 minutes, before you add on the train journey! That's not a criticism of the area though, for me it's a perfect balance between access to the City and lots of green space, but it's not going to match up to Clapham if you want an easy commute.

But, that said, completely agree with the suggestion of Molesey, Kingston, Surbiton etc. I can do from Surbiton station to my desk in the City (5 minute walk from Bank) in under 45 minutes, and it's a very frequent and late running train service. If you're happy to turn it into an hour's commute, then Molesey is lovely - just sightly less convenient for trains. But all very convenient for Heathrow as well - we can do T5 in 30 minutes outside of rush hour.

In Wandsworth (Balham and between the Commons) £800-850 gets you a flat and as someone above has said, with two children that will feel squishy pretty quickly. With your budget and the criteria of state education the whole way through, I'd move to Beckenham. It borders Kent so you get access to the amazing grammar schools for senior (they're selective but some of the very best in the country) and you will get a house with a garden and can live there for a long time to come. It has lots of open park space but has a quick commute to the City. It's very popular with young families, which I think is appealing.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/112612079#/?channel=RES_BUY

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Thanks again for all the suggestions. I feel like everyone is in the same boat in London, regardless of budget, (unless you're a multi millionaire) - that we want to stay and not be forced to move out but it's so hard finding something as it's so expensive!

@LondonSouth28 thanks for this. With Kent borders we are not keen on grammars at all. Really wanting a state 'comp', not in a grammar area. Just our preference.

Secondly, I have visited Beckenham and whilst the parks are amazing the place felt too suburban for me and DH. We are looking to stay somewhere that's inside London. It's all about personal taste though and I can totally see why lots of people love it there!

Gypsy Hill commute to DH office showing up as 55-60 mins on Citymapper so a stretch too long given his hours. I fear this might be the case across that patch of south London. Whilst the train journeys might be 45 mins it's going to be longer once you've factored in walk at either end.

I lived in Gypsy Hill at one stage. Lovely area but terrible commute into the centre.

Once Crossrail kicks in, Ealing would fit the bill. Hanwell is full of green space, friendly, and lovely, and the area has lots of outstanding schools. Very fast to Heathrow, fast into the City once the CR central section opens.

There really isn't much choice for secondaries in the most easily commutable nice areas. It's either highly selective grammar or pay for private (also with a higher level of competition than most outside London)

A handful of sought after comps for which you'd need to fork out well over 1m for a small terrace and be at the doorstep of shrinking catchments.

That's why many families move further out...

To be fair this is one of the most desirable places to live in London...

Sorry that was referring to 850k for between the commons flat.

Tooting/Furzedown - you'll get more for your money than Balham and still close to Northern Line and the common. Furzedown also puts you close to Tooting overground. Family friendly too.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/111882527#/?channel=RES_BUY
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/108922553#/?channel=RES_BUY
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/109368584#/?channel=RES_BUY
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/109351199#/?channel=RES_BUY
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/111999782#/?channel=RES_BUY

OP. What about north London? It’s an expensive area but if you are willing to buy ex-local authority or a flat then around Kentish Town, Gospel Oak. Hampstead Heath is the obvious open space but there is also Waterlow Park and Primrose Hill and of course Regent’s Park not too far away. You might not have a lot of choice and I understand others comments re: kids getting bigger in flats but most of our friends live in flats of some description with teens and being in zone 2 and with the Heath, great primary and secondary options it’s worth a look. Not only is there a great toddler scene but that continues into any kind of extra curricular you might fancy.

We have Thameslink, Northern line and London Overground. Direct trains to Gatwick and Luton if DH could travel from an alternative airport.

Catchment for a choice of excellent primaries, and an outstanding secondary. Walking distance to Thameslink station or an express bus.

OP, 99% of Brits lie blatantly, beyond ridicule, about their commute. This must be a cultural thing, linked to the British fetish for living in the countryside, neither of which I have seen in other countries.

So take any feedback with a truckload of salt. I have heard people say "oh, from Twickenham to Canary wharf it's less than 30 minutes" (by helicopter, maybe???) or "from x to Waterloo" it's only 27 minutes (yes, but there are only two trains per hours, and door to door it easily becomes 50-60 minutes).

Also bear in mind the reliability of a commute. A train which takes 25 minutes isn't great if there are only 2 such trains an hour: say you miss one and the next one is delayed (which will happen, not every single day but it will happen) and that's easily 45-60 minutes added to an already long commute.

@ParentOfOne

OP, 99% of Brits lie blatantly, beyond ridicule, about their commute. This must be a cultural thing, linked to the British fetish for living in the countryside, neither of which I have seen in other countries.

So take any feedback with a truckload of salt. I have heard people say "oh, from Twickenham to Canary wharf it's less than 30 minutes" (by helicopter, maybe???) or "from x to Waterloo" it's only 27 minutes (yes, but there are only two trains per hours, and door to door it easily becomes 50-60 minutes).

Also bear in mind the reliability of a commute. A train which takes 25 minutes isn't great if there are only 2 such trains an hour: say you miss one and the next one is delayed (which will happen, not every single day but it will happen) and that's easily 45-60 minutes added to an already long commute.

Agree with this. I live a (times) 5 min walk to the station. My train to London Bridge is meant to take 6 mins and then my walk to work is 10 mins from there. It was very very rare to make that journey in less than 45 minutes. I can walk home in just over an hour.

@ParentOfOne

OP, 99% of Brits lie blatantly, beyond ridicule, about their commute. This must be a cultural thing, linked to the British fetish for living in the countryside, neither of which I have seen in other countries.

So take any feedback with a truckload of salt. I have heard people say "oh, from Twickenham to Canary wharf it's less than 30 minutes" (by helicopter, maybe???) or "from x to Waterloo" it's only 27 minutes (yes, but there are only two trains per hours, and door to door it easily becomes 50-60 minutes).

Also bear in mind the reliability of a commute. A train which takes 25 minutes isn't great if there are only 2 such trains an hour: say you miss one and the next one is delayed (which will happen, not every single day but it will happen) and that's easily 45-60 minutes added to an already long commute.

Lol. Very true. Or, at the very least, they quote actual train-leaves-the-station until train-arrives-at-terminus minutes as though this were the actual door to door. In which they are ably abetted by estate agents who love to quote ludicrous figures for "only twenty minutes away from Liverpool St!"

Thirty minutes from Twickenham to the Wharf I ask you. The Wharf is a fucking pain to get to unless you live on the Isle of Dogs.

Yes I agree on commutes. An hour door to door is standard surely? I also think if one person is at home and with kids the area is more important than the commute unless it's a massive one of over an hour each way.

On secondaries, the 'everyone goes private or moves out' schtick has some truth in it but plenty of nice, middle class people with actual books in their houses send their kids to state secondaries in all parts of London, and lots of them do very well. They also learn to be a bit more accepting of difference .

Where are you talking about please @ShingleBeach ?

@StColumbofNavron we used to live in North (rented) around the Heath and love it for all the reasons you say. Unfortunately the secondary schools are single sex (William Ellis) I think. I agree that a large ex-LA flat in that area is a great option though.

@ParentOfOne

OP, 99% of Brits lie blatantly, beyond ridicule, about their commute. This must be a cultural thing, linked to the British fetish for living in the countryside, neither of which I have seen in other countries.

So take any feedback with a truckload of salt. I have heard people say "oh, from Twickenham to Canary wharf it's less than 30 minutes" (by helicopter, maybe???) or "from x to Waterloo" it's only 27 minutes (yes, but there are only two trains per hours, and door to door it easily becomes 50-60 minutes).

Also bear in mind the reliability of a commute. A train which takes 25 minutes isn't great if there are only 2 such trains an hour: say you miss one and the next one is delayed (which will happen, not every single day but it will happen) and that's easily 45-60 minutes added to an already long commute.

You are so right! I am all too aware of this. We have been spoilt living on the tube for years. I'm reluctant to switch to relying on mainline trains in pockets of south London for this reason. His commute needs to be 45 or less door to door, otherwise our quality of life will be affected too much and it won't be worth it.

For boys, you are right, options are limited (I am anti-segregation in education on any grounds, but my DC wanted to go to WES so I compromised my principles and they are both very very different but very happy) but also there is Acland Burghley - which lots of our friends have also been happy with.

The Heath, zone 2 living is just brilliant and the reason we haven’t moved away.

In London flats can be bigger than houses though. We live in a 2 bed flat (maisonette) that's bigger than our friends' 3 bed house farther out. And ground floor flats do tend to have gardens. So I think the OP is right not to rule out flats.

@ThePlantsitter DH's hours can be very very late during the week, so it's a priority that he's quick to get home to get enough sleep. On Fridays when he finishes a bit earlier this could be the difference between getting home to read a bedtime story or not, and it's important to us.

Re the schools thing, I was quoting what others have said to me. We are very keen on a state secondary, not grammar. We are looking for very good schools obviously.

On the reliability of trains: take a railway map and look at how many lines converge on your station or before. This is important because it adds an element of 'redundancy', as engineers would say. Take Wimbledon or Balham: many lines converge there, so if one line has a problem, there are still 3-4 other lines which are likely to keep running.

Compare that to East Dulwich, which has only one line: if there's a problem, you are stuck.

OP, depending on where you need to go, don't rule out the train: there are certain train lines with trains every 3-4 minutes, which is more frequent than some tube lines.