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.

Kingston is an hour to CW easily by the time you’ve transferred etc. I think you may have to extend your ideal commute time given your budget.

You’re going to be spending £30k or so on stamp duty - and you don’t want to have to do this again when you need to think about schools or the fact a flat really isn’t ideal for your family.

Travel apps don’t cater for the fact that in normal times you can’t get on the first four jubilee line trains at Waterloo, London Bridge or Canada Water. They also don’t expect the DLR to fall over. Hopefully cross rail will improve things but getting into CW or out of it can be an utter nightmare if one or other of the rail lines breaks.

Is your husband going to have to go in every day - most banks, lawyers and professional services firms (basically the population of CW) are all about hybrid working now. An hour or more three days a week may be tolerable.

Thanks @LittleBearPad just to clarify, he needs to get to the City, not the Wharf. Anywhere round Bishopsgate, so eg Liverpool St / Moorgate.

Thanks @BIWI - your links not working, but I will have a closer look. What are mainstream secondaries like there though? Thought most were single sex or people went private?

Trying again!

There are just two single sex secondaries - Rutlish for boys and Ricards Lodge for girls. Plenty of other state schools though.

If you can't get the link to work, it's a house on Russell Road, 3 bed, for £839,950. Main agent is Hawes & Co.

@pyjamastoday

Thanks *@LittleBearPad* just to clarify, he needs to get to the City, not the Wharf. Anywhere round Bishopsgate, so eg Liverpool St / Moorgate.

Ok, sorry. It’s still about 50 mins as the W&C line is rammed and takes four attempts to get on. SWR also have a flexible attitude to timekeeping as soon as they carry any passengers.

It’s probably 45 mins in a cab late at night if his employers cover taxi fares for late night working.

@pyjamastoday

Really *@PeachScone* which station in the City are you heading to?

Bank - its 20ish mins to Waterloo (stops at Clapham Junction then waterloo) then one stop on Waterloo and City line to Bank. I think Liverpool St would be one more stop on central? Might be worth checking his work postcode and time he needs to arrive on citymapper and see. This is from Surbiton Station though - I think trains from Kingston take more like 30 mins/have more stops.

If the City commute is the most important factor, then you have to look east at Leyton/stone, wanstead, South Woodford. H regularly travelled to Heathrow (2x plus a month) from wanstead with no issues (and it'll be easier once crossrail is up and running).

All these Wimbledon, south east London places won't offer a reliable commute in under 45 mins. With the east London places if you're on the tube you've got the overground and DLR to fall back on, it's not even that far or that much in a cab if you need to circumvent a line being down. If the budget stretches to £850k take a serious look at wanstead and leytonstone. Don't worry about the secondaries with the grammars, it's not a two tier system, more a... Relic. Most people are not putting their kids in for the 11+ and the catchment is pretty big so lots of competition and most parents don't get involved.

Also both DH and I start work early so are travelling before most of the morning madness.
We haven't had any issues with SWR yet but I lots of people tell me they do - it was the one thing that nearly put us off actually!

Get what you're saying re Beckenham. I don't live there but I'm not a fan of suburban either. If you're happy with a flat I'd go for Clapham/Balham/Battersea area (and yes I live in one of those!)

I agree with Notmydayjob.

For what it's worth, I have friends who have sent their children to local schools in Leytonstone and they've done brilliantly.

It's worth remembering that most schools in London are good - and to not get hung up in the stellar state schools thing.

Plus, if you move Eastwards, you can always send them to Mossbourne for sixth form, which does have a stellar track record of university placements.

It's about 30 mins from S Wimbledon / Colliers Wood on the Northern Line to Moorgate and the tube is about every 2 mins in the morning. Much quicker than Wimbledon to Waterloo then trying to get on the W&C. If the tube is down, Wimbledon or Haydons Road (or Tooting) takes you into City Thameslink in about the same time (backup plan!)

Also, I really think you need to know that the area in South London known as 'Between the Commons' is an unrealistic measure by which to compare other areas.

It's been gentrified, with a particular slant towards families, for a good 30 years. And it has a price tag that reflects that fact.

Your budget really isn't going to stretch to that. Plus the catchments for Belleville and Honeywell are tiny.

You need to look at areas that are on the way to being BTC-type areas.

In East London, Wanstead is lovely (quiet rather than trendy), South Woodford's been moving that way for a while, and Leytonstone is experiencing a real shift, with lots of people-like-you moving there.

Good luck, OP. It's always a bit weird having to shift location but, on the plus side, you'll get to explore London.

@BIWI

What about this one in Wimbledon?

Easy to get to either the District Line (to take you to the Waterloo & City Line) or to South Wimbledon, for the Northern Line. Very good schools locally (state) and a good family area.

Journey times to Heathrow and Gatwick are roughly the same (as he may sometimes need to use Gatwick) and public transport links to both are also good - especially Gatwick, using the tram to East Croydon.

Sorry @pyjamastoday I mixed my lines up! The District Line won't take you to the Waterloo & City Line - it's more for getting up to central/West London. But at Wimbledon station is also the overground, which will take you to the W&C line. Should you want to use that.

I don’t think you can generalise that Z2 I gives you access to all the things and the suburbs are a hinterland of nothingness. I live in a suburb and it’s the best served place I’ve lived in London - whether it’s a quality coffee, latest movie, swim and gym, park, toddler groups, library, Waitrose, independent butcher, park, about 20 restaurants - it’s all in 5 mins walk. As is a train station with a regular 20min service into central London. Plus in catchment for an outstanding primary + secondary.

Conversely I’ve lived somewhere in Z2 which was a 10min walk to a dodgy corner shop for a pint of milk, and nothing else.

Redbridge as mentioned has great secondary schools but to access cross rail you need to be on the Liverpool street to Shenfield Line. Perhaps look at Gidea Park? However this is Havering.

@Scabetty

Redbridge as mentioned has great secondary schools but to access cross rail you need to be on the Liverpool street to Shenfield Line. Perhaps look at Gidea Park? However this is Havering.

There are several buses from wanstead that connect with Crossrail stations, or change at Stratford from the central line

I would caution against almost anywhere on a national rail route if your DH is regularly working unpredictable late hours. You can certainly manage some pretty swift door-to-door times if you’re in the right place, but frequency of trains often tails off in the late evening and being stuck waiting half an hour for the next train if you’ve just missed one after a long day at work is not at all fun.

I would choose trains over tube any day of the week (I find the tube noisy and cramped and unpleasant) but it works best if you can commit to catching a specific train, not working late on a deadline.

To throw another thing into the mix - if you're going south of the river (or indeed anywhere on the tube) I would be looking for somewhere with two lines with easy access to your office. We all know that tube and train lines do go down, and life is a million times easier if you have an easy alternative route home.

DSis lives near Clockhouse (between Beckenham and Penge) and has two lines into town, both of them 20 minute journeys. Where I live I have easy access to two stations on different lines into Victoria and London Bridge (one of which is served by Thameslink too). It makes a huge difference when there are problems to have alternative routes. I'd recommend where we are (outstanding schools, easy commute, lots of green space) but I think it's too far out for you, as we're z5.

East Dulwich has crap transport links at best, and they're even worse when something goes wrong. Blackheath is similar.

This is nice - on the Northern Line and a huge garden for a flat. Close to Clapham Common for the nice cafes etc. Most children in this area travel for secondary and there are good overground underground and bus links.
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/111069908#/?channel=RES_BUY

The house in wimbledon is nice (Biwi link). Pelham's lovely and the secondaries are good (but you'd have to check catchments).

Wimbledon has a great family vibe, including activities like sailing, drama and horse-riding.

Have you looked at Walthamstow? Good primaries and secondaries, easy commute to Liverpool Street on the Overland or central London on the tube. Even Heathrow isn't terrible as Victoria line is so speedy. And Epping Forest on your doorstep for greenery.

Thanks @BIWI !

Thanks everyone. Really helpful ideas. Especially good advice about the two lines.

@muffinffaces

At your budget maybe look at places like Carshalton or Surbiton if you want a less transient population & good schools. The trouble with further in is the ££££, many people move for secondary or even if you have the budget people want a semi or a bigger garden. I'm in Wandsworth & have lost about all my NCT friends, 4 of my dcs friends this summer alone and most of my neighbours. It's quite frustrating tbh.

I was going to suggest Surbiton, 16 minute fast train to Waterloo and then the W&C to Bank isn’t too bad. Lovely schools around the place and you should be able to get a decent 3 bed semi for your budget, maybe even 4.

Less urban than you’re used to but nice restaurants and cafes and an indie bookshop, it’s changed out of recognition just in the 14 years we’ve been here.

For Heathrow we usually drive or get a cab round the m25 or through Hampton depending on traffic. Also not bad for Gatwick.

(Just noticed I missed a few posts on Surbiton upthread, gah. Sorry! I’ve always found it a pretty reliable commute as commutes go especially if coming home late so less congested trains.)