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.

"The immediate area has plenty for a day to day happy life, walking distance to Balham tube and Streatham Hill overground, the common is v v close and the Between the commons area is still 15 mins walk or a short bus ride away
It still feels like proper London but has stacks of green space within a short walk and would be easy commutes for the City by tube, and Heathrow by cab"

"A £50k refurb of that house would make it amazing, and keep it under your budget, with the potential to do the loft at a later date or turn the garage into an extra room"

Nothing wrong with that area but it's a 30
min walk to Balham & likely quicker to get the bus to Brixton. Northcote road is a hours walk! how are you getting 15 mins?!

Yep echo the commute point. Im in zone 4 and my own neighbours would claim we are "20 minute to Central London" by fast train which is not technically wrong, but the reality is 1 or even 1.5 hours door to desk at peak times.

This does my head in 😆 I always allow 50 mins for my door to door journey as things never run smooth.

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.

Honestly I think this is a tad unrealistic as you will need to be either close in or close to a station.

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.

I also think you will struggle with wanting very good schools that aren't grammars of faith but in a urban environment with a short commute.

I don't think you will find a 3 bed near Balham tube for £750k. But that's doable in Streatham Common - my 3 bed house is up for sale for that price, in fact. Great place to live with fantastic transport links (2 stations within less than 10 minutes walk) and the Common is a 5 min walk away.

OP, would you consider an ex-council house? This might be a way to get a cheaper property in an area you would not otherwise be able to afford.

Yes but the OP is looking for a Northcote road high street vibe which you don't get near Streatham Common station.

Have you considered west of London? Iver, Taplow etc on crossrail. Trains into the City much quicker (30-45 mins depending on where on the line) once it goes live. And new trains instead of the tube. Grammar schools. Much more for your money than London. Heathrow v easy drive.

To be fair, the catchment of Telferscot is lovely: close to Streatham Common rail station and Balham tube/rail. And Balham has a good high street and Hildreth Street - which has Brindisia and a load of cafes. Plus it nestles like a pretty shell, lapped by a particularly lovely bit of the Common.

However I wonder how much a dwelling large enough to accommodate the OP's family, actually in the catchment, would cost.

Telferscot is near Streatham hill not common.

I think realistically you may need to pick a couple of things on your list and go with that. Sadly, a house in an established area with good secondaries and a nice commute is now basically 1m plus bracket. So you could do a three bed flat with a garden in some of the naice areas or a two bed house that you convert by going into the loft e.g. East Dulwich or you may need to pick for example good school/ok commute but not the yummy mummy view e.g. Streatham or some sort of a compromise on all e.g. Crystal Palace. Or you bank on an area and hope it become the next 'naice' area with fab schools e.g. like Laytonstone. My impression is that lots of people still move out for secondaries esp. if they have boys and live somewhere like Walthamstow and of course even if you dont move, it doesnt mean your kids friends (your friends) wont.

We just bought a place in SELondon from a family with a kid in yr 5 who are now moving somewhere with a lovely boy secondary. Am assuming that when it comes to it we might also move

plus OP then has the issue of secondary schools which is a general problem in Balham.

@muffinffaces

Telferscot is near Streatham hill not common.

Yes.

Streatham Common is somewhere else entirely.

I was fixated on the image of the Common.

@fhljhbskjn0

I think realistically you may need to pick a couple of things on your list and go with that. Sadly, a house in an established area with good secondaries and a nice commute is now basically 1m plus bracket. So you could do a three bed flat with a garden in some of the naice areas or a two bed house that you convert by going into the loft e.g. East Dulwich or you may need to pick for example good school/ok commute but not the yummy mummy view e.g. Streatham or some sort of a compromise on all e.g. Crystal Palace. Or you bank on an area and hope it become the next 'naice' area with fab schools e.g. like Laytonstone. My impression is that lots of people still move out for secondaries esp. if they have boys and live somewhere like Walthamstow and of course even if you dont move, it doesnt mean your kids friends (your friends) wont.

We just bought a place in SELondon from a family with a kid in yr 5 who are now moving somewhere with a lovely boy secondary. Am assuming that when it comes to it we might also move

I really with this.

no worries cat

I came on here to suggest Herne Hill but I see others have suggested it and it might be a stretch to get a house on that budget in the Charter catchment but not out of the question. I'm not 100% sure on the Charter catchment but I'd think you'd be ok in the area around casino avenue where you can get a 3 bed for around £800k if you're not fixated on a Victorian house. See eg this which is under offer -

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/111091691#/?channel=RES_BUY

For primaries there are several highly regarded state schools (Judith Kerr, Bessemer, Dulwich Village Infants, Jessop etc) in the area.

You're spoilt with parks - that area is close to Brockwell park and Ruskin park, plus dulwich park isn't so far and there's a small playground to pop to in Sunray Gardens.

It's great for families and I wouldn't say it's trendy/mainstream (there is a pizza express/Tesco/Sainsbury's) but mostly independents. Transport-wise you have the Thames link line to Farringdon which takes 17 mins then it's a couple of stops to Moorgate. If that's down (and it wasn't that bad pre-Covid when I was going in 5 days a week) there's also the line to Victoria from Herne hill which takes 10mins or you can try Denmark hill (also goes to Blackfriars/Farringdon or north dulwich to London Bridge. All of those lines are feasible from the casino avenue area. I work in Farringdon/live in the 'north dulwich triangle' near charter and it's usually 40 mins door to door with a 10 min walk at each end.

Heathrow is not too bad if it's not a very frequent trip. Either Heathrow express to Paddington then bakerloo line to elephant and castle and overground to Herne hill from there (10 mins). Or tube to Victoria then get to the Piccadilly line and along from there. If Heathrow trips are frequent I'm not sure anywhere in SE London is that great.

@JW13 I think the house you linked is basically the one or two houses that absolutely fit the bill. But as you said it's under offer. Stuff like that has the perfect ratio of green, ok commute, amazing school, three bed and in budget and close to east dulwich etc.

@muffinffaces

plus OP then has the issue of secondary schools which is a general problem in Balham.

Chestnut Grove is popular these days.

@fhljhbskjn0 You're right. It's a tricky market here unless you have £1m+. I do see those houses coming on the market periodically but now the done up ones are over £900k as well. It's a popular area for all the reasons you mentioned and now that £700-800k budget is almost all flats...

I am in East Greenwich and work in the City. I can leave my desk at 2.58 and be at school pickup for 3.30 on the days I do it.
The jubilee line to North Greenwich or the DLR from Bank to Greenwich are plans b and c in the event of transport problems. Though I often run or cycle the commute as it is an efficient way to fit in exercise.
My kids are at primary + secondary here and I'm happy with it.
You'd get a 3 bed in budget here though not all will be

@Whattodoaboutnothing thanks for this. Out if interest which area did you move to?

Thanks for all the ideas. Last night I was reading back over this thread and doing more research and now thinking that the suggestions of Wanstead and surrounds might be worth another look. The quick commute is, I think, really key. I know some people in Walthamstow but wasn't sure of the area due to safety as two people I know got mugged there - I know this might be fluke. We also have boys and the best school in Walthamstow is all girls. We would want a mixed school. So perhaps Wanstead or thereabouts could fit the bill, at least for commute and green space.

@pyjamastoday

Thanks for all the ideas. Last night I was reading back over this thread and doing more research and now thinking that the suggestions of Wanstead and surrounds might be worth another look. The quick commute is, I think, really key. I know some people in Walthamstow but wasn't sure of the area due to safety as two people I know got mugged there - I know this might be fluke. We also have boys and the best school in Walthamstow is all girls. We would want a mixed school. So perhaps Wanstead or thereabouts could fit the bill, at least for commute and green space.

Wanstead is really something special. Both ends of the High Street are close to two different sections of Epping Forest. Really great schools- primary and secondary and a genuinely diverse community with good commuting times into the City.

Woodford will get you more for your money but a longer commute.

South Woodford has a more London feel and is just as lovely as Wanstead though no Forest on the doorstep.

Leyton(stone) has green spaces in abundance, a London vibe and is zone 3. Look around Francis Road for middle class niceness.

I grew up in Leyton and that last sentence about ‘middle class niceness’ has made me laugh so much. Though I’ve been away for a loooong time.

The one thing I will say is that I definitely felt well connected to everywhere living in Leyton (close to Orient and then later Church Road). Everywhere felt close.