Retirement plans - Zone 1/2/3 London

[seventyfits]

I live in outer London at the moment, used to live in Westminster before having dcs and would love to downsize and move back nearer to central London when dcs have all left home and I'm approaching retirement. This will probably be about 4-5 years away, so I want to make a shortlist of possible areas now to start looking around.

I'm aware that I'll need to compromise and decide on my priorities, but my perfect home would be: safe neighbourhood to walk around at night, close to station, max 20 minutes to museums and theatres, nice park nearby, 2 bedrooms, garden or balcony. Current house is worth about 800k.

Any suggestions for areas that might suit me?

Herne hill? It's approx 10 minutes on the train to Victoria/Blackfriars and about 20 mins to London Bridge from north Dulwich. There's Brockwell park and Dulwich park nearby and a great community feel. You could certainly get a nice 2 (possibly 3) bed period conversion flat for that budget with a garden. I'd probably look at the north Dulwich side if possible. Here is an example although slightly over budget:

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/112480613#/?channel=RES_BUY

Or this is closer to Herne Hill station:

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/113852438#/?channel=RES_BUY

Abbeville Village in Clapham?
Eg
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/107782094#/?channel=RES_BUY
There are also some very nice villagey bits of Kennington which are much closer in to the centre.

Thanks @JW13 and @EvilRingahBitch. This is exactly the kind of thing I wanted. I don't know these areas at all, but they look good from a quick google, so I'll go and visit and see what they're like irl.

I think Wimbledon could be worth looking at, although possibly a tiny bit far out if you want easy reach to museums and theatres (12mins on the train to connect with the Victoria line at vauxhall, although there is a decent theatre in Wimbledon itself).

Lots of great green space, well connected, with enough going on locally as well.

You can get a nice 2 bed with balcony with a good chunk left over.

Greenwich? Bit further from museums but Zone 2 and great green space. Train or dlr or boat to town www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-115548917.html

Oooh what a lovely property search!

I'm currently SE London and would echo pps that Dulwich/Herne Hill is a good shout.
Blackheath and Greenwich are also fabulous (Blackheath particularly wonderful), but maybe a bit too far east for a lot of the museums and galleries which tend to be further west?

Blackheath
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/113296532#/?channel=RES_BUY

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/114395927#/?channel=RES_BUY

How about Barnes?
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/115171127#/?channel=RES_BUY

Wapping, right on the river and so central but also quiet
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/106458776#/?channel=RES_BUY

Brockley, lovely conservation area and good community
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/109354172#/?channel=RES_BUY

I'd also look at Battersea (by the park), Kennington (some lovely pockets), and parts of Islington, including de Beavoir and Clerkenwell.

@seventyfits Sunday is a good day to visit Herne hill as we have the weekly market which is nice. There are good restaurants (as well as Dulwich/Peckham/Brixton nearby). Dulwich village has lovely shops/restaurants (although a bit far from transport for me in terms of actually living there).... also the picture gallery and the Horniman nearby for museums. I would suggest walking from Herne hill down half moon lane to dulwich village if you visit! West dulwich is also nice (and on the line to Victoria) but I think Herne hill is better/closer to the centre.

I always fancied living in the Barbican if I were looking to retire to enjoy all the central London facilities. You can almost get a 1 bed for your ££.

Some friends just retired into a new build in canary wharf

I thought they were nuts- until I went to visit! It's amazing! Like living in a hotel. Gum, pool, concierge...

With all the pros of London theatre restaurants etc just a walk or sure ride away

Gym

I really would not be considering somewhere in the depths of zone 2/3 south London that is not within pleasant walking distance of the attractions of zone 1.

I'm single and in my 40s, living in zone 2, SE London - Telegraph Hill. And during the past 18 months I have been very conscious of how cut-off this location is from zone 1 if you don't drive and don't want to take public transport during a pandemic. Walking for an hour, most of it down the Old Kent Road, just to get to Waterloo, would not be my idea of fun! I have never done it.

I have a friend aged 60 who lives in Caledonian Road, and another aged 70 who lives on one of the streets round the back of Waterloo. They seem to have a much better time than I do, when it comes to being able to stroll into the centre, going on pleasant city centre walks, and being able to enjoy cultural events and visit major attractions.

So... I would say can you focus your search on the edges of zone 1, and keep on the right side of the Old Kent Road! So forget about Brockley, East Dulwich, etc. These places are pleasant but they are far too isolated for a central London cultural lifestyle especially at times when travelling on public transport may not always be advisable.

Being within 45 minutes walking distance of South Kensington for the museums and Royal Albert Hall could be something else to aim for.

The pandemic isn't going to last forever. Public transport links from SE London are hugely improved in recent years. We have the DLR to Lewisham, the Overground running down to Croydon, better main line services and better bus services. We can be at London Bridge in well under 30 minutes from leaving home (SE4). It might be nice to walk from Waterloo to the centre of town, but where's the local park?

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

The pandemic isn't going to last forever. Public transport links from SE London are hugely improved in recent years. We have the DLR to Lewisham, the Overground running down to Croydon, better main line services and better bus services. We can be at London Bridge in well under 30 minutes from leaving home (SE4). It might be nice to walk from Waterloo to the centre of town, but where's the local park?

Last time I saw my friend we walked through the street food market on Lower Marsh then went to Archbishops Park. Lots of nice little cafes there, too. I think also, living in that location, riverside walks become your focus rather than parks.

I'll concede though that I would find around the station to be a bit rowdy, and it's not brilliantly served for cheap independent food shops. Also there will always be too many students around!

Still, I would stick to thinking north of the river. Bloomsbury around Lambs Conduit Street / Queens Square might be an idea. Or some lower part of Camden that's within walking distance of Regents Park. Though maybe I'm behind with prices and £800k wouldn't get much there these days...

I'm with @manolantern. With your budget you can afford somewhere pretty central. Places like Dulwich are lovely but no good if your priority is being a maximum of 20 minutes from theatres and museums.

In your shoes I'd be looking at Pimlico (very good value for the location, proximity to SJP/Green Park), Primrose Hill/Camden, Maida Vale at a push (literally 10 mins on the Bakerloo line to Oxford St)/Little Venice.

My MIL lived in Clerkenwell into her 70s and absolutely loved it. To be able to walk across London from your door is a real pleasure (nothing to do with the pandemic) and living centrally you feel far more a part of the life of the city than having to take multiple trains/buses/tubes to get anywhere.

Agree with Jumper and mano.

I live in zone 2 SW London and do not class that as central for what your looking for.

I think the areas they suggested would be better.

I tend to agree with the people saying to look more central tbh. I don't know the North Of The River locations well myself so can't recommend any (a mate lives in Angel Islington which is wonderful in terms of the ability to walk everywhere but is fatally lacking in green space).

The pretty bits of Kennington full of MPs are probably the most viable South London locations but it's still a hike over the river.

Have you considered looking around the Butlers Wharf area (SE1), so just south of Tower Bridge? So whilst £800k shan’t buy you a riverside apt, it will get you a 2 bedroom apt slightly back from the river in one of the converted warehouse buildings. It’s a safe and great area with St Katherine’s docks just over the bridge and only a 15min walk from Southbank/Borough Market etc and a short tube ride into central London/museums etc. worth a look.

Agree you want to be zone 1 and walking distance. Marylebone could be a good fit and you could get a 2 bed flat though outside space might be tricky unless you go ex-council.

Perhaps Queensway/Bayswater would also be worth considering if you could find somewhere off the main roads.

Here's one - looks like it's part of a mews, though lacking a garden:

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/115219937#/?channel=RES_BUY

Sorry Google street view led me to the wrong place, it's not a mews at all!

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/111540440#/?channel=RES_BUY

So much development in this area.
I used to live a bit further down on Albert Embankment- which was a 20 min lovely leisurely stroll to the south bank. On a good day I could hear Big Ben chime.
Vauxhall has changed so much in recent years, there's a couple of great local pubs (The Black Dog not the RVT!) and the tea house theatre on Vauxhall green.

I do miss living in London!

I'd go for the Victoria Park End of Bethnal Green or Mile End. Victoria Park itself is stunning with a cafe overlooking a lake and fountains on one side and a lake with wild turtles, a deer enclosure and walled rose garden on the other. It has lovely lazy Sunday lunch pubs, pretty canal strolls with painted house boats and wild herons, that take you to Islington in one direction and all the way to Hertfordshire in the other, as well as a river walk through Mile End Park down to Canary Wharf. There's V&A museum of childhood, a lovely Victorian library, Columbia Road flower market, lots of shops and restaurants, three city farms near by and trendy Hackney for cool restaurants, bars, galleries and clothes shops as well as London Fields lido. It's 15 mins by tube into the West End.

Thanks so much for all the replies. I am making a note of every suggestion and I will check them all out.

I'm really not sure yet whether I want a smaller place but more central or more space a further out. I don't need a lot of space and am happy to downsize considerably to a small flat but I do want the second bedroom so my kids can stay when they want. I've got a garden at the moment and am probably more attached to that than I am to living in a whole house, so I'm not yet sure how important that is, balanced against convenience of being able to walk everywhere. I definitely want to get rid of my car.

I'm also a bit concerned about high service charges in purpose built blocks, so maybe a flat in a house conversion might be a better option. I think I'll just explore as many areas as possible, and see which places I feel most comfortable in, then maybe I'll try some airbnbs to see what it's like staying in these areas, transport, getting back at night, etc.

It's a nice project to have. There are huge areas of London I've never been to, so it will be fun to explore and get to know more of the city, even if I discount a lot of those places. Keep coming with the suggestions if anyone has any others.