Where in London?

[Idontknowlondon]

DH has been asked by his company to set up an IT team in London (Shepherds Bush) in the spring. I've also just secured a project manager post in Hammersmith. We currently live in greater Manchester with our 2 kids, 3&5.

We plan to live in London for around 5 years. We've never lived in London or been for more than a long weekend. My 2 biggest concerns are commute and schools. Is Shepherds Bush a nice place for families? How are in schools there (primary/ prep).

During the pandemic we've both been working from home and have loved the increased time at home due to lack of commute do we're prepared to pay to live closer to work to keep this lifestyle. Initially my job will be from home, but it's been made clear I'll be expected in my office 3 of the 4 days I'll be working. DH will need to be physically present most days.

Ideally we want 4 beds (or 3 and an office for 2 desks) and some outdoor space, but that could be a park across the road. Currently in a house, and we've never lived in a flat but would be happy to as I imagine lots of families live very well in flats!

Other suggestions welcome. A door to door commute of under half an hour is preferable.

Yes, were down later this week to check stuff out, get a feel. I'll be driving through all areas mentioned, stopping to get a feel and possibly view some houses, though also looking at renting.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/117851564#/?channel=RES_BUY

Literally next to an outstanding primary school. And ten minutes walk to outstanding secondary if you decide to stay. About 20 mins to Hammersmith/ Shepherd’s Bush. Lovely community feel with local independent shops on high street. And a Waitrose nearby too

I don't like Ealing. Feels miles out and just not all that. Northfields and South Ealing feel like suburban nothingness (I owned a flat in South Ealing some years ago). Acton is horrible. Chiswick is nice. Fulham and Parsons Green lovely, so is Southfields. Hammersmith itself might be ok.

Shep Bush always feels a bit dodgy to me. Yet so expensive for what it is. Baffles me.

Yes, I absolutely love it. It’s not for everyone though, as some of the comments show. It’s expensive because it’s convenient. I walk everywhere and so does everyone else, so there’s a sense of community as well as big city buzz. Lots of parks, houses with private gardens so families can settle long term, exceptional schools both state and private.

Surely Chiswick fits your bill? You should definitely check it out on your visit, including the village centre shops and walk along the Thames Path.

Have you considered the wider Richmond borough - Twickenham, st Margaret’s, or even Isleworth? The Bollo Lane end of Chiswick may also suit.

@Gocatgo

Brook green is lovely. I also like Brackenbury Village. Askew road is on the up. Chiswick is fab but not sure what £1.5 would get you.

Ealing has nice bits. Ealing Broadway down to South Ealing tube has some beautiful houses. Around Ealing Abbey also has stunning houses but far from tube.

Errm, it’s about a 10 minute walk from Ealing Abbey to Ealing Broadway station. As my DC (educated in Shepherds Bush) would say, you’re chatting wass.

OP I think SB is pretty mixed. It doesn’t feel particularly safe to me and Westfield means that the rest of the area is in decline.

You have great transport links via SB overground, though, so many parts of London are an easy commute.

Ealing is nice, leafy, has houses with bigger gardens than eg Chiswick, and access to 3 tube lines depending on where you live. Crossrail is coming soon which means a very quick journey to central London. Lots of good schools. I would personally look at either Northfields or Pitshanger as areas with lots of young families and a good sense of community. Get registered with estate agents because lots of houses get sold without even being advertised.

I used to work in White City and live in Putney. The commute from Barnes, Putney, Wandsworth, Southfields etc is pretty bad via public transport. The tube and train connections are there, but such a pain to need to change lines for a short distance. Buses suck due to heavy traffic. I cycled mostly because of it.
As you both will work in the same area really try to get something walkable to both jobs the quality of life improvement would be great. Brook Green or Brackenbury Village areas seem ideal. Failing that, Ealing seems the next obvious choice with single line commute and bus options or cycle / drive there is a strike or other tube issue.

I wouldn't want to live in Shepherds Bush itself, it always seems a bit of a through town to me, plus some bits feel a bit too rough around the edges (close to Uxbridge Road particularly).

I'd go for Chiswick, anywhere north of the A4/M4. Not only is it gorgeous and leafy, your commute would be very reasonable.

If you opt for Ealing don't go anywhere near the first two houses you linked. The first is behind one of the busiest A roads in London, the North Circular, and the second you'll be driven mad by the train depot.

If you can buy in London, I'd do so rather than renting. It feels such a waste paying for someone else's mortgage if you don't need to especially as you'd probably be looking at around £5k per month rent for a property in that bracket, or £60k a year, not including bills. Renting for a minimum of 5 years, that's at least £300k you'll not see back again. At least with buying you've got a chance of making your stamp duty back over even a short period of time (on £1.5m, it's just under £140k).

I'd hang on to your Manchester house rather than sell it to come down, if you can. 5 years may turn into 10 or more, then it could be a good pension property. I'd stretch everything possible to be in a position to do that.

Shepherds bush is a dump and has always been.
Chiswick used to be nice until they installed a double way cycle lane that destroyed it with gridlock traffic and it’s unsafe to walk or drive. Still good in Bedford park end though.
Ealing is a mixed bag with some big beautiful houses and funny (not ha ha) people.
Hammersmith is similar to shepherds bush, only with a bigger roundabout and more tube lines.
Acton, stay clear
Barnes is stunning and equally boring. Now also difficult to get to.
Kew is beautiful and difficult to get to if district line starts playing.
Richmond is great, a city within a city, but too far out, too busy and the pavement is too narrow which used to drive me crazy when you get stuck behind slow walkers on the way to the tube.
Fulham is interesting if you are in the right part i.e Parsons green, otherwise questionable choice for a lot of money
Wimbledon is a good choice, however far out
Putney now too busy due to people using putney bridge as a way to get north of the river from Barnes
Never lived north of kensington but i hear that kensal rise is nice and i would investigate that.
I love London though and wouldn’t live anywhere else

I've worked in or near SB for 10+ years and I agree that it feels more unsafe than most other bits of zone 2. I've definitely been harangued / harassed at bus stops etc more in SB than anywhere else I've lived, and I've lived in Manchester/Birmingham/Leeds/Bristol/Newcastle before I came to London.

I bet the 3 main roads in Shepherd’s bush have been high up in the worst streets of London contest. They tick so many boxes

This looks cool, slightly odd but worth a look

Arminger Road, Shepherds Bush
www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/115138076

Those saying SB is rough or a dump - what is that makes it this way? Genuine question. I thought it was a very MC area....

Just coming to defend Acton. If you can get in the Poet's Corner area around Churchfield Road it's lovely.

This house for example is on a lovely quiet road and easy to reach the park. Acton also has a cinema don't ya know. Loads of young families and outstanding primary schools.

@seekinglondonlife

Those saying SB is rough or a dump - what is that makes it this way? Genuine question. I thought it was a very MC area....

It feels very run down, there are some lovely houses off the main roads but everywhere you go there are undesirable people hanging round & the areas Dd looked round seemed to be very close to several dodgy hotel/hostel type places.

@Callmejudith

Just coming to defend Acton. If you can get in the Poet's Corner area around Churchfield Road it's lovely.

This house for example is on a lovely quiet road and easy to reach the park. Acton also has a cinema don't ya know. Loads of young families and outstanding primary schools.

We were warned off Acton but Dd commutes to Latimer Road and says that actually parts of Acton are really nice.

@CertainUncertain I like most of the places i mentioned, only pointed out things that are annoying about them, so one can be prepared for the worst when moving in to our beautiful city
I now live in Barnes, and i know it’s a boring place- which for me is a good thing.

I love Shepherd’s Bush and Acton. They’re middle class and scruffy - I like that lack of pretension.

Parsons Green is extremely smart literally and metaphorically, and every house is straight out of a Farrow & Ball book, but it would require twice your budget, and the District Line is crap if you need to get anywhere in a hurry. I hate that Earl’s Court interchange.

Chiswick and Barnes aren’t great for walking commutes and now the council have buggered about with the high street it’s not great for cycling or driving either, the irony.

Having read all the thread I’d say you need to rent in the catchment of a great state school and then move to Brackenbury.

@Kimwit that’s so true about Acton. There’s some serious dosh around but also a local tramp (or ten)