Moving back to London - crazy?

[sdra]

There is NOTHING where we are. A house has come up where I used to live in London. I've always missed it. Would it be crazy to make an offer and move back in?! 2 kids. Year 3 and 1.
Pros: on a quiet road, backs onto a wood, garden, short walk to state school, amazing private secondary nearby (vvv selective) and a decent state comp, fun London, more opportunities for kids as teens, loads to do, green area, know the area, no further from parents
Cons: it's north facing, it needs a lot of work, it's a terrace so no access to the garden from side (which is overgrown and also needs a lot of work), needs remodelling inside - though could live in it as is, kids are settled where we are, know no one there really anymore, it's London - and that means noisy, busy, polluted, crime, the amazing secondary is vvv hard to get into and I can't see many other private options, would the kids hate me forever, would I actually then miss perks of suburbs - greener, parking space, not busy
Help!!

London comps outperform rest of the country every year

I used to teach at the 5th best performing state school in England. It was a long long way from London. There was an identical school in the same city. Again a long long way from London.

Why would your kids hate it? They'll love it as teens.

And until then, it's not like they are doing any activities that you aren't facilitating....so just facilitate whatever those are in their new home.

Do it! We moved out of London and moved back two years later. We're never leaving again.

If you miss it, you know. So many people put all their eggs into moving out, and regret it, and can't come back.

@Waitingwaiting3

Ahh sorry I didn’t see that you wrote private!

Plenty in Hampstead if you want to do the drive!

Many have school buses

I'm finding this so interesting. We moved out before we had kids and I have never looked back for a second. BUT we moved to a village with a big sense of community and enough going on that no one is ever bored. Good choice of state or private secondaries. As expensive as the nice bits of London now though! I'm wondering if it's not London per se, but the area you are in not giving you enough of what you want.

I had a really interesting conversation with a friend who has young teens in the home counties and a sister with young teens in London, all in private secondary. The 'country' teens are definitely enjoying a longer childhood are more innocence, for want of a better word. They spend more time hanging out with friends at their houses, the local sports centre, still into a lot of extra curricular activities. The London teens are much more involved in drinking, drugs (weed mostly) and are increasingly dealing with more adult situations at 14/15 as they have the freedom of the city. I love hearing how brilliant London is for teenagers but I'm also wondering about the flip side.

@TheEconomista I am so bored! Where about are you?! I find home counties v dull. London isn't far away but have also toyed with moving further away. Just nowhere really makes sense as parents miles apart from each other and friends all over the place. But yes what you describe is one of my concerns about moving back - though sure there is plenty of drug taking in the country. I certainly did!

The house went over asking obviously so now back to waiting waiting for ANYTHING to come on.

I’d move back like a shot especially if you can afford Crouch End or Highgate- great areas for kids and teens.

Remember a lot of schools run coaches- can’t remember whether you said DD or DS but options other than Highgate include Channing, UCS, NLCS, Mill Hill, City (both) by tube and loads of others. For secondary, kids travel half way across along on- you don’t need to confine yourself to the schools on the doorstep.

If you ask on Secondary Education you’ll get lots of advice.

Not London, but we lived in another city in the south east, then moved when kids were little to what was classed as a rural, great for little ones, but for teens absolutely dreadful, we have now moved to another city. No way would we move away from a city again.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

London comps outperform rest of the country every year

I used to teach at the 5th best performing state school in England. It was a long long way from London. There was an identical school in the same city. Again a long long way from London.

I don't get your point? I didn't say there weren't any good schools outside of London, I said that on average London schools outperform national average... Just a fact!

Do most of you live in London? Or moved out but used to live there? If moved out, why? I think if we had a pull to somewhere else like family or big group of friends somewhere it would make sense or if London was unaffordable or hated it before! I do love love love the countryside but I also find it somewhat suffocating small town mentality and I don't know if that's where I am or just I'm either city and wilderness girl, just not the middle town or suburbia! I am also trying to think further ahead for kids. I think where we are is fine. V safe. But really a lack of things to do for teens. And if we move further out I'll be a taxi driver!

We used to be in London (and are currently trying to sell our lovely house there!) but have moved to a different city. We wanted to keep some of the benefits of living in a place with things to do, public transport, excellent schools, but be able to get out to the countryside more easily and be less polluted. It's early days as we don't know many people but I'm not missing living in London. We have lived rurally and it wasn't for us.

I live in London with teens, near the area you’re thinking of. Feel free to PM me if you’d like to chat.

I'm biased because a. I'm a dyed in the wool Londoner and b. I particularly like Highgate and Muswell Hill.

I'd move back if I were you, but then I wouldn't have moved out in the first place.

So much to do here. Home Counties are basically quite dull.

I'd move back definitely. Was in Highgate the other week as boyfriend lives that way and though I hate to say it - I much prefer it to my side of London - SE.

If you lived here before and miss it then definitely move back. I'm currently living in SE London.

DB and SIL live in Hackney and love it - but don't like they can't get a decent house with a garden for their budget so probably moving to SE London this summer.

There is an awful lot to do in London - for kids/adults. A plethora of things actually!

I also think that SIL's DB and DW who moved to a large city in SW England from Hackney though they had to do it during Covid etc but they have family/childcare there, they definitely miss Hackney where they were before.

Come back but keep looking at houses

Oh I forgot to say - Muswell Hill is lovely - really nice vibe about it, very villagey - and even Finchley which is nearby is very nice. Was in Highgate the other day and really like that area too.

For comparison - yes, in South London near me is e.g. Dulwich and Blackheath etc but North seems to have more to me.

I spend a fair bit of time in the area now - was in Brent Cross shopping centre the other week, and dare I say it, I feel safer here than in certain parts of South London. Never ever thought I'd say that.

Family friends moved to Muswell Hill in early 1990s and I remember the dad saying (he was on his second marriage and subsequently had 2 kids) that moving to North London was the best thing he'd ever done. He's since moved further out on Northern line but still likes that side of London.

A good comprehensive is the holy grail of education. I'd say go for it

Nah, don't like Muswell Hill, it's not proper London! Nearby areas are more appealing to me - East Finchley, West Hampstead, Dartmouth Park, even Holloway or Archway

@Davros

Nah, don't like Muswell Hill, it's not proper London! Nearby areas are more appealing to me - East Finchley, West Hampstead, Dartmouth Park, even Holloway or Archway

Why is it not proper London?

OP, just curious, what do the rest of your family feel?

I am sort of leaving London and I thought prices were initially going down a bit with the "race for space" but then looking at MN makes me wonder if people are regretting it.

@Davros

Nah, don't like Muswell Hill, it's not proper London! Nearby areas are more appealing to me - East Finchley, West Hampstead, Dartmouth Park, even Holloway or Archway

@Davros I sort of get what you’re saying about Muswell Hill, it’s a little area all of its own but it is London to me too. It’s just a pita that it doesn’t have a tube or train station.