If you left Stoke Newington, where did you go?

[Wheretonow1]

Currently live in Stoke Newington and love it and our kids are happy in school. But we can’t afford anything bigger than our small 2-bed flat and a few things have happened on our street that make me wonder why I’m paying so much money to live somewhere tiny!

The areas we can afford in London don’t feel quite right so now I’m wondering where we would go if we left. (Budget about £875k)

So if you lived in Stokey and loved it, where did you go? And are you happy there?

Oh yeah, and Brighton / 'Hove, actually'

Stroud.

Wanstead - buts its not cheap

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/123066296#/?channel=RES_BUY

Southville, Bristol
chew Magna
frome
Bruton
Topsham

That house is lovely and I like Wanstead, but I can hear the a12 when I’m there and it puts me off... I know I can’t afford to be so fussy! Maybe I wouldn’t notice anymore if I were there?

Stroud actually makes sense for family! Although I have never actually been!

I’ve got some visiting of places to do. Thank you for these - please do keep em coming! I’m reading all with interest.

London annual rainfall...24 inches
Hebden Bridge...44 inches

If you'd like to live in a rain sodden drain...go for it.

I think Wanstead has quite a different vibe to Stokey and Walthamstow. We went to Walthamstow but friends who have moved out have gone for south coast - Brighton, W

Whoops ... Brighton, Worthing, Hastings. Also Somerset Frome, Bruton, Bath. Couple to that suburban bit at the end of the Metropolitan line. Do you need to commute to London?

Think some of the places mentioned you wouldn't get anything special for that budget.

Maybe a flat in Crouch End or Alexander Park? Might be able to get a 3 bed

Not much to add really but we left Stokey for Barnet about 10 years ago, purely for house size and good schools. It’s nothing like Stokey, but turns out a lot of Stokey-ites had the same idea as us - there are loads of us around here.

Other friends that left London altogether went to Brighton or Hastings. A few up north to Liverpool & Manchester.

Lived in Stokey pre kids, went to Chingford for early kids. V affordable, big culture shock. Still hang out quite a bit in Walthamstow though and it’s prepped me for the shires next!!

If you want to go out of London - how about a nice Spa town? Leamington or Buxton both have a good bit of liberal life about them albeit a lot smaller scale…

I know Frome ( live 15 mins away ), Bruton ( live 20 mins away ) and Topsham as I used to live near Exeter and I'd
Say Topsham really doesn't have a Stoke Newington vibe out of all these places.

It's very parochial and some families that live there are multi generational and dont appear like 'outsiders' much.

I'm off to Topsham this weekend for a bbq at my best friends house and it's beautiful but I doubt it'd suit after Stoke Newington.

Frome is lovely and lots of ex Londoners now live there, Bruton too - for your money you'd get some fab properties on offer.

DH commutes sometimes from Westbury ( half an hour away ) and it's a couple of hours into London. You'd find it a very different pace of life this way though.

I moved from Stokey to Frome, but a while ago and house prices are going up hugely because there aren't enough old houses in the town to cater for all the people moving out of London. It does have the same feel though - and Stroud and Totnes are similar, although I think Totnes has better arts but more drugs.

Bruton is NOT the same though. George Osborne lives there now, or at least has a house. There's a posh art gallery and a Michelin starred restaurant. That's Islington, or even Notting Hill and it is tiny to boot.

But do look at schools - I'm always surprised so many people move to Frome when the local schools are, um, patchy.

Oh one more

South Petherton

How about Plumstead? Definitely has the multicultural, urban feel but a fabulous community.

How about Southsea? We moved here from Brixton a few years ago and love it - its got an alternative vibe in many ways like London as everything is within walking distance, there are students academics etc which makes for an interesting range of stuff happening, its good for cycling, good restaurants, pubs, bars etc and we are only five minutes walk from the sea!

And its 70ish miles to London and so its possible to get back for day trips/commuting etc. We sold our 2 bed flat and were able to buy a 5 bed terraced house for less. Schools generally primaries good, secondaries OK, improving, or there are two good independent schools.