Walthamstow Village with children. Is it as nice as it looks? Schools?

[Villageq]

Moving to Walthamstow when you have children is a well-trodden path where I currently live!

Is it as nice as it looks? How are schools? Both primary and secondary?

What about access to green spaces? It seems green, but are the green spaces all walkable?

Does it feel too small, very busy and polluted just outside the village centre when you’re living there? (As it feels to me when I visit?)

I know "the village" pretty well, and it's very pleasant but small. Disclaimer: I'm not a huge fan of Walthamstow. It always seems hectic and overcrowded and cut up with busy roads.

If you've got the budget for "the village" it might be worth looking at Bushwood in Leytonstone. Quiet streets right next to Wanstead Flats, easy links to Central London, loads of restaurants and bars in the area, with new ones appearing all the time. Local primaries are great. You'd get even more for your money a bit further south, around Harrow Road/Cann Hall Road.

If you have the budget for the village, look also at Wanstead or Highams Park - much less cramped, and very green and leafy with lovely community feel. Or if you are keen on Walthamstow, maybe look at Upper Walthamstow - good schools, very leafy and not quite so crowded.