Living in Surbiton anyone?

[GreenwichVillage83]

Can anyone share any intel about living in Surbiton please?

We have 1 young child, currently TTC another. Husband has to commute to City and works late so we don't want a really long commute - ideally 45 mins or under. I wfh. Currently living in a small flat in Blackheath. Houses here are small or v v pricey and secondary schools not great. We don't want grammars or private.

Priorities are schools (state secondaries, not Catholic), green space and the usual wish list of pleasant quality of life.

Surbiton has been suggested by a colleague of DH as a (relatively) affordable option, with good commute. I never knew anything about the place and always thought it was just a surburban sprawl but this guy said it's very pleasant.

Not sure on budget - this would be in a couple of years time. But somewhere between 750-£1m for ideally 3 beds. Roughly speaking.

Is this an area worth looking at?

Thing about a car is they do become practical once you dc are in school as you end up having to ferry them around to things.

I would say Blackheath is quite unique tbh. If I won the lotto I'd live in Wimbledon village.

I don't see why we should need to ferry our DC around by car - unless we live in the suburbs of course. They do nursery and various classes currently and we only walk or use public transport.

There is a high concentration of baby/toddler stuff near me but as dc get older things are more differentiated by age & ability & are naturally more spread out. I can walk to swimming, tennis & ballet for example but I can't walk to futsal, gymnastics & horse riding. I mean I could walk/take public transport but trying to fit in clubs/homework/dinner etc in the evenings is busy & in South London public transport isn't always the most direct route.

Obviously it depends on how much stuff your dc do & of course how many dc you have but a car certainly makes my life easier. We didn't have a car until dc1 started school, now I couldn't cope without it. my dc do lots of play dates & sleepovers with friends & family & a car makes that easier even though my parents & most friends are 15mins walk.

I don’t live in London anymore. But friends who lived in Camden before kids, and don’t want suburban live in places such as Stokey, Newington Green, around Clissold Park and parts of Stamford Hill/Clapton. Some parts of these are a bit rough round the edges but full of young families and still very much a London feel.

Also Archway and surrounds but I am not sure you would get much for your budget.

You can definitely walk everywhere or get the bus/train in those South London places you have listed. There local high streets with cafes, restaurants, small supermarkets, libraries, cinemas, swimming pools/leisure centres and parks - all of which you could live within walking distance from. I would add Beckenham (the London side) into that mix.
Trains into London Bridge take 15-20min

It wasn’t me who voted this! But an estate agent or London living expert claimed this to be.

I don’t like the fact of no tube (Ginger overground isn’t the same) and it’s fairly far out if you go into central London.

No I know it wasn't your choice 😆II read the article in the Times as I subscribe. Like all press though you need to take with a pinch of salt!

SW is so much nicer than SE London, much more open green space.

@Luckydip1 ah yes, Crystal Palace park, Hilly Fields, Ladywell Fields, Brockwell Park, Peckham Rye, Sydenham Woods, Danson Park….and loads more. Not much green space in South East London…..

I’d rather live in a one bed flat in London than 25 mins drive to a station in Grantham 😂

@Wronglane In SW London you have Richmond Park and Wimbledon which are better and safer for children than any open spaces in SE London.

W&C line is fine. Busy, and squashed, but frequent, and all proper commuters who know the etiquette!

Kingston & Richmond have the most open green space out of all the boroughs in London.

Although I think there are plenty of SE green spaces that are safe.

Why are they safer @Luckydip1? People have been murdered in both the SW spaces you mentioned….

FYI I think Surbiton gets a bad rep in part because of the name. It just sounds so like “surburban” that it gets stuck with that label. I don’t think it’s anywhere near as surburban and bland as many other parts of outer London. It’s got a high street and neighbourhood vibe, not like central London admittedly or quite like blackheath, but like teddington, Hampton or ham.
have you visited?
blackheath has loads of chains IIRC and no independent restaurants, so as an aside don’t get the hype

Grew up around this area. I think bits surrounding are nicer personally but also more villagey suburbia which you say you don’t like.

I do think you need a car in surbiton. Or you did 10 years ago when I last left. There’s a lot scattered around and I don’t think you would be making full use of local amenities without one.

Maybe if you want to go south but carless go slightly further in. Wimbledon, Richmond etc.

I agree that the name Surbiton is misleading, and The Good Life connotations also.

Putney - close to town, river, common is affordable.

Ime with kids you always need a car, even living in central ish i needed one as it's easier to drive when go to places not on your tube line. Surbiton is nice, suburban but in thr sa

Why don't you stay in Blackheath? You could afford a house around the Standard/Charlton slopes and Thomas Tallis isn't a bad school. St Thomas More in Eltham is better and there are non religious places. I know you're not keen on the grammars but there are several that are easily accessible from Blackheath and it's a well trodden path.

Richmond, Surbiton and Kingston are nice too but not cheaper than Blackheath.

It is suburban, because it's outer London, and not inner London. But it has quite a pleasant vibe, lots of amenities, and great transport.

The fast trains are 16 minutes to Waterloo. The Drain (W&C line) is, yes, packed, but it's short and frequent. There are umpteen buses going through Surbiton, so you don't have to drive everywhere, although a car is handy for the short drives to the countryside.

Kingston is a 10-15 minute pleasant walk along side the river. Sainsbury's and Waitrose will cater for your everyday needs. There's a number of decent pubs and a few nice restaurants.

I don't understand this love of Richmond. It's got a reputation for some reason, but, although it's not too bad, it turns into chav central at weekends.

And anyone who thinks the traffic is bad around Surbiton, hasn't tried the traffic around Richmond...

so whilst it's not really quick to the city

Richmond not really quick to the city? I've just checked the South Western Rail site and in the morning rush there are trains that take 20 or 23 minutes to Waterloo. District line will take longer - about 45 minutes to Mansion House IIRC

I think you'll need to be right at the top of the budget you've mentioned - or higher - to find a 3 bed for the budget that you're talking about within walking distance of Surbiton station. Prices in Surbiton are high because of it's fast rail link - it's very popular with commuters. If you're looking up Surbiton on Rightmove, it will tell you that houses in Tolworth and Berrylands are Surbiton - but they aren't within easy walking distance of Surbiton station, and the house prices are much lower as a result.

As you've pointed out, there's no bridge in Surbiton so you won't be able to easily access Bushy Park from Surbiton. Teddington has easy access to Bushy Park, but the prices there are even higher and the commute not as short.

Personally, I think you're going to struggle to find a London-vibe, a short commute, large green spaces and a 3-bed house for £750 - £1M in SW London. You're probably going to need to compromise of one or more of those.