Brookmans Park Hertfordshire

[LydiaFlower]

Hello,

I live in Brookmans Park Hertfordshire with my hubby and three kids.

I really want to get out of the area but wondered if anyone had any suggestions for other locations where I could still access schools local to BP.

I was looking at Barnet, but wondered how that compares as I don't know it very well.

It may sound a bit snobby but BP feels like a cross between The Only Way is Essex and the Stepford wives. It feels like my kids are growing up in an area with attitudes from the 1970s.

Thanks

Most people move out from Barnet or Enfield to BP, rather than the other way around, because it's cheaper. Potters Bar is closer, and children from PB do go to school in BP.

If you're looking at state schools, are you wondering if your children would get in if you lived in Barnet? Or are they already at school in BP? If you moved away, but your children still went to school in BP, then surely they'd pick up the BP attitude?

Thank you for the reply, I couldn't log back in for some odd reason so had to register.

Are you saying BP is cheaper than Barnet and Enfield? I thought Brookmans Park was much sought after.

My children do go to school locally but not directly in Brookmans Park.

One of them will start secondary school next year.

BP is much sought after, but it's further out of London than Barnet or Enfield. I guess it depends on whether you're buying or renting, and what your budget is. It's just that people generally move out of London. You could look on Rightmove and see. Have you thought of moving further out yourself? Or to somewhere in the surrounding area?

When you mentioned Stepford Wives, I thought you might be talking about the large detached houses, which would have a different vibe from the semis near the centre - although even those are extortionate now. 😀

If you're looking to move away from BP, are you tied to particular areas for work or schools? I'm not sure why you'd go for Barnet or Enfield.

From BP your options are Barnet / Potters Bar or Cuffley / Goffs Oak. Cuffley is in catchment for Dame Alice but it’s quite pricey! Goffs is cheaper but Goffs Oak school isn’t great. St Mary’s is better buts its Catholic.

I have considered the surrounding areas, we have a budget of around £1m.

What surround areas are nice? Not Potters Bar, that is ruled out.

We don't even mind going a little more rural.

But on the more diverse side I thought perhaps High Barnet as mentioned. But I don't really know it.

No, when I mentioned Stepford Wives I was talking about the people. It's a bit like a time machine took me back to the 1970s.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure many people love BP but I grew up in Belsize Park, so it's a very different vibe. It has a very intolerant feeling in my opinion.

Thanks.

I looked at Cuffley, some very nice places.

What is High Barnet like? Would it be step down from Brookmans Park, or just different as it's more built up.

It sounds like you have been living in one of the lesser roads around the station. With a budget of £1m you are not really able to afford to live in Brookmans Park properly. I’d suggest a nice semi in Potters Bar would be more suitable and you would fit in better with the people there.

I used to work at Queenswood and can confirm that your attitude is fairly typical of BP. I think most people who aren't insufferable snobs would indeed be happier elsewhere.

Whereabouts in Potters Bar do you live? I’ve never heard of Kingswood I’m afraid.

You live in the PB/BP area and haven't heard of Queenswood? Where do you live, under a very expensive rock?!

I don’t live in either area. I know them well though through my work. I can say with certainty that if you have a budget of £1m in BP you are in a semi. All the semis are around the station. Even a semi on Moffats Lane is £1m+. To come on here and say that BP is a cross between TOWIE and the Stepford Wives is a bit odd if you are living in a semi. Just sounds insulting and like the OP is jealous to me. Kingswood is not in BP village so not sure where it is. Is that relevant to why the OP can’t afford to live in BP, unless near the station? I note she emphatically rules out living in PB, where you live.

@TinaHerts reading comprehension isn't your strong suit, is it? Nobody has mentioned "Kingswood" but you. And I live in Devon 😂

And I live in Cornwall. 🤗

I find this thread fascinating because I live in Enfield and when exploring our options outside of London, Brookmans Park was a high contender. Ultimately we were priced out as we wanted a 3-bed house. Based on OP's description of BP, really glad we didn't (and couldn't) move there. We've gone for Hitchin instead.

Considering you lived in Belsize Park and miss the diversity, and have a £1m budget, I think High Barnet is a good shout or East Barnet Village. If you wouldn't mind a little further from Brookmans Park, Whetstone could be worth a look too. I wouldn't bother with Potters Bar. Have you looked at Cockfosters, Oakwood or otherwise around the Trent Park area?

High Barnet has got nothing to write home about. Apart from a Waitrose and a Gail’s Bakery it’s a barren wasteland of charity shops and international supermarkets. Even the white elephant The Spires shopping centre is due to be converted to flats. It’s historic market is a distant memory. Secondary school provision is poor when you realise QE Boys is a pipe dream unless you want to tutor your child to within an inch of their lives and in any case it is a results factory open to anyone who lives anywhere in London. There is no special treatment for local kids.

Hertford or St Albans? Although the traffic would put me off. Ware or Broxbourne?

What’s wrong with Potters Bar, just out of interest? I don’t live there but was considering it but don’t really know the area!

I’d look at arkley which is just up from HB if you like BP aesthetic but not the vibe.

There are some lovely big brookmans park esque houses up there.

this kind of thing…
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/137790599#/?channel=RES_BUY

my fave at the moment is this house in HB
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/142400504#/?channel=RES_BUY
but I think it’s a bit ambitiously priced…

potters bar and broxborne are also good shouts.
Just my 2p but you couldn’t pay me to live in east Barnet “village”

Tons of people live in the area and haven't heard of it, and if they have it's only the swimming pool they know...

Lived in and around Potters Bar for around 20 years an, help run community things in the area .... and often have a blank stare response about Queenswood.

This is because 99+% of people aren't sending their kids to Queenswood, they're sending to Mount Grace or Chancellor's etc. so it's not on their radar.

plus most of the kids are coming in from miles around in their bloody branded cars that seem to be every where round here.

I used to live in Potters Bar. Nothing wrong with it at all. Plenty going on and great transport links to help you deal with the woeful train line that runs up to Welwyn Garden City. Equally, Brookmans Park is a lovely village with some beautiful houses, a great pub, a butchers, a fishmongers and a lovely tea shop. Plus lots of other independent shops and restaurants. The OP’s insults about Brookmans Park are quite hard to understand as what she says is just not true. She simply can’t afford to live in the houses she wants to. Meanwhile she quite clearly looks down on Potters Bar, which is quite frankly laughable. She’s not good enough for Brookmans Park but thinks she’s too good for Potters Bar. Perhaps she could try Borehamwood.

St Mary's in Cheshunt isn't catholic. I think you're thinking of St Mary's in Bishops Stortford

TinaHerts is a total whack job and doesn’t know what she’s talking about. High Barnet is so nice! Not too many charity shops but the ones that are here are fantastic. Such a safe area to live in with great primary schools. Love living here! TinaHerts - just because you can’t afford a house round here.

TinaHerts just doesn’t get it does she… shame

High Barnet is not what it was. The High Road is a complete failure. Hopefully Barnet Football Club can move back to Underhill and revive the place.

East barnet is lovely