Give me ideas for where to live - London/surrounds affordable, leafy, hipster vibes

[CharlotteB94]

Good evening all,

I'm looking for ideas for places to move to later this year with DH and new baby when born.

We currently live in Battersea, budget up to £600k max, want something 2 bed, modern, outside space.

Area is important to us, location is flexible though - DH works in the City and we want to move further out for more affordability.

The type of area we're looking for is somewhere buzzing, with trendy cafes and brunch spots. The type of vibe I have in mind, is a more affordable alternative to to places like De Beauvoir, Hackney Wick, Walthamstow Village, or (much more affordable!) places like Fulham, Dulwich village, Richmond, etc. Hipster cafes, boutique gyms, yoga studios, nice little local restaurants, breweries etc. Safe and community feel. Some places we've looked at like Surbiton/Weybridge do feel a little 'suburban' and not much going on as we're used to. (NO shade to anyone who lives there just us!)

Would be open to a village within 1 hr of London where there is the above trendy 'ex-Londoner' things existing e.g. we were looking at Godalming which does seem to have more trendy / boutiquey places to eat etc. My parents live in Oxfordshire, so not too far in the other direction.

Looked at the likes of Guildford, Reigate, etc, definitely on the cards but still so expensive for what you get. I'm sure there are places that exist that we've never heard of so not considering!

If anywhere rings a bell, let me know!

Crystal Palace and Brockley.

How about Hitchin?

Why not live in actual De Beauvoir? Your budget gets you two bed flats there.

Two bed for 550k
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/145781102?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

Another
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/86446443?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

Both nice, quiet canalside developments. Ok, no garden but you are minutes from several parks and right by the canal.

Or one bed with a garden
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/139633211?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

Cranleigh and Horsham have no hipster vibes, although there is a good butcher in Cranleigh. The commute to the city would be dreadful and expensive. Stick to London, Dulwich and Crystal Palace would probably suit you. If you can live without the hipster aspect, you would get more value in Beckenham or Chislehurst.

Crystal Palace, Penge, Brockley, Deptford, Greenwich. No hipster places in Surrey but Lewes in East Sussex has a nice vibe and is close to Brighton. Not a lot of diversity though if that's important. Have heard Forest Row is also quite alternative and maybe Folkestone too (but that's also UKIP territory).

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/144891092

This is overpriced for Deptford (hence not sold) but lots of solid Victorian terraces and walkable to Greenwich/the river.

Chislehurst. Posh. Village. Coffee shops. Good schools. 20 mins on the train into The City. 10 mins to Lewisham DLR. 15 mins to O2.

Wow, some are so expensive for tiny homes! In reality nearly everywhere has the hipster coffee shops, craft beer tap rooms and hot yoga these days even where I lived in Leicester had all of this, dozens of restaurants, trendy brunch spots etc in walking distance, not a city thought of as hip and trendy (only an hour from King's Cross which could explain it I suppose). Find a house you feel comfortable with and you'll find the places you want

Nunhead.

Peckham Rye, Nunhead cemetery, Benchley gardens/One tree hill and Telegraph hill all walkable so really very good for green outdoor spaces. Scores pretty highly on the hipster scale.

Highams Park is apparently one of the best places to live 2024, according to the Times https://archive.is/rBdjE

not hipster but loads of young families, coffee shops, pubs, forest, park, lake etc. Only two stops or a short bus ride from Walthamstow if you want to go to the village or the beer mile.

I would go where there is a good new mum vibe.

Are you thinking you will move again before primary school &/or secondary school?

It's dull, I know, but do think about how long you'll be in a place for and whether you will need to move closer to parents for help &/or good schools.

I'm not a new mum but places I've seen that have a good new mum vibe:

Crystal Palace (where I live), the flats though some of them have tiny gardens, almost courtyard size
Beckenham and around there
Earlsfield and Wimbledon Park
Northcote Road/Clapham
Crouch End
Highgate
Hackney
Queens Park
Brook Green (Hammersmith)

Just out of interest what is good or bad about mews properties:

[[https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/141422657#/?channel=RES_BUY

Further out look at places like Surbiton, Kingston, Raynes Park. I don't know a huge amount about North London or West London.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/138478553#/?channel=RES_BUY

Worcester Park is lovely and great for new Mums - the wetlands and parks and high street are all great and direct to Waterloo. Young families and good schools. Having a garden can make life easier in London.

Oh my god, more than half a million quid for a horrible depressing flat.

I think I'd be put off by that massive pylon. Also looks like a gasworks, but may not be in use.
Otherwise that's actually quite a nice house, although there's work to do.

I don't think it's a horrible or depressing flat, but it does have a very short lease!

I think you need to visit a few properties and work out if location really does usurp space.

I know there are many people who make small properties work with DC so they can stay in a location they love. For me, it was the other way round, I thought I wanted 'location' but when DC came along - particularly with 2DC - we needed more space and ended up moving to the shires - that's when schools (primary & secondary) came sharply into focus.

Well, tastes vary. I think it looks awful, my point being underlined by the price!

I do second the replies about Highams Park.
There’s a strong sense of community, regarding the hipsterism.. it is emerging indeed since there’s already many independent coffee shops, a couple of wine shops, and microbreweries.
It is a safe neighbourhood and its transport links with the overground can take you to Liverpool St in 22m, and 5m to Walthamstow where you can get the Victoria line to take you pretty much anywhere in central London.
You can still find some lovely Edwardian and Victorian houses 2-3 bed under £600,000 so I wouldn’t wait much longer until it’s a 100% hipster zone since price will skyrocket by then.

I’m worried Highams Park is a bit dull compared with zone 2, does it really have enough “stuff”

Battersea?

There are many people moving out from London meeting your description in Leigh on Sea, e.g.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/145619657#/?channel=RES_BUY

Around 50mins to Fenchurch Street station from Leigh or Chalkwell. Lots of hipster style venues on Leigh Road. Good schools and easy access to park / woods.

There are 4x4 driving yummy mummies as well as hipster types!

Depends what you're after really. A different bar/club/great night out every night? Definitely not. A nice leafy area for young families with cafes, parks, restaurants, pubs etc? Yes, I think it's a good bet.
It's not Camden, that's for sure but it's a nice area with a sense of community and it's well connected to buzzier areas like Walthamstow and Hackney.

SE London :)

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?searchType=SALE&locationIdentifier=REGION%5E85335&insId=1&radius=0.0&minPrice=&maxPrice=600000&minBedrooms=2&maxBedrooms=&displayPropertyType=&maxDaysSinceAdded=&_includeSSTC=on&sortByPriceDescending=&primaryDisplayPropertyType=&secondaryDisplayPropertyType=&oldDisplayPropertyType=&oldPrimaryDisplayPropertyType=&newHome=&auction=false

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?searchType=SALE&locationIdentifier=REGION%5E85335&insId=1&radius=0.0&minPrice=&maxPrice=600000&minBedrooms=2&maxBedrooms=&displayPropertyType=&maxDaysSinceAdded=&_includeSSTC=on&sortByPriceDescending=&primaryDisplayPropertyType=&secondaryDisplayPropertyType=&oldDisplayPropertyType=&oldPrimaryDisplayPropertyType=&newHome=&auction=false

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?searchType=SALE&locationIdentifier=REGION%5E85335&insId=1&radius=0.0&minPrice=&maxPrice=600000&minBedrooms=2&maxBedrooms=&displayPropertyType=&maxDaysSinceAdded=&_includeSSTC=on&sortByPriceDescending=&primaryDisplayPropertyType=&secondaryDisplayPropertyType=&oldDisplayPropertyType=&oldPrimaryDisplayPropertyType=&newHome=&auction=false

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146240156#/?channel=RES_BUY

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146204720#/?channel=RES_BUY

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/146245190#/?channel=RES_BUY