Where should we move?

[LeavingCentral]

Where in or around London would you move to if you had the following criteria:

• ethnic diversity (this is very important)
• good schools (primary for now, secondary eventually)
• reasonable commute into the City
• access to green spaces/countryside
• decent high street (restaurants and pubs and more important than shops)
• a sense of community would be nice

We have a budget of £1.2m and would like a four bedrooms and a decent garden. Mid 30’s couple + toddler.

NB: I’ve often noticed on property threads where people say they want diversity that some areas are ruled out as ‘too middle class’. We’re very pro middle class areas.

Streatham/West Norwood would be a good shout. You'd be dependent on overground into London Bridge but it should tick your boxes.

Streatham High Street is less chi chi than West Norwood but the bit around the cinema has an increasing number of nicer cafes and gift shops as well as useful shops.Two bi green commons and a raft of decent primaries plus DUnraven/Graveney depending on catchment.

West Norwood is more MC with its community markets etc but not quite as well served for secondaries so you'd need to be in the Dunraven catchment.

£1.2 should easily get you 4 beds in either.

The classic family orientated easy to commute into the city, chi chi high street areas of south London are nappy valley (Northcote Road) and Abbeville village either side of Clapham Common. Your budget miht et you the outskirts eg this https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/152974046#/?channel=RES_BUY

Big advantage is the northern line/ big disadvantage is trying to get on it at rush hour.... Primaries in the area are pretty good and people get creative for secondary.

I disagree - New Malden has a huge Korean community and is very diverse, albeit solidly middle class.

I should probably mention, we’re Black. We’d ideally like somewhere actually diverse - so a real mix of ethnicities, like where we currently live.

However, failing that, somewhere with a decent sized Black community.

Streatham Hill is excellent for primaries ( Streatham Wells, Hitherfield, Dunraven which is an all-through school to the secondary).
Secondary: Dunraven , Bishop Thomas Grant if catholic, Norwood school is gaining ground, Elmgreen now run by Dunraven, easy transport to Kingsdale for a lottery place or Graveney for selective (but I wouldn't say anywhere in Streatham was in Graveney catchment for non-selective).
Southern end of the High Rd also has good cafes and some chi chi shops.

Quick bus to Brixton for tube, Train from Streatham Hill or Tulse Hill (including Thameslink)

Good community -lots of community in the 'ABCD' roads including Wavertree.
Lots of festivals- food, film etc.

West Norwood - Julian's primary. Secondary - Dunraven in parts. BTG, Norwood school. Good Picturehouse cinema. Train, walk to Tulse Hill for Thameslink, bus to Brixton for tube.

Slightly biased here as I live here but you might be able to get that in Peckham Rye / Nunhead surrounding areas.if not then as someone else has said Brockley Telegraph hill.

The above tick all of your boxes IMO.

Rickmansworth would tick all of the boxes

Happy to answer any questions that I can about raising a family in E11/E18 by dm if helpful.

Acton would also tick your boxes. Everywhere is ethnically diverse round here but I’d say there is a higher black population in Acton rather than Ealing. Great train links with the Elizabeth line too.

Battersea, Clapham Junction, Earlsfield/ Southfields - those are all diverse areas with parks for kids. You’d fit right in there.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/152975663

South Wimbledon around South Park Gardens is in your budget, Raynes Park, New Malden.

Personally I think Kingston and Teddington are too far from Waterloo.

Alternatively northwards - Queen’s Park, Brondesbury Park, Cricklewood, Kilburn.

https://www.primelocation.com/for-sale/details/67310825/

https://www.primelocation.com/for-sale/details/67274267/

@LeavingCentral are you currently viewing? Feel free to DM me if you need anything

I would say there are actually very few areas that are solidly middle class but also ethnically diverse in the truest sense. Given your other requirements re schooling, countryside access within a 40min drive, etc. I'd recommend only the areas of Wimbledon Town previously mentioned, and South Woodford.

Not sure why you think Wimbledon is more diverse than Wandsworth.

Two bi green commons and a raft of decent primaries plus DUnraven/Graveney depending on catchment.

You need to be in the surrounding roads for a place at a Graveney unless getting a selective spot!

I would say there are actually very few areas that are solidly middle class but also ethnically diverse in the truest sense.

Agree with this although there are exceptions eg New Malden does have a strong Korean community.

The issue you are going to have is secondaries & what you class as a good school. Plenty of people in the 1.2m houses will not be going state for secondary in London. They move out or go private.

Someone mentioned Dunraven, personally I think their performance has been very disappointing the last few yrs eg 48% getting a grade 5 or above in Maths & English GCSE. Compare that to BTG which is probably the best school in the borough which is 67%. In Wimbledon the best performing states are single sex &/or Catholic although this may have changed.

So I would look at schools & what you want. Kingston has some very good comps & then Tiffin grammars. Obviously if you are going private you have far more choice.

Also I think it’s important to be mindful of the fall in school rolls. They may change how school budgets work but currently they are based on head counts. You don’t want to be in a school with too many unfulfilled spaces. Going forward along with the VAT on PE I think this is going to put more pressure on securing the “best” states. Streatham is supposed to be one of the hardest hit areas.

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/falling-rolls-the-true-cost-of-declining-school-populations/

I'd second Telegraph Hill.

North Chingford, the bit by Chingford station. You'd get a lot of house for your money and they're beautiful houses, with Epping Forest on the doorstep, a lovely high street with restaurants, bars, cafes etc - not trendy but middle class and friendly. And Walthamstow and Blackhorse Road beer mile or Clapton/Dalston/Liverpool street a short train ride away on the overground. Air conditioned in summer and plug points, which is very civilised. We regularly travel around London for theatre, eating out, walks etc. So handy having the motorways and canal system near by too - I've cycled the canal all the way from Stratford to Ware. Good bus links too.

Schools are good, kids seem more wholesome/outdoorsy and well balanced because of the forest/scouts so close by, and you're in the catchment for Woodford and Enfield grammars, and good independents too like Forest, Bancrofts, Chigwell.

Everyone is ridiculously friendly and community minded and it's very diverse. The difference here is ethnic minorities can afford nice homes and aren't kept in large estates - so it's very mixed but not ghetto. We moved from Walthamstow and I find Chingford doesn't have the divide between the classes as in other parts of east London. IDS gets a lot of stick but he's very active in the local community and good at blocking the council's daft plans. It's the only place in London I've lived where the resident communities maintain local gardens, organise litter picking walks, forest conservation and everyone joins in - all ethnicities. I'm Asian so it's nice to see.

There's a lot of middle class black families in north Chingford - in fact when we looked at houses on Epping Way, most of the other families we were viewing with were Black. And a lot of the owners too which you don't expect with Chingford's reputation but it's changed a lot over the years and attracts a lot of black families from nearby Tottenham who want more space.

A very specific part of Wimbledon.

Wandsworth is very segregated. Where you find the £1.2m+ houses, you don't find ethnic minorities.

Wtaf? I am an “ethnic minority” - bloody awful phrase, don’t tell me where you will find me or other poc as you clearly have no clue.

Wimbledon Town/South Wimbledon is no different to Wandsworth. Wimbledon as a whole is less socially and racially diverse.

Jesus wept! I have no words....

The OP will likely know exactly what I'm talking about when I refer to 'segregation' in some areas. No point giving a false impression and pretending like it's some utopia. There isn't much overt racism in all of the areas listed, but the OP will likely resonate either from first hand experience or through hearsay via friends about not being the generally feeling of uncomfortableness when you know you are not fully welcomed. The 'segregation' bit comes into play when you see certain children being invited to play dates, but not your own, certain neighbours invited to dinner, but not yours, etc etc.

I would stop digging if I were you. There’s overt and covert racism everywhere.

Why do you think the OP would understand what you mean and I wouldn’t?

The idea that there’s a fundamental difference between South Wimbledon and Wandsworth is delusional and suggests you don’t really know either of them.

op wanted diverse.

The idea that there’s a fundamental difference between South Wimbledon and Wandsworth is delusional and suggests you don’t really know either of them.

Are you comparing Wandsworth Town? Wandsworth Common? Wandsworth borough? Comparing boroughs Wandsworth would be more white than Merton but not loads in it. Specific areas within that are quite different.

Wandsworth Town and Wandsworth Common are two areas of Wandsworth itself - like Putney Common, East Putney, Putney Bridge etc.

Wandsworth Borough includes Roehampton, Putney, Tooting and Battersea.