Where to live outside London - Bromley and beyond

[CreamLampshade]

Hi there, currently live in SE London but would like to move further out for more space and a nicer area (place I live is quite rough).

looking for:

• 3 bedrooms
• easy commute to London bridge
• buzzing town centre - we don’t want to feel cut off or like it’s too suburban
• lovely green spaces
• budget £550k

so far Bromley ticks all the boxes, but am I missing anywhere else? We could also move north but it seems to be more expensive and oftne feels like a bigger commute into London.

any thoughts on Bromley, nice areas and areas to avoid? We like the idea of being close to the town centre but near green spaces, shortlands looks nice.

any other tips gratefully received - including further into Kent!

Check out Beckenham and the areas between there and Bromley. I'd avoid the areas around St Mary Cray. In terms of green spaces, you'd have Beckenham Place Park, which is excellent as well as Keston Common. It's fairly easy to get out into the countryside from there. Further out, you could look at Orpington.

Sidcup? Nice houses in the Longlands/Knoll area and quite a few new restaurants and bars, leisure centre, new cinema and supermarkets. Very good for schools and an easy commute to the Grammar schools in Bexley, Orpington and Dartford. Several parks and Foots Cray meadows. Close to Bromley and easy to get to Bluewater.

Further out is Sevenoaks but property is £££ and I'm not sure you'd get much for your budget. Further out still there are some nice Kent villages/towns. Depends how far you want to go. LB has many lines running into it - how about looking along the Thameslink line?

Chislehurst, Mottingham, Petts Wood: easy access to Bromley, masses of woods and commons, good schools, restaurants, and shops.

I moved to Bromley for similar reasons many years from SE London, chiefly because where I lived was both chi chi but also riddled with poverty and violent crime. My house was worth a lot, but not enough to stay.

Bromley is still quite suburban in mentality and conservative. But that is changing. The town centre is a but run down but is attracting some interesting restaurants and business. I see different people moving in attracted by the house prices.

Schools excellent and the trains are fine. Try not to judge Bromley South too harshly. It does look awful. The area needs a revamp but will get it with new housing put forward by Waitrose.

For future reference, which parts of SE London are OP and PP saying are rough?

I think Bromley ticks your boxes (although the fast train from Bromley South goes to Victoria, I think the Chislehurst train goes to LB). I live ten mins away and love it.

Not rough. Violent. I would put Forest Hill, Crystal Palace and Sydenham in that category. Problems with knife crime in these areas, drug dealing and I couldn’t abide the idea of bringing up teenagers in these places.

After being threatened directly with a knife in a park in broad daylight u moved. There might be nice properties in these areas but SE23/26 and 19 were the most dangerous place I ever lived. My neighbours were lovely people. But that didn’t make up for it.

This is in Grove Park, but the listing misleadingly presents it as being in Bromley. Also obviously needs a lot of money spent on it.

But it has potential for £450k?:

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/154829444#/?channel=RES_BUY

You might do better in Sundridge Park at that price point. Better condition property but admittedly no direct trains to London Bridge as you would have to change at Grove Park.

I'm in the area between Bromley South and West Wickham. Moved here from zone 3 SE London a few years ago. Very different vibe but overall it's been a good move for us. We're walking distance to the town centre with cinema, pool, bowling etc. It's great for teens and feels relatively safe.

Bromley South trains are fast to Victoria then the West Wickham line is direct to London Bridge. We know all our neighbours and got a way bigger house and garden than we had before (1960s detached). Secondary schools are generally great - Langley schools, Hayes, various Harris options. For green space there's Hayes Common, Beckenham Place Park, Kelsey Park - and you can drive further afield out of London for countryside.

I suppose downsides would be the driving culture and traffic can be bad - also generally conservative vibe if that bothers you. But the facilities, public transport and space mean it works for us!

Petts Wood ticks all your boxes - great transport links with trains to London Bridge, Charing Cross, Victoria, and the Thameslink line, loads of green space and a nice town centre. You should be able to get 3 bedrooms for £550k.

Thanks all. Some great suggestions here!

To the person asking if it would bother me living somewhere conservative, tbh probably a little. I’m fairly left leaning. Tolerant of other views obvs. But just tend to get on better with people maybe with a bit more of a liberal / creative vibe. Would any of the areas above be particularly good for that? (Hope I don’t sound like a knob!). I like Catford for that reason but there just isn’t enough going on in terms of places to go, eat, and I do find the high street a bit depressing.

For the person asking where I live - Bellingham, se6. I love my neighbours etc but there are a lot of HMOs very close to my house with people with mental health and drug issues, plus I don’t love the lack of options when it comes to places to eat. I also don’t really live within walking distance of any lovely parks, which is why going further out appeals.

Just to add on people and community - I do generally get on with anyone and have friends from lots of different backgrounds.. but i probably wouldn’t want to move somewhere that I stuck out too much - my fashion sense is ‘granny trendy librarian’ if that helps!

You might find Beckenham suits OP but it is a bit more expensive. There are some good places along the high street. As for a creative vibe, being honest, Bromley is not really like that probably because unlike bits of SE London it’s always been slightly well off - whereas lots of bits of SE London gentrified from places where you wouldn’t have been able to get a black cab to! Bromley is the place where the cabbie lives!

Why so far out? Lee is 14/18 minutes from Charing Cross

I've got friends in Horncastle road, it's lovely

@Catatemysandwich are we the same person?! :)

OP, based on your update I wonder if Beckenham/ Bromley is right for you but maybe worth visiting to see what you think.

Catford/ Bellingham is a very different vibe. I was in Sydenham before moving here and still have friends in Catford. Honestly, it feels worlds away from surburbia in West wickham, Hayes etc.

Given your last posts I think Lee would fit the bill. There's a couple of trendy pubs, some nice restaurants and easy, short bus ride to Blackheath or into Lewisham. Or Hither Green, the other side of the tracks to Catford but houses could be out of budget there.

Shortlands is also a nice area and a good community.

With that budget it is either going to be rough or suburban. Bromley is grim and deeply suburban from my experience.

I’ve gone to Bromley a few times for shopping etc and tbh I quite like it - I like the range of shops and I love beckenham place park / Kelsey park. Beckenham also lovely but out of our price range for a decent place and it does seem a bit Essexy if I’m honest.

I know what people are saying about Bromley and I’m wondering if it’s the right vibe for us, but I’m now wondering whether actually my needs are changing (I’m pregnant) and maybe I value safety, green space and close amenities more than living somewhere that doesn’t feel too suburban. As long as I can make some mum friends who aren’t raving tories (no offence to those that are) then I’d probs be happy tbh…

the other part of me is also wondering if I just need to drive so all these places feel a lot closer - at the moment they’re 15 - 30 mins on the bus but 10-20 mins in a car and maybe I just need to bite the bullet before baby comes and accept I’ll have to drive to go to some of the activities we want to do?!

You might be able to afford Charlton, SE7. Great schools, some parks and very short distance to Greenwich Park/Blackheath. Main shops and supermarkets nearby.

@CreamLampshade I like Bromley and I'm a bit of a snob house wise , liberal and def not conservative! It's one of the areas I know our son is considering too - it's a practical place , nice mix of houses, good transport connections, acceptable shopping and there are way worse places around - in zones too - and to be honest I think it will have a big mix of people , attracted by schools and house prices and reasonable facilities.

Bromley has a nice theatre. Love going there.

Have you considered other places on the train line? Sevenoaks may suit you.

Actually, just re-read your op and saw your budget. Not going to get much for your bucks in Sevenoaks.

Maybe worth considering something a bit further out - maybe Tonbridge. Nice little high street, good schools, nice area and easy reach if places like Tunbridge Wells.

Thing is that there is an increasing mix. I wouldn’t say Bromley is gentrifying so much as getting more diverse.

i admit I moved for the schooling (amazing) and the trains. It is also very safe. Once I’ve got my children through school… it will be time to move back to somewhere with a more cultural zip.