Hampstead vs West London for yound family with long commutes

[hodgepodge01]

Hi All,
Wondering if we could get some advice. We're returning to the UK and looking for housing. We've previously lived in Notting Hill pre kids and loved it - in a garden square apartment. Found the neighbourhood had everything and was still electic and diverse and very walkable.
We now have toddlers and weighing long commutes to Oxford and South London. Paddington is our mid point. Wondering if Hampstead is a good option or if we should hold out for for a place in West London. The playgrounds (Holland, Hyde) and museums and walkability of West London are better. We wouldn't have outdoor space in Hampstead and would be relying on the Heath. We weren't really bothered by tourists in NH, but on the times we've walked through Hampstead it seems very touristy and the high street being on a main road, less appealing. It's also narrow and hilly and seems a bit tricky with a double pram. The tube isn't particularly accessible so imaginigng we'd need to take buses and and cars with the pram. Everyone rates the heath and the "villagey" feel as their reason for wanting to live there, but how does that weigh in with young kids? And has Hampstead changed from it's popularity? We'd really love a place with community. We knew our neighbours up and down in our building previously. Primary schools will factor in too, we'd prefer to go to a good public if possible.
Appreciate any insights!

This will be quite budget dependent op

both areas are…. Swallows hard…. Pricey

The vibe i get from your message is that your heart is set on NH and you've already ruled out Hampstead! If so, go for it!
Hampstead is lovely but as you say, is hilly.

Yes we need to know what the budget is and what you want for that e.g. you say toddlers so how many bedrooms do you need, etc

Thanks,
Yes we do love NH, but open to Hampstead - but aware that it might not be the best with this age and toddler needs.
We need at lead 3 bed to have space for inlaws to visit and at the moment the twins aren't sleeping in the same room, and ideally 4th/study for WFH responsibilities. We think we can renovate a 3 bed into a 4 bed. We'd of course love outdoors pace for the littles, but cant see how we would afford that. Have seen some communal gardens in we can afford in Holland Park, but the squarefootage is 200-300 less than in Hampstead. So comprimises are inevitable, just which one - space or location? Diversity, dynamic suburb or quiet village? Walkability?

My partner used to live in Belsize Park, just close to Hampstead, and we loved it there. Still walk distance to Hampstead but not quite as busy. I wish we could live there (but not viable because of DC’s school/price).
I would move back to Belsize in heart beat.
for me, much nicer and calmer than NH (but I can’t cope with tourists - lived in Candem for years…)
Pwrhaps worth to rent a short let in Hampstead, so you can feel the vibe. Sound like you could swing it 😜

Unless I’ve missed it, you haven’t given a budget. But I’ve lived in all the places you mention. I’d go for Maida Vale. If you can make the budget work, it ticks all your boxes.

Watching!!

I’ve lived in all those places and now live in leafy South London.
How will you be getting to Oxford and where in South London do you need to get to. Schools?

Saw what you said about schools. I’d say Dulwich or Oval. Probably Oval for the tube. Paddington is a pita to get to from Dulwich.

Where do you need to get to in South London ?

Have you considered Ealing ?

Where in South London and how is the Oxford commuter planning to travel - train or car?

If schools are a factor NH isn’t brilliant unless you can afford to go private as well as pay for local housing. When we lived in the neighbourhood Fox Primary was great but the catchment was about two incredibly expensive streets. St Mary Abbots in Kensington High St also good but you have to be a churchgoer. We reluctantly moved out west to get more school options - we could have done private school or Notting Hill house prices, but not both.

Agree Ealing might work well for you- drive to Oxford or go to Paddington and get the train, and depending where in south London there are multiple Tube options.

I lived in Hampstead and loved it, but wouldn't contemplate it with those commutes, it's terrible for both of them! It's not a great place to commute from, tbh, nice though it is.

Thanks everyone,
To answer soem questions, I need to get to Tooting, which is on the Northline, otherwise Disctric to Wimbldon and bus or uber.
We want a walkable neighbourhood with greenspace that's safe and access to a good primary school. Thanks for the comment about Fox Primary, I'll look it up!
I've heard I'll benefit from an electric (didn't know that was a thing!) if in Hampstead with a double stroller.
We have a budget of 1.35ish, which doesn't buy much in NH, can buy a decent sized place in Hampstead (on the Northern line thankfully), but with no real outdoor space. Primrose hill would be great so that SO can ride a bike to Paddington, but it seems even more expensive. I'd prefer him to have th eability to take public transport than be car reliant. Maida Vale unfortunately worse for me, but otherwise yes seems like a decent area.

Lime bikes and the like have transformed getting to Paddington. So I wouldn’t write off Hampstead. BUT it does seem mad given your commute. How about Kennington?

You don’t need to go to Paddington to get to Oxford; Marylebone station is well under an hour on the Chiltern line.

The Northern line is shit. Hampstead to Tooting on the northern line on a regular basis would be a misery.

I don’t think you’ll be 3/4 beds in Hampstead for 1.35m. Or it isn’t Hampstead proper!
I agree with Ealing- easy to get to Paddington for Oxford and you’d get a 4 bed with a garden for your budget.

I would live on the outskirts of Oxford in a beautiful village, with a lovely primary school and great secondary school. Lots of green space and more chance of a community.

I don’t think you’re going to get much in either of these locations for £1.35m to be honest. Something for a couple - but for a home for a family of four, it’s going to be very cosy quite quickly.

I’d be looking slightly further afield - particularly if you’ll need to commute anyway. So many areas of London are diverse, walkable etc

Have you considered eg Wimbledon? Still has an upmarket vibe, but you can probably afford a house with garden walkable to the town centre for example. There are many such other areas which are similar IMO.

With your budget, you can get a nice place in East Finchley. Not as posh as NH or Hampstead. Still on the northern line (but the other branch) with access to great primary and secondary schools. Easy to get to paddington (change to elizabeth line in TCR). Kentish town could work as well, but it’s a bit busier and there’s a lack of proper high quality secondary schools (but primaries are great!)

Thanks All,
It's a tricky balance between oxford and tooting so we wouldn't live in Oxford or far north or west. Marylebone is adjacent Paddington and doesn't change our collective commutes by much (I also get the impression there's not much community there - I've lived in NY for 3-4 years so not adverse to city living, but we're in a different phase). We have considered Wimbledon, but don't love the village there - though yes couls afford a nice small terrace home. It's also a schlep to the train station from the village and SO's journey would be quite long to Oxford. Yes it seems we'd be limited in Holland park/NH/Kensington - we either give up space or hope someone will accept a lowball offer. We've just pulled our initaly offer on a place that actually would have worked but needed a full gut. Each of us only have to be in 2 days a week and I can be abroad for 2-3 months of the year, so it makes the long journeys (and the terrible Northern line) tolerable and we're likely to rent it out for 3 months each year, which will help offset some costs. If Fox primary is significantly better than other schools in the area we might sacrifice for that, or stick with Hampstead villages, where there's an outstanding school at the end of the block. Just weighing up the hills, less connectedness and no garden for our toddlers.

Belsize park super connected northern line or walk to Swiss cottage for jubilee
And 1 bus as well
You ll get a nice flat

no garden for young kids isn't ideal. do you really want to ALWAYS have to leave the house to get outside? being in that phase now, I wouldn't...