Where to live in London (or nearby)

[TKJ]

Hello Parents,

I am looking for advice about where to live in or around London with a child. We are looking for somewhere relatively safe, with green space, and good daycares and schools.

My partner and I and our 2.5 year old daughter are coordinating a move to London in January. We are both Americans but have been living in Germany for 4 years. My husband has a job (academic) that is exciting but doesn’t pay a lot so our budget will be around 1500. We will have visas connected to his work. We are really hoping for at least a one bedroom but dreaming of a little garden or a two bedroom. (We currently all make it work in a studio but it has a garden!). We are open to a commute obviously (but hoping to keep it at or under an hour from central London - Euston station) and I definitely would prefer some place that had a community vibe and as I said some easily accessible green space.

Any advice on where to look would be so so welcomed. So far I have identified North Chingford, Loughton, Buckhurst Hill, Epping as possibilities but really looking For anywhere else (north, east, south, west! Any of it good!)

also any advice on how to make it work with two jobs (I don’t have one but I will need one!) and daycare with longer commutes also welcome :) things to know etc.

I also any positivity/advice generally about London with kids will warm my heart. We love the city but I am extremely nervous about the move and there can be a lot of doom and gloom about living in London - right now I am looking less for warnings and more for advice about how to make it work in an expensive city! We have been living internationally for a while and the truth is everywhere we have looked to live - Europe and in the US seems pretty challenging with kids (and careers) but people make it work. So if you are making it work I would love to hear your wisdom.

thank you in advance

Exactly. I am baffled by advice to move outside London just to get slightly cheaper housing as the commuting costs shoot up once you are beyond TfL zones, and the train journey is long. All it takes is one cancelled train (which happens so often on the line I live on) and then your entire commute takes an extra hour or more.

You could look at places in North Herts that have trains going into Kings X/St Pancras- Hitchin, Letchworth, Biggleswade etc. where rent will be cheaper but your commuting costs would then be quite high so that may not work overall.

I wouldn’t want to live in a one bedroom flat with a toddler. I can still be in London ( Liverpool Street though so not hugely helpful for the OP) in about 40 minutes and could have a two bed here for that money. Yes the travel will cost more , but the quality of family living would be much higher and that would be my priority.

Several posters have proved you can. Some flats in Surbiton (and you can't get much 'naicer' than Surbiton) with gardens, one in Stoke Newington - maybe a bit more urban but only 20 min commute. Places are there if you hunt. I think it's worth looking for those rare few places before spending so much time and money on commuting in from outside London.

What an exciting move! You can absolutely get what you’re looking for in some nice areas surrounding London. My suggestion would be Brentwood or Shenfield which have excellent connections to London (fast train or Elizabeth line). Lots of green space, great schools and nursery options, good community etc. You could have a choice of some lovely 1 beds and there are a few 2 beds in that price bracket. Could also check out Billericay which is similar area but no Elizabeth line. All lovely family locations.

Several posters have “proved” you can rent a flat for 1500

Whether the location meets what the Op needs in terms of good childcare, good schools and straightforward commute to London is another matter entirely

I don’t know about schools but Surbiton is an excellent station for commuting.

St albans
Maidenhead

If his work is near Eusto station, then it makes sense to look at the places on or near the main rail line into London. You need to be looking at the area between Watford and Euston really.

The schools in Bexley & Bromley boroughs are generally good and you have grammar schools there as well. The state secondary schools in Bromley borough are generally good &/or outstanding. You also have a choice of grammars in the borough & neighbouring Kent.

You won't survive with a family in London on that budget. Perhaps check eligibility for benefits and social housing.

I don’t think newly arrived Americans will be eligible for social housing and possibly not welfare benefits either. The op hasn’t told us what their overall budget is, just their budget for housing.

£1500 will definitely work but will mean outer London, zones 5-6 or Watford, Milton Keynes would also be good shouts quick trains to Euston (but commute will cost).

There are two bedroom places in Woolwich for £1600. Do they look amazing, no, but do they look like slums, also no. You’d have to view them, but Woolwich is generally fine (I cycle through it late at night a couple of times a month and haven’t been murdered yet!)

Agree with this completely. And for opportunities for your DC I would stick in London itself, so much to see and do and a lot of it low cost or free.

But if you are considering further afield I agree Watford (look at near met line stations as well as the overground for something a bit leafier) or Peterborough is 45mins on train to Kings Cross and you can get multiple bedrooms, garden etc for your budget and childcare will be cheaper eg www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/163541033

OP we loved Lewisham

Had a lovely flat on Marsala Road for 800 per month (ten years ago)

Lovely area and close to dlr and trains

Did you have children at the time living with you @hellohellooo ?

Surely you get a job op
and increase that paltry maximum budget of £1500

don't listen to all the negative i rent a 2 bed near those areas for 1450. although i got lucky you can definitely find other properties in that budget

St Albans is expensive, I think a 2 bed flat might push the budget so you'd still have 1 bed, possibly no garden and an expensive commute (without the convenience of London)

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/87167883

There's always the Elizabeth line - Reading is 25 mins from Paddington but expensive on the GWR. Depends how many days he needs to go in. You could get a 2 bed in Reading, within a mile of the station, potentially with a garden

If he’s commuting to UCL, have a look at the Thameslink stations in south London. The trains go into St Pancras and he could walk from there. Purley is a very quick commute and meets your criteria and you could probably get a 2 bed flat for that budget. Alternately Coulsdon South, Redhill, Merstham, and other stops along the way.

Have a look a New Barnet/Oakleigh Park- lovely leafy suburban area with well kept parks, good schools and family friendly. Easy commute on train (from New Barnet or Oakleigh Park stations) and just change into the Victoria line for a short journey from Finsbury Park/Highbury and Islington. You should be able to get something in your budget
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/164328260#/?channel=RES_LET
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/160994081#/?channel=RES_LET

Wow, that's mega cheap for that area! (Cheap being relative of course!)

I'd be suspicious there's something wrong with it tbh! But if not, that's a very popular area if you want inner London. Loads of families, amenities, cool shops and places to eat with cuisine - and people - from all over the world.

It's not quiet though! More the hustle and bustle of inner city life.

Living in surbiton - there are £3m houses owned by financiers in parts but also good flats.

its the epitome of “naice”, right next to the river (can get a boat to Hampton court or Richmond),

ideal for families - so many professional families here - with tons of great nurseries and really good/outstanding local primary schools

It’s a one stop train to Waterloo in 15 mins so a real commuter hub, great great local state schools (and private), access to the Surrey country side at its door step (Oxshott, claygate etc), 5 mins away from one of the biggest suburban shopping centres in London (Kingston upon Thames), has green areas such as Berrylands full of lovely families

I used to live in another naice part of London but we much much prefer Surbiton - and so many people I work with in London are moving here