I have 2 years to come to terms with moving from my lovely area of London. Please help me find somewhere else in London that I will like just as much!

[IlanaK]

I currently live in Marylebone and love it. For financial reasons we will have to move sometime in the next two years. Until now I have not even been able to entertain the idea of living elsewhere, but now I have accepted it.

I need help to start looking at other areas of London. Here is my list of what I would like to have in an area. I am aware I will have to compromise somewhere as we need somewhere cheaper than we currently are.

1 good transport. I am used to access to loads of tubes, buses and even trains.

2 being able to walk to everything. We got rid of our car. Currently I walk to the leisure centre, drama classes, parks etc

3 Good parks and playgrounds within walking distance

4 Good local food shops - not just supermarkets

5 farmer's market

6 villagey feel

7 cycling distance to dh work (I realise this might be the one to go). He works in the city and currently cycles there.

1. Easy transport back to this area to see my mother

Schools are not an issue as we home educate.

I know already that I cannot afford any of the areas bordering where we currently are (St John's Wood, etc). So I think I want to look at areas completely different.

We are currently in a flat but want a house with a garden. 3 bedrooms.

Soooooo....not asking much am I ? Any suggestions gratefully received!

Not that I'm up to date in terms of prices, but roughish budget? Will schools ever be an issue or are you lifelong non-schoolers?

Battersea? I lived there once, near the park. Lovely. Walkable to Chelsea and therefore, the world. (or the World's End, at least)

Well, budget is hard to say. But going by today's prices, I would guess we will have around £400,000.

Schools are not going to be an issue at all.

Battersea sounds nice. What are transport links like?

Blackheath or Greenwich?

Your dh could cycle through the foot tunnel at Greenwich to get to work.

Loads of green spaces, DLR provides good transport infrastructure, nice pubs and restaurants, good schools (I went to school there), more house for your money....

I love Greenwhich. I used to take the kids to the Maritime Museum. Is it affordable though? I thought it was very pricey.

Southwark, around Guy's and St. Thomas Hospital area near the London Bridge area?

Cheaper than Battersea I'd have thought...especially if you look at the edges near Lewisham and Deptford. It is lovely

Just having a look on t'interweb at prices.

Battersea/Clapham? Twas lovely when I lived there about 20 years ago!

Ealing? Too far for DH?

We live in the Brentham Garden Suburb, Ealing. It is a conservation area; every house is unique, all built in the early 1900sish. Very villagey feel - Pitshanger lane with butcher, baker, library, lovely bookshop, deli, coffee shops etc just round corner. Parks nearby. Good frequent buses to Ealing Broadway tube (4 mins bus ride).

I'm not totally up on current prices, but a 3 bed is probably £550 - 600k?

Central Line is best for getting in to central London - 15 mins or so to Oxford Circus>

Stoke Newington - no tube, although it is coming to Dalston next year, but plkenty of buses (to Highbury and Finsbury park tube). Ticks all your other boxes. £400k wont buy you a house, but will buy you a nice flat. And as you HE you don't need to worry about crappy Hackney schools (although if you ever changed your mind, Stokey does actually have some decent schools - a couple of great primaries and a good secondary school, plus loads of lovely nurseries).

What about this - brilliant location next to the Park and Maritime Museum?

3 bed house in Greenwich

Just seen your budget - there are 2 bed houses for that price I think.

Oh, you won't get a 3 bed house with garden in Stokey unless you are very lucky...

East Finchley? Where people who can;t afford Muswell Hill and Crouch End go .

for that budget may i suggest Forest Hill, SE26? Becoming almost gentrified of late, i think a tube line is promised, good overland rail into london, lovely victorian leafy surburban feel. We used to live there and miss it. Nice local shops too. And farmers market. The wonderful Horniman Museum and gardens. Beautiful views of London. And a lot more for your money.

East Dulwich

1. Frequent trains to both London Bridge and Victoria. Loads of buses to town as well
2. Everything on foot - swimming, libraries, supermarket, toddler groups, parks
3. Lovely parks - Dulwich Park at one end, Peckham Rye park at the other (and I will brook no mutterings about Peckham. Not that end of it, anyway)
4. Lots of Delis and grocers on Lordship Lane
5. Check. And one up the road in Peckham too
6. Check
7. Check! I know that Camberwell is a 30min cycle to the cycle - East Dulwich can't be more than 10-15mins further by bike, so 45mins.
8. ....hmmm.... you've got me there. But it would still be well under an hour.

What about Earlsfield or Southfields? If we'd stayed in London instead of moving to the countricide we'd have moved there.

3 bed period house for £385K

I quite like East Finchley - no idea re prices. The houses along the road where the Art Institute are rather nice but I suspect ££££££££££££!!

Forest Hill is lovely - very leafty and tons of period property.

Ealing is the wrong side of London for us. I know it well as my s-in-law lives there. Southwark sounds a possibility. I definately don't want Finchley as it is too far from dh work.

It doesn't have to be a house. We live in a flat and I prefer it to house living. Its just we want a garden or patio area of some sort.

Come to Balham! Great access to parks and commons, transport hub where Northern Line meets the overland train into Victoria, lots of things in easy walking distance, good leisure centre, fab library, local food shops and delis have opened over the last few years. Cheaper than Battersea (you may be able to find a 3-bedder with £400,000 at today's prices). Battersea is lovely, but transport is terrible - I used to live there so I know every bus route!

www.brentham.com/

I must get a map out and see where all these places are!

oops

www.brentham.com/index.html

Radical suggestion....as it may be too far out, but have you thought of somewhere like Epping (last stop on Central line, only 40 mins into the City)? It would certainly tick a lot of your boxes, but I appreciate it's probably a move too far.

Stokey, then! You'll find a flat with a garden for 400k I should imagine, probably in one of the nicer roads, too.

Farmer's Market in William Patten school on a saturday - immensely popular

Church St rammed with independent shops and boutiques, plus a Whole Foods and some nice cafes / restaurants. The High St has all the big standard, practical shops (cheapo shops, yay!).

Very close to the city (great view of the Gherkin from the high st!)

Gorgeous Clissold Park

Very villagey feel around Church St.