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!

I found this one clapham

Harpenden and St ALbans are both good places to live and very fast commuting into the city (20 and 25 mins on fast trains) . I live in Harpenden and it is known as the village even though it has several supermarkets, lots of restaurants, really nice shops, a gorgeous park, a brilliant tennis club, a brilliant leisure centre, a great swimming centre, including outdoor pool that opens in the summer, a library with the highest number of book loans per head of the population in the whole country.

I did a search for lambeth north area and we can't afford anything there.

I just really don't want to move out to an area without a tube line.

Tooting? Lots of green space, decent high st. I only know south London which isn't great for the tube, there might be more options in the north.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-21339185.html?pageNumber=1&backToListURL=%2Fpr operty-for-sale%2Ffind.html%3FlocationIdentifier%3DOUTCODE%255E755%26minBedrooms%3D3%26maxPrice%3D42 5000%26includeSSTC%3Dtrue%26_includeSSTC%3Don&locationIdentifier=OUTCODE^755&radius=0.0&maxPrice=425 000&minBeds=3 shoreditch?

near the city, lots of great independent shops, TUBE, moments to the city, walking distance to the lovely spitalfields market, green space. think the schools might be less that marvellous though.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-21339185.html?pageNumber=1&backToListURL=%2Fproperty- for-sale%2Ffind.html%3FlocationIdentifier%3DOUTCODE%255E755%26minBedrooms%3D3%26maxPrice%3D425000%26 includeSSTC%3Dtrue%26_includeSSTC%3Don&locationIdentifier=OUTCODE^755&radius=0.0&maxPrice=425000&min Beds=3 shoreditch link here I hope

Tiny third bedroom, tiny kitchen area, tiny "garden" if that even qualifies as a garden, no storage, no room for decent dining table and in a road that is used as a cut-through because of crappy one-way system where South Circ meets Clapham Common. And it's over budget (although, agreed, in current climate an offer could be made...)

Why are you worrying about it if you don't have to move for two years? All sorts of things could have changed in that time - have you started playing the lottery?

My financial situation will not have changed by then. And no I don't play the lottery The reason I am "worrying" now is that I want to get a really good feel for a couple of areas BEFORE we have to think of moving. I don't want to feel rushed when it happens.

Interesting property in Shoreditch. Very central area and good for Dh work. I will have to visit the area.

I agree, you don't want to be rushing round trying to work out if you like the local park at the same time as working out whether you want to put an offer in on a house.

Parts of Camden might be possible if you look around, and really don't mind flat with garden rather than house, what about a communal garden?, or Kentish Town? Also lots of ex local authority properties round those parts. I used to live in Kings Cross and would move back like a shot if I could afford to, so I sympathise!

(disclaimer - I have not lived in London for a long time!)

shoreditch, like lots of other parts of central london, is quite mixed. so you will have a few really lovely streets, and then a few not so lovely streets. so it's worth have a really good look even if first impressions aren't great.

ooh, I know Victoria Park Square well, PBore - it is bloody gorgeous! nice property...

I would love to stay as central as Kings Cross or Camden. I have looked at Kings Cross before. There is a lot of redevelopment going on there with new buildings. The problem is, it is still really grotty - hence the affordability. By the time it is not grotty, it will be pricey.

Communal garden is no good. I have three boys so they need somewhere we can put a trampoline so I can banish them to burn off energy!

How old are your children?

I think the easiest way to find a new area is to work out where most of your friends live and move near them. If you've got lots of friends to hand, then you can put up with a lot. If all your friends live in Marylebone, then admittedly you might have difficulties... Do you belong to any Home Ed networks - is there a particularly interesting gaggle of other home-edders in some pocket of London?

And I wholeheartedly agree with moving near a tube line - I tried to make the best of not having one for seven years, it was hell. I kiss the floor of Clapham South each day, pope-style. I heart London Underground.

Russell Square end of Kings Cross not grotty imo (lovely shops etc in Marchmont Street. But I guess that part is v pricey these days...

My boys are currently 7, 4 and 6 months old.

Russel Square would be fab, but no way affordable.

Are you going to continue home schooling them once they are senior school age?

No idea. But I could be living in timbukto by then so not worried about that at all. I am not looking for a forever home.

that vict park square place isn't shoreditch i'm afraid, that's estate agent double speak. it's bethnal green, very close to the museum of childhood. there's a lot going on round there, farmer's market at broadway market, hackney city farm, right next to york hall swimming pool (& spa!), loads of parks (victoria park, london fields). roman road is pretty good for independent shops.

round london fields would be good for you too, i'll do some searching. quite similar in feel to stoke newington, but nearer the city, & we have a tube currently being built.

a bit further out, but still near tube and Highgate Village lovely

You should buy Hoxty's house Ilana, it's lovely with a good sized garden. I think that being owned by a MNetter must be a selling point, a bit like having one of those blue plaques.

Ok Hoxtonchick - can you hang on for another year or two and we could do a house swap

well you could, but it's off the market, & i'd weep if it sold for 400k .