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 ideal for you as you want private outdoor space and not glamourous but it's walking distance to borough high street tube which means you can walk to borough market, to the trendy london bridge bars and restaurants and waks along the river and the early morning antiques markets are not far away. If it was not ex authority it would be alot more because of the location.here

I'll second Clapham - especially if you go for being near a tube. You've got the 'village' thing going on (Abbeville Rd - used to live there in 87 - never a village then!) great tube connections, good buses and plenty going on. Lots of places to walk to and around and you'll never be at a loss for a shop!

East Dulwich is gorgeous too - but rubbish if you're after a tube.

I also liked Queen's Park. On the tube - great for buses and now very village(y) plus near to Ladbroke Grove, Notting Hill, Kilburn etc. Actually - Kilburn / West Hampstead could be an idea if you're used to centre of town and like the hussle and bussle.

Clapham is lovely, but it is very expensive.

Ok, I think we have narrowed it down to Clapham, Shoreditch/Bethnal Green, Kings Cross/Camden areas.

Anymore?

My sister lives on the other side of Victoria Park, which is Hackney. She absolutely loves it. If schools are not an issue, then it might be worth looking at. She lives in a 3 bedroom house with tiny garden and I think it's worth about 400K. She used to live in Bethnal Green. Her new house is a walk straight across the park. She is surrounded by nice coffee shops, restaurants and little delis.

You won't get a 3 bed house with garden for £400,000 anywhere decent in Clapham. You might (just) get Clapham Park which is SW4 but a long way from the tube or anything even vaguely resembling a village.

this is on a nice road, about 5 mins walk north of victoria park & all the nice shops littlefish mentions. no tube though. well, about 20 mins walk perhaps.

That house looks lovely but being near a tube really is essential to us.

I think it takes about 10 mins to walk to Bethnal Green Tube station from the edge of Victoria Park.

I would go north
How about Alexandra Palace

Kings Cross isn't even vaguely villagey...

True, but it is not far from here

I think Camden is more villagey really.

erm... stop spending money in farmers market, local delis and drama classes and then perhaps you can afford to stay in marylebone?

putney/wimbledon/barnes

Aren't Putney and Barnes 'cher-ching' areas, too?

Let's face it, there aren't many chi-chi places in London where you can get a 3 bedder for 400k. Sadly.

hmm think you need to think long and hard about clapham

imvho, you'll want to live in one of the much nicer bits as some of the grotty bits are seriously grotty (I know that's the same all over london....)

have you thought about hammersmith? I know you said the wrong side of london but it's v quick to get in from there and ludicrously convenient for getting out of London too...

ah I see you said £400k (crosses out most of London for 3 bed houses )

are you happy having ex council or are you looking for a proper old style house?

have just read back...don't want to sound like I am taking the piss out of your budget

I started off near russell sq (in some v damp and dark and mouldy and TINY basement flat), then went to southfields, then to putney, then to hammersmith and then we had to do what you are doing and compromise and move further out (unfortunately, our budget was far lower than yours!)

it's such a hard decision

I know you are home schooling now but are your children v v small? because if they are, you may want to have a look at schools where you move just in case things change in terms of schooling (though obviously, school standards change but normally, there are some boroughs that are just better overall)

hmm... why dont you state school rather than home school then you can work and stay in marylebone.

sorry. being controversial.

womble princess - you are being a bit harsh. My kids do one swimming class and one drama class a week - hardly excessive. I chose to home educate for many reasons. I would never put them into a school just so I could stay in an area i liked

To clarify, I was guessing a bit at a £400,000 budget. It may well be higher than that. It is £400000 without any mortgage. If we ended up somewhere with no service charges (our current ones are crippling) then we could consider a mortgage. So, let me revise to £500,000 and see what you all think.

I am not bothered at all by the appearance of the building. IN fact, I looked at a great ex-council flat just around the corner from where I currently live that I loved.

And I am really not concered about schools in the area. It is really not going to be an issue.

If I had to prioritise from my original list, I want to stay as central as possible I think. I could lose some of the other things to acheive that.

Thanks for all your help by the way - very interesting thoughts.

Stockwell.
Its central, on the tube, cheap.
Its v near clapham for the village stuff.

The East London line is going to be extended to Brockley, Honor Oak Park, Forest Hill, Sydenham, Penge West, Crystal Palace (by way of a branch), Anerley, Norwood Junction to West Croydon.

So that might increase your options?

Queen's Park? You're still talking flat rather than house for 400-500k, but it's on the tube, fairly villagey feel around Salisbury Rd, and there are some nice roads running in all directions, whether towards Kilburn / Brondesbury, or towards the Harrow Rd.

Or Kensal Rise? The poor (ie. not filthy rich) man's Ladbroke Grove. Practically half the city's meed-yah folk live round there (the half who don't live in Shoreditch, that is! )

I think I would rather go east or south than north or west due to dh work. He is so much happier when he cycles than when he takes the tube. Queens Park is nice, but in the wrong direction I think.

Of course East Dulwich!

I know it very well (having been here 12 years and I really don't wish to move) and I know Stoke Newington too (lived there before ED).

ED does not have GREAT transport links but you can get into London Bridge on the train in 11 mins. I know loads of people who cycle to work from here, too. Its not that far away - just beyond Camberwell and Brixton.

It has two fantastic parks, a very good high street with independent butchers, fishmonger, greengrocer, artisan (poncey) bakery etc, cheese shop, delis, and Farmers Markets at Dulwich College and Peckham (Lol! quite a contrast between the two).

Low crime, childfriendly, full of history, fantastic views of London from the roads on the Forest Hill side of the area.

£400k would buy you a very nice 2/3 bedroom Victorian house with a decent garden at the moment in a central part of SE22.

Whats not to like?

I do think East Dulwich would really, really suit you, if you can get over the no-tube thing. It's very villagey and in no way a cloned high street. Very handy for the city too. And look - lovely family houses.