Share your secrets of lovely villagey (and affordable!) places to live in London, please!

[PiperG]

Having ummed and ahhed a lot about moving out of the Big Smoke, we have now realised that we are not quite ready to give up London life, so are looking for somewhere to move in London that will give us a bit more space. Can anyone recommend places in London that have a friendly, villagey feel - good independent shops etc (I long for a decent local butcher!) - and lots of green space nearby - and good primary schools - where we could get a 3 bed house for around 350K?? seems a tall order! We are currently in Zone 2 east London and ideally want to stay north/east ish London so we are not moving too far from everyone we know around here. However we realise we'll have to move a bit further out to get more for our money. We've been looking at Walthamstow but there seems to be a bit of a dearth of green space. Any suggestions v welcome!

Winchmore Hill is just south of Enfield, doesn't have a tube but is connected by rail, and has some good primaries. There is a beautiful HUGE park between Winchmore Hill and Southgate, within most of it you can't even see houses. And Winchmore Hill central, while rather expensive, has a lovely village green and little shops, including a friendly butcher.

I would choose Beckenham if only I could afford! Now I could only afford South Norwood Which is OK, because train takes me to London Bridge in 11 mins in the morning and back home - absolutely convenient when you work FT and have a child who goes to childcare 8-6.

Another SE Londoner here - Peckham actually (euphemistically called Bellenden Village, ahem, by estate agents), and I love the area. Even here though 350k would barely get you a 2 bedroom house. East Dulwich is great for shopping, but also pricey. But agree with fellow south easters that parts of Nunhead, Forest Hill, Brockley (also expensive though?)and Honor Oak are all lovely and feel quite village-y.
For real villages - Dulwich, Blackheath, Greenwich, your money will not go far. Except, as someone pointed out, the Span houses in Blackheath. Modern (relatively)and spacious with nice landscaped communal gardens etc. A friend used to live in one and I really loved the house. Worth considering? Come south! We have loads of parks ... my local one has dog shows etc, very cute, and even has its own mini festival next weekend!

Well I am totally set on SE London now - though 'Bellenden Village' - who came up with that one ... Oh how little I am looking forward to dealing with that strange breed called estate agents ...
Does look though, MeandMyMonkey, as if 350K will get a decent house in lots of places, though sometimes some places are more expensive than I thought they might be - def bits of Brockley a bit pricey. I am rather liking the sound of Brockley though so will have to go and have a look ... thanks anniemac for those houses, lots of them are lovely! Any advice re schools: what are good primaries around Brockley/Forest Hill/Nunhead? Our 3.5 DD will be going to school Jan 2010

I meant to say Jan 2011 of course ...

South east london has some lovely areas.kingston is very dull and suburban

Walthamstow village is very nice, I disagree with other posters and also the areas nearby, it won a Time Out award for best london village a few years ago.

Wansted is pretty nice and more upmarket in the East End.

I wouldn't touch places like Clapham and Brixton, sky high prices and the crime rate is scary.

I'm no expert on schools PiperG, as dd is not yet 3, but I'm reliably informed there are lots of decent primaries in SE London - round here I think Lyndhurst, Dog Kennel Hill, Goodrich. Am sure someone can enlighten you further. Bellenden Village is sadly named after the road of the same name. Nothing more I think.
But anyway, we have lovely fishmongers (in Nunhead and East Dulwich) and allsorts (SE London tourist board here). If only I could afford to shop here .

The trouble with Forest Hill is that it has the south circular road running right through it and is permanently clogged with traffic. It really doesn't have a very green or villagey feel. Honor Oak Park and Brockley would be more the type of place you are looking for, I think.

Monkey - is this mini festival you talk of on Peckham Rye? Sat or Sun? tia

Think there's been terrible trouble with Southwark Reception places this year, specially round East Dulwich/Nunhead...think the council simply didn't supply anywhere near enough and people are getting sent miles away.

Lewisham (ie Brockley, Honor Oak, Forest Hill) may be a better bet, I haven't heard of there being such a problem there (well, not yet, anyway!)

There has been an huge population explosion in this area. Most of my friends with children have 3 or more. 3 or 4 is the new 2 round here.

bibbitybobbityhat, it's actually in a much smaller park than that, Warwick Gardens, on the 27th - Sunday daytime - I think but will double check. Don't want to raise your hopes by calling it an actual festival.. it's actually called a wingding {wtf).
(I have a horrid feeling Warwick gardens has its own facebook page) Said festival is nothing to do with me btw, and may will be shite, just very near where I live!

and yes, i think east Dulwich is singlehandledly responsible for mini UK population explosion. What is going on?

Ah I see.

Oh and lol at "Bellenden Village" - not that I am laughing at where you live, tis very nice round there - but just at what the Estate Agents come up with.

I used to live in "Bellenden" it was lovely but the refurbished streets are scarily expensive now. The only way to get 3 bedrooms in E Dulwich/Nunhead/Peckham Rye looks like going for a flat, a small modern house or a doer-upper.

I liked living there, you could choose to be all ethnic and multicultural on Rye Lane or fancy organic-deli-antiques on Lordship Lane.

In fact when they started doing streets up I remember thinking soon they will try to give this area a name that doesn't include the word "Peckham".

OP think you need to look again at the 'burbs. Like manitz we moved (to Ruislip in our case) 2 years ago mainly because of family but even DH who had to be dragged kicking and screaming from W Hampstead and whose friends all have infinitely more modish addresses agrees that it was a great decision. We got DS into our first choice OFSTED outstanding primary easily, a local church school which is OFSTED good is actually undersubscribed, there is TONS of green space, we have enough space and a lovely garden and we are on the end of a tube line each with a 40-60 min (good day/bad day) door to door commute. We are 5 minutes from the local high street with an independent butchers, greengrocers (and an M & S food) and the area is awash with farmers markets.
Oh and we have met loads of lovely new friends who have all done the same thing-and still go into town for nights out/Sun lunch with our old friends with relative ease.
I don't know much at all about North/North-east suburbs but hear Finchley is nice and sure other MNers could enlighten you? Just take a look at what you can get for your money.....HERE

And agree that schools (and not just primary are a v v big thing so be very careful about your catchment areas wherever you end up!

Ooh some nice properties in N Finchley too look
Honestly just consider the 'burbs before you move-the green space and schools thing is so easy here-life feels like much less of a struggle-and I speak as one who lived in Camberwell for 10 years...

Right must get a grip and go to bed...