Moving to fairly central London

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Bit complicated. Planning on moving back to UK after doing the overseas thing for 7 years. Central London is where we are both most likely to get work. We are in our 40's, child free, fairly solvent. Love theatre, eating out, exploring, shopping, museums, pubs, all sorts. We travel a lot. Don't want to have to commute (been there, done that) Would like to see a bit of green if possible.
We are going over soon for 2 weeks - where do you suggest we look? I know it's a cheek but insider knowledge better than estate agent blurb on the websites.

How much money have you got????

If money was no object I'd go for Hampstead or Highgate, near the heath. Sounds brilliant!

How central is central? Zone 1 or would zone 2 do?

I personally love Greenwich. Good transport, very villagey atmosphere, very attractive properties and not stupidly expensive. But that might be further out than you want. Blackheath is also nice, but only on the mainline trains (20 mins to Charing X).

If you're looking for zone 1 can't really help as we never lived there, sorry, but am sure plenty of other people can. St Johns Wood is lovely though if you have £££!

No more than 30 mins travel - perhaps that's unrealistic! Definitley not millionaire status...........

Yes, St John's Wood is lovely, brings back fond memories of reading 101 Dalmations as a child! Stupid house prices though.

Centrally, some of the nicest area are also quite green. I agree with St John's Wood/Swiss Cottage area. Also, Marylebone is lovely (near Baker Street). NW6 is where we are currently looking (West Hampstead, Queens Park, Kilburn). It is really nice, good transport and green. The problem is that all of these areas are pricey. What is your price range and what size place are you looking for?

Bayswater, Westbourne Grove, Marylebone, Paddington. All central enough to walk to west end or hop on bus / tube for short trips (Bayswater slightly further but still close) and near lots of green (Hyde Park, Kensington Gdns, Regents Park). Maida Vale and St Johns Wood also good and central. Maida Vale full of lovely mansion block flats with great communal gardens and it's still quite central. Also not too far away from the parks I mentioned above.

in your shoes I might be tempted to swap the green for the river, iyswim and go for somewhere between waterloo and borough. fab access to just about everything - walking distance to theatres, South Bank, covent garden for shopping,borough market, tate modern.

nd if you're prepared to go for ex-council there are some great housing possibilities - right on the river. some friends of mine live near tate modern in a mixed council/ex-council block and love it. they say there's quite a community feel and they've got amazing river views.

850,000. Small house or large roomed flat would be ideal. Not bothered about our own garden at the moment.

I'm in St Johns Wood and really recommend it; ticks all your boxes. Before that we were in Maida Vale - I'd say both are worth a look.

Chiswick, Richmond and Barnes are all great for families and have national trains that get you into Waterloo in 20 mins or less.

Chiswick and Richmond also have the tube.

For 850,000 you could get a great flat in many of the areas mentioned. The more central you go, the less likely you will get a garden for that money. Marylebone would be my top pick for that money (without a garden). Great young feel. Lots of cafes, resteraunts and shops on Marylebone High Street. You have Regent's Park as well as a smaller local park. Walking distance to Oxford Street and you also have good transport links. From Baker Street station, you are about 20 minutes from the city.

You'd get a nice 4 bed terraced house in Fulham with pocket sized garden for that, plenty of green spaces, and near the river. Good tubes connections too.

i would def think about river. perhaps putney which is still quite central, or the river side of chelsea?

we live in a part of Highgate called West Hill - it is more rural and scenic than Highgate proper - you could get a flat for 850k. other areas to consider are warwick avenue, little venice, west kensington even a mews house in notting hill (actually quite nice atm now that the fever has died down!). my mother's family live in Bayswater - property is nice but it's a bit boring tbh but v international. if i could move, i would probably want to be within walking distance of one of the great London parks so it would probably be Kensington. we were watching Mary Poppins today and we saw a huge white London house and dh and I nodded at each other as if to say 'not quite ready to leave London yet'!

Chiswick would tick all the boxes.

Chiswick would tick all the boxes.

If you're child-free, I'd agree with the suggestion to try for the river.

Oh god there is no way I'd go for Chiswick - takes an age to get into town. Definitely go for St John's Wood - you'd be able to get a 3 bedroom flat there with a garden for that. And you're equidistant from the Heath and Regents Park. Perfect. Takes 20 mins to get to Picadilly Circus

I'd second Greenwich - our 2 bed townhouse (rented) is going on the market when we move out for 720k.

It's 15 minutes into town by train, there's the DLR into Canary Wharf or Bank and the Jubilee Line, not to mention river taxis.

You've got the park, museums, great cafes and restaurants...the schools are rubbish, but if that's not a consideration then I'd buy here like a shot.

greenwich is not exactly the most upmarket, safe area though - there is not much sense of community there and a huge social divide. with the river you have got to factor in rats and flooding (know people who have had both). i would feel much safer jogging through Hyde Park at dawn then along most stretches of the river. canary wharf is crap (worked in the big tall bit and have returned a few times since to dine, so i do know). agree with st johns wood being a valid suggestion.

some of these places mentioned, i would not take even half of the budget to them

I'd personally go Maida Vale area, in St Johns Wood a lot of the flats are £££ and IMO the blocks aren't as nice as Maida Vale blocks.

If it is a house you would prefer, then Wandsworth / Balham?

Hampstead

Why would you live anywhere else?

Bloomsbury

maida vale is nice but i think it has connections to NDubz(!!) - i would not go south of the Thames personally unless it was into a gated community in St Georges Hill.
but if you really want to live on the river and don't mind going onto the south side , there are some lovely riverside properties in Sheppêrton