Help! MIL 'retiring' to central London...ideas for a nice place to buy a flat for her!

[bowbluebell]

Hello there,

As the rather long title suggests, my MIL is planning on reorganising her finances including selling up a large house in St John's Wood and er, retiring, to Central London (where she lives already and will continue to work,so it's not really retiring!). She doesn't really like SJW, loves Marylebone and Bloomsbury and is an artist so likes to be near museums/galleries/cutsey craft shops.

Any thoughts on where would be a good place for her to buy a flat to, um, see out her days (which I suspect will be many!)? Suggestions of areas great, ideally particular roads/squares!!

Budget is about 500k. Preferably zones 1 or 2. She loves character and period properties, I think she will need 2/3 bedrooms, a garden flat would be lovely and she has no car so needs good transport links. So, not too fussy then (!?)

I'm and Eastender and East Anglian, so don't really know anywhere west of Stepney, although am secretly quite jealous and think I may be living vicariously!

What a fantastic idea!

I'm not sure that 500K would get you anything other than a broom cupboard in central London, but I'm sure someone else would know more than me.

What about trying Phil and Kirsty - that would make a great programme

large house in sjw must be worth a lot lot more than 500k. the sort of property you describe will cost a lot more than that in bloomsbury / marylebone... have a look on prime location website...

Primrose Hill? I would definitely have lived there if we'd had more money!!! Chalcott Square is particularly nice.

Pimlico?

Hmm, I'm confused about the 500k too. Unless she's going to live on the proceeds of the sale too. But you say she's going to keep working..?

Anyway, Marylebone, definitely. A friend of mine used to have a lovely flat in Covent Garden - but it WAS noisy. Primrose Hill is right next to St Johns Wood.

Assume the OP's mum is downsizing hence the budget.

I'd agree with squeaver, Marylebone has a nice balance of central living and local feel and Covent Garden is too noisy. Some parts of Bloomsbury are quite nice though, a friend used to live in Lamb's Conduit Street and that was very nice indeed.

Friends live in theatre-land and although their flat is lovely and they are very central, they wish they had chosen somewhere with a more villagey feel.

The area around Smithfield market is lovely, as is Marylebone.

Afraid Smithfield area is the home of the Hoxton Fin haircut and too "worky" for my tastes also some dodgy lapdancing clubs which I hate now I have found out that local violence to women increases by some horrible % in areas near such "entertainment" venues

didn't know that BAD. Agree, that doesn't sound like a good option!

There is a sheltered housing scheme on Fann St., EC1. The flats are independent, and you have as much or as little to do with the warden and other residents as you wish. It's to the side of the Barbican, so you can walk over to the amazing library, theatre, and cinema there.
There are banks, tesco express and a laundrette within 5 mins walk, and waitrose 10mins away. Buses about 2mins walk, tube 3mins. Not a character property, but a good long-term bet.
If sheltered doesn't appeal I'd move onto the Barbican itself.

just found this Indy article on sheltered housing at Tudor Rose Court, and Barbican retirees

this looks nice
or this

I live at the top of Lamb's Conduit Street and it's LOVELY! Full of nice cafes, independent stores and galleries.
But I have to agree that £500k prob won't do it if she's looking for 2-3 bedrooms. She will need more like £600 - 800k. Gardens are very rare here...
Holborn is cheaper than Bloomsbury itself - the area between Covent Garden, Bloomsbury and Clerkenwell...

funky
with garden for a bit more dosh
near Barbican

You don't really get much for your £500k though

BBB - as soon as I read the title of your thread I thought ooooo Bloomsbury. I work there, more or less. I have peered into estate agent windows around there and I think your mum may be able to buy a flat there. There's a really nice local atmosphere around where I work and there's the new Bruinswick centre for shopping (it has a Waitrose lol). There's some lovely little green areas and sweet little churches etc. Have you had a look?

Thanks so much for your suggestions ladies, you've given us some really useful ideas.

Definitely nowhere near lapdancing clubs as MIL thinks she's younger than she is and could get herself into allsorts of mischeif!

Barbican was one of my first thoughts, but it has some unhappy memories for her as she lived there with her ex-husband. The suggestion of the Brunswick centre is fantastic. Although I've always loved it there and may have to move into her broom cupboard! I've never been to Primrose Hill although I heartily approve of Marylebone. I have a friend who lived in Pimlico and it's lovely in that it's so centralbut has green spaces but I find it a bit hit and miss in that there seems lovely spots near really dodgy areas.

There is no way that she'd consider sheltered housing, even if it's not a bad idea. And she'd terrorise the little old ladies.

I should have explained that she is downsizing. The house is worth a couple of million, so the idea was that she bought a place and lived off the rest. So the 500k budget isn't set in stone, could easily go up to 750k. She has a place in France and spends more and more time there so she really doesn't need a big place here and although she's more than capable now, we can see that she's slowing down and would like to get this sorted sooner rather than later.

God, I really hope that I have such a lovely life at 67!
Thanks again, this thread is really helpful.

Primrose Hill is very nice (where I live!) if you can stomach the rest of the people who live there! You could probably get a nice 2 bed flat with garden for around £700K. Lovely parks and cafes etc, very safe. But only about 10 minutes from St Johns Wood so not more central from where she is now.