Relocating to London - Where to live?

[Tricey]

Hi - We're newcomers to Mumsnet and looking at a possible relocation to London. We could really use some help with several things...

1. What 'neighborhoods' (preferably in London, with Hubby commuting to Poplar area) are best for us to live-in? Looking for a clean, safe place that's toddler-friendly and good fun for mum to make friends.

1. What are rents like...i.e. what kind of budget do we need for rent? Groceries? Car?

1. Any other tips on life there? Nervous about the move and could use some input from those there.

Thanks!

PS - Hope this is the right place to post this topic.

I would recommend either Victoria Park (bus straight to Canary Wharf 20 mins) or the St John's Wood/Belsize Park/Swiss Cottage area (Jubilee Line to CW)

I've lived in both, and loved both for different reasons. Victoria Park is imo v. child friendly, lovely big park, good 'villagey' atmosphere with cafes, post office, small supermarket, bars and restaurants. Plus a fab second hand children's clothes shop Loads to do with small kids.

St John's Wood etc is much more 'grown up' and as someone said 'bankerish'. It wouldn't be my choice as it agree it's somewhat souless for a family but it is lovely in other ways. House prices far higher here though.

Personally I love Belsize Park/Hampstead and would live there like a shot if I had the money Again, quite expensive, but fabulous for activities, shops, restaurants and of course, easy access to the Heath - and you can't get much fresher air than that in London

Um, the second-hand kids' clothes shop is kaput. But it's been replaced by a lovely toy store, a lovely children's book shop.

And there's a lovely vietnamese restaurant, and a new gastro pub (fellow eastenders, anyone tried it yet? It's called the Empress of India, but seems to be British food [confused emoticon])

Since you are a real city person, what about Marylebone Village? It's close to Baker St for Jubilee line, very central to shops, theatres etc etc, lovely place to live and still a real neighbourhood. You are close to Hyde Park for green space too. I imagine rents will be ££ but if you are used to NY prices, they won't be too terrifying.

[wilbur wanders off imagining herself in a chic little Marylebone mews house]

[NQC, the Empress of India was... Queen Victoria. Pukka C19th pub name]

I've been using this thread as an excuse to dribble over little mews houses as well - then I spot the rent and heave a sigh of joy at leafy Oxon.

ooh yes Marylebone is lovely great shops and restaurants and still close to the park. Baker St tube vg for you.

you sound american - so I don't think the grittier sides of london will suit you at all, unless you are the sort of person who was happy to live in harlem in 1990 or in alphabet city when it was originally slightly improving. I'll probably get jumped on for saying that.
St Johns Wood is very nice - comparable to eg Riverside bit of the Upper West side, Marylebone is a good suggestion (think eg the village in NY), the nicer parts of Greenwich and Dulwich are lovely but a bit "out" of london proper. bit like moving to the nice bits of brooklyn rather than being in manhattan. Knightsbridge and the smarter bits of Kensington are the equivalent of the Upper East Side and not that convenient for your DH's commute. If you want a SoHo equivalent then you are looking at Notting Hill, but again not hugely convenient for your DH's work.

If you have a really big budget, want probably the nicest bit of london to spend a couple of years, walking distance to nice parks, completely safe and fantastic transport as well as being kid friendly, then look at Chelsea around Sloane Sq (a couple of stops to the jubilee line). Again, Upper East Side prices, but no other downsides for a 2 year posting that I can think of! Your budget needs to be big though.
For high-end rentals, look at www.primelocation.com. Chelsea is SW3, Marylebone W1, St Johns Wood NW3, Greenwich SE11

Hope that helps a little bit.

Oi! I'm Canadian and perfectly happy living in the East End. I'm not at all convinced it's actually dangerous around here. I guess I wouldn't feel comfortable in a really Disneyfied sort of place with everyone rich, I guess, but then again, I always thought mugging risk was higher in rich neighbourhoods?

(MrsB, technically I live in a Mews, although it's only a Mews by name, not by nature.)

Oh, and thanks for clarification re Empress of India, it is in Lauriston Village, just north of Vicky Park, so the name makes a bit more sense now ...

Oooh, now I have to disagree Princess... I don't like chelsea/sloane sq at all. Full of oil money and new russians. no community. grotty district line connection. traffic congestion. I also wouldn't consider it walking distance to parks with dc.

I have heard a few American and Canadian accents in Victoria park, so I assume Americans and Canadian like it around here. I really like it, I am not English either, it is very friendly, a nice mix of people, but does have pockets of real deprivation. I am sure there is lots of weird illegal stuff going on around here. St Johns Wood would drive me a bit mad, lots of very rich people. I guess it depends what you are into.

Oh, eastendgirl, if you're local, you should come to the North East London dinner next Wednesday! I think it'll be at Namo - certainly it'll be Vicky Park area, anyway.

The NE dinners are very nice, and very small, six people at most I think.

ok, checked the meet-up thread, i'm wrong. sorry for hijack.

although marylebone is fabulous, i'd definitely live there.

Oh, what a shame about the shop, NQC. I heard the Crown had gone, as well... is that now the Empress of India, then?

hi snafu! the crown is a tapas place now, & although i haven't been have heard v. good reports.

'ello hc

Tapas, eh? Hmmm. Oh, I do miss it so. (My luscious young mayaan lives in hoxton/shoreditch and I have been pining for the mean streets of the east end a lot recently.)

young mayyaaaaaaaaaan, oooh how exciting . are you coming to visit soon?!

nqc I'm canadian too! (anyone for a quick rendition of "land of the silver birch? no? pity! ). I just think that someone who has lived in manhattan and hong kong and has asked for a safe area with clean air PROBABLY would be a little disappointed with the grittier side of life in the east end. I may be wrong, but I'm reading between the lines here!

Boppy - you don't think Battersea Park is within walking distance of chelsea? OK. I do!

oi pph did yu get my text the other night

I was there at the weekend, zooming around Old Street in the early hours of Sunday morning on the back of his motorbike, teehee. Made me feel quite the Young Thing, it did. (Once I'd got past the blind fear, that is.)

Apols for hijack, Tricey

• he sounds really young!

......home of the beaver.....

no text received here coddy.

oh god was that you, the text that made NO SENSE AT ALL from a number I didn't recognise??!!!! ended with Arf so I thought it was from my cousin Theo?!

"wherefore the mighty moose wanders at will" Hana

Oh, PPH, I have a version of that "Native" Xmas carol somewhere that makes me dead homesick. Or something.

You're probably right, someone who is looking for somewhere that seems safe probably isn't looking for gritty East London. I just don't think it's quite Harlem, though.

HC and snafu, I can't stand the look of that tapas place, the colours are so jarring and ugly. Nobody I know has been there, though, so I have no idea what it's like. I'm not a huge fan of tapas anyway, too greasy, too much meat.

I think the Empress is going to do the same job as the Crown did, which is good news. There's also a lovely new Thai place at the end of my road, upstairs from a rather horrid pub. But the Thai food is really great and spicy and lovely.