Where to live near London? Safe, green and open-minded place

[PoppyThankful]

Hi all,
Could you please give me tips on places near London to buy a flat/house 250K cash, in a safe area, green and open minded. We are both europeans ;)
I love London, want to relocate there but I'm scared of crimes and pollution!

The further out you go, the slightly less expensive housing gets, but the more you end up spending on commuting.
Do you need to work in London / commute in every day?
In which case what part do you need to get to?
Or, if you don't need to travel in every day, how long a trip would you consider?

How many need to live in the flat ? - Are you looking at 1 bedroom or do you need more?

Do you mean you want to be near a park, or you want actual countryside? Or is your own garden something you are looking for ?

Woking?

A bit more than 250k.

Hampstead Heath, Highgate, Muswell Hill used to be lovely - but it is 40 years since I lived there. And probably 250K won't be enough - sorry.

Which bit of London do you need to get to for work? The further out you go, the greener it will be, but you need to take into account your commute.

What size of flat do you want? If you're willing to go for a 1-bed, you could look at Sevenoaks. It's a bit smug and dull, but it's reasonably open-minded, and it's very green.

Gorgeous flat in Chelsea by the river here but unfortunately only for a 3 year lease! If I knew I only had 2 years to live I would definitely consider it...

If you don't have to commute every day, Wivenhoe in Essex is wonderful and you would get more for your money because of the distance.

How about Herne Hill, Sydenham, Crystal Palace or some of the south parts of London.

It really depends on your work in my opinion. If you need to commute each day into central London you need to find a good way to go in without changing all the time or spending a fortune on a season ticket.

250K is not a lot if you want more than 1 bedroom. Thing ahead, do you have children? What age? Are schools something you need to consider in a couple of years or would you be happy to move again?

What do you want to do with your free time? Do you have a car?