london area recommendation please for new family

Running_Horse

FTBFun wrote: »

What - "London is a dump?"

Please explain as I couldn't see any point there.

If I have no point, then why are the home counties and commuter trains full of people who gave up on that wonderful city?

Particularly gave up on it when the prospect of children came along; note the OP is planning on moving his family there. How much of a village feel and garden do you think the OP is going to get?

Nobody will be rioting where I live, and the only trouble in the nearby town came from Londoners who invaded for the night, and got themselves promptly arrested.

I know London is a dump from living there for two years.

devotee

Running_Horse wrote: »

If I have no point, then why are the home counties and commuter trains full of people who gave up on that wonderful city?

Particularly gave up on it when the prospect of children came along; note the OP is planning on moving his family there. How much of a village feel and garden do you think the OP is going to get?

Nobody will be rioting where I live, and the only trouble in the nearby town came from Londoners who invaded for the night, and got themselves promptly arrested.

I know London is a dump from living there for two years.

No we just move to a nice suburb, close enough to the centre and far enough to feel you are actually escaping. Plenty of greenery and parks but all of the convenience of a city.

munro_wilson

We have thought of moving out of London when we buy, but my fear is once we move off the london ladder will we be able to get back in the future or would we be dependent as we are now on the economic difficulties and a slow market; its the only reason we could even think about london compared to 2007.

hazyjo

Depends where you go! Some places outside of London will always command high prices and be comparable. Just depends on where you buy! You could 'lose' more buying in a cheaper London suburb than you could say buying in Brentwood or even Cornwall or Dorset.

Any reason why you'd need to move back into London several years later if you did move further out now? If you went to somewhere like Tunbridge Wells, or Brentwood, I can't see why you'd need to think about moving back to London. Or are you talking about not touching London at all and going up north or something to get more for your money?

Jx

FTBFun

Running_Horse wrote: »

If I have no point, then why are the home counties and commuter trains full of people who gave up on that wonderful city?

Are you seriously suggesting every commuter is an ex-Londoner who has given up on it?

Particularly gave up on it when the prospect of children came along; note the OP is planning on moving his family there. How much of a village feel and garden do you think the OP is going to get?[/quote[

It depends where they live - not everywhere in the M25 is rows of tower blocks you know.

Nobody will be rioting where I live, and the only trouble in the nearby town came from Londoners who invaded for the night, and got themselves promptly arrested.

That's lovely but there was rioting in Gloucester for pities sake.

I know London is a dump from living there for two years.

So that 2 years quantifies you to write off the entire city then?

Now I don't mind if people don't like London - its not for everyone I know (my mum hates it!) - but it doesn't half get on my wick when people use sweeping statements such as "London is a dump" without even considering the great things this city has to offer.

Pete111

London isn't a dump - parts of it are bad and parts good. It's great to be in London sometimes (not so much this week...) and I enjoyed living there in my 20's. To write it off as a dump is rather sweeping!

However, personally speaking we moved out to Kent 4 years ago and (initial wobble aside) I can't say I regret it, especially now we are discussing raising a family. We have friends in Chiswick who feel they have no choice but to educate their kids privately if they do stay there - the state schools there are all borderline at best apparently.

However, we have just agreed to sell our flat in London (previously kept as foothold in the london market etc) and as such, severe any residential ties we have with the city so I guess that says something too...We both commute in and go out in town so can enjoy it as required. I would stress though, plenty of people do like it and stay there all their lives - horses for courses I guess!