London - Where to buy??

jonewer

I'd second Bromley (and Orpington). Much better if less bohemian options than places like Dulwich and Blackheath.

The thing about London is that you can have a nice area right next to a horrible area. I have friends who live in Limehouse betwixt the river and Commercial Road. Its very nice there with a villagey, almost European feel... but cross Commercial Road and enter downtown Mogadishu!

ruggedtoast

Limehouse DLR was muggers paradise last time I was there. It had even inspired the Met to put a sign up, though not an actual policeman of course.

Bromley = Decent shopping. Overrun with small minded lower middle class chavs.
Orpington = Working class chavs. Track suits, bling and angry bafflingly hate filled stares from every local man you pass in the street. Tries hard to out Eltham, Eltham, and mostly succeeds. Avoid.

@ Padington

"Between Wood Green and Ally Pally". Oh my goodness. Just, no.

Yolina

London is complicated! A few things you might want to bear in mind:
- as noted by others, "good parts" and "bad parts" can literally vary street-by-street within an area
- you can have lovely-looking houses in a really dodgy area and you can also have some not-so-nice-looking houses in an ok area
- even if you had the massive budget required to buy in a really posh part of town, it wouldn't necessarily mean that it's safe - an area where people have lots of money is obviously attractive to the low-life.

Good luck!

hazyjo

Had already considered Westcombe Park (one of the nicest places I've lived), Blackheath and Greenwich. Nothing that fits the OPs requirements, and if it does, it's not where anyone would particularly choose to live!

Jx

FTBFun

I live in Peckham Rye. I can't recommend it enough (although maybe not if you have secondary school children - the primaries are apparently fine but secondary schooling isn't great). The London Overground is arriving in May which is another plus point re transport (always a biggie in London).

Ignore the bit about the riots, that's not indicative of the area IMO. Has everyone stopped buying in Clapham because of the riots as well?

padington

ruggedtoast wrote: »

"Between Wood Green and Ally Pally". Oh my goodness. Just, no.

Ey ? You give me a better location 20 mins from
The city, with so much green space, full of shops and life, 2 cinema's, overland station straight into the countryside and morgate, picadily line 6 stops into kings cross, lovely places like muswell hill and crouch end a stones throw away and 2 bed houses for 280k anywhere else?

padington

Didn't think so.

BitterAndTwisted

I have friends who live in that area and it's very nice. I'd live there in a heart-beat. Well, of course I would, considering where I live now it would be going upmarket.

Still, I don't think the OP was interested in living north of the river, never mind this far north.

Mrs_Huggett

I would second taking a look around the Crystal P

padington

I've lived in London for 39 years and can happily say north London is where you want to be. However buying property is all about micro posts codes, those sweet spots between places that will go up
In price and charachter. The sweet spot I'm suggesting is a really sweet spot. Houses go for twice / three times as much just a stones throw away. It's got old
Railway tracks with preserved tree's, the wonderful alley palley, little nature corridors running long the new river, nice pubs like the gate ( known once as the starting gate. All the fun of north London a bus or quick Tube / train away that goes from your door step. I cycle to central London though every day because it's in reach. Honestly forget forest hill, its way way out. To enjoy London you need to be able to cycle arround and live somewhere where you cam get to the best bits by bike. Seriously muswell hill side of n22 is where anyone that wants the best of London for the best price wants to be. I'm not selling so no self interest, just genuinely trying to answer the 'where in north London within 20 mins of the city' question the only answer that deserves to be be said. I would advise going for a 2 bed cottage house and turning the attic into a bedroom to make your three. You should do it well within your 350k budget and have money to save.