I would recommend looking at Earlsfield too!!

Wimbledon park has a lovely family feel, is closer to Earlsfield too!!

We would have loved to get a house near Sheringdale and St.Michael's or even near King George's park but all of those areas are way beyond our very substantial budget :(
Should have clicked on to Southfields earlier !

Southfields is fabulous. We have lived here for nearly 25 years. With regard to schools I am so surprised nobody has mentioned the triangle which comprises the roads off Wimbledon Park Road: Gatwick, Hambledon, Wincanton and Pulborough. They are much leafier than the grid, there is a wonderful community spirit and for primary schools they are at most 0.25 miles from Sheringdale and St Michaels so getting children into really excellent primary schools isn't a problem at all.

I have lived in this area for 10 years and love it. We are the Earlsfield/ Wimbledon park end. Schools are a very BIG consideration in the area. My daughter managed to get a place at Wimbledon Park In the second round of offers - it was a stressful time as she was at their (fantastic!) nursery and very settled there. We are only 300 m from the school but in the first/ last Wandsworth street so not in 'the zone'. The most part of Southfields falls into a bit of a grey area school wise. I would have happily have sent my daughter to Riversdale had she been allocated a space there (and know of many people who are very happy with it). I have been a primary teacher myself for 14 years so like to think that I can see a good school when I visit! We also have many friends who have kids at Earlsfield primary and we looked around ourselves as that is where we were originally offered - I have to say I think it is a fantastic school and would have probably chosen it had my daughter not been so settled at WP. You have to look strategically in the area now if you have young children or you are left with the stress we had last year. The waiting lists do move and I firmly believe there isn't a 'bad' school, we are very fortunate to have such great ones on the doorstep - just think carefully where you buy if you want a guaranteed space at one! Good luck :)

I agree with cols13 - if schools are even remotely on your radar (school time comes around very quickly!) then you need to look at the areas of southfields that fall within a school catchment of a school you like. I have a few friends on the wandsworth side of the grid and they all send their children to private school because they couldn't get in to wimbledon park primary. The friends on the merton side all got in though (merton residents get priority over wandsworth). Maybe call the schools and/or the councils (wandsworth as well as merton) to get more info if schools are something you need to factor in. Good luck.

Southfields grid is great but I would recommend Wimbledon Park area - don't know whether kids are a consideration, but I believe that schooling is a problem (catchment) for a lot of the grid but if you're over the border into Merton, while you're paying more for Council Tax, Wimbledon Park is in catchment for Wimbledon Park Primary, which is great. Also, parts of Wimbledon Park are closer to Earlsfield BR. Good luck

Do you mean the southfields grid? We've lived in the grid for 3 years and l must say it's a lovely place to live in London without it feeling too much like London. I'm not sure that makes any sense. Wimbledon park is a godsend if you have kids right on our back door and there seems to be a lot of things you can do with kids/toddlers. I have a 10 month old and we've been spoilt with all the activities that have been available to us within walking distance.

A great place to live!!

We are starting to look in Southfields... I think we will have to drastically stretch our budget to afford to buy but will do it if we find the right place (though am assuming family houses are in short supply there at the moment, as everywhere else in SW London...?)

Is the 'triangle' the best/main bit of Southfields, or are there other parts that are also nice to live in? We love the Edwardian houses in that triangle area (though we don't yet know the area that well) but obviously they come at a price...

Wouldn't be too bad to be a bit closer to Earlsfield too, as we need the mainline station...

We don't want fashionable and fancy, just a nice area with family feel!!!

Any advice about which streets/areas might be a good place to focus on?