Advice on where to live? Post Reply

[Txmom]

I would also say go for proximity to the schools. I'm from the US, moved here from NYC over 10 years ago and Chicago before that. Driving to/from school is a no go for most i would say - more hassle than its worth. We have lived off Battersea Rise, off Northcote Road and now off St John's hill. Its brilliant around here and there are areas of Clapham that are very nice too as mentioned above- so i would suggest you focus on proximity to schools and what you can afford. Happy to speak to you separately if you wanted at any point. Email or phone - whatever suits. I have twin boys that are 3.5 years old. Drop me a line if you want.
krista.pound@kpmg.co.uk

[BalhamMumWorkingFT]

Same as the above poster... we are nearer to Balham, but I am from the US too. Get close to the school, I think anything more than a 10min walk (without scooters) is painful (especially in the rain).

Almost anywhere is good really, I'd look for a garden or a close park too.

Good Luck (PM me if needs be...)

[MumSW19]

Hello,

We had the same concerns a few years back when we moved to London and we decided to go to Wimbledon a bit further from Clapham, but it ticked all the boxes for us. What it is was really important was the support and advice we got from a company called SecurelyBe...in London, the lady that helped us through all the settling was really good and thoughtfully with our needs of info and all the million questions we asked them even before our arrival, I felt heard as she relateed to my situation.
Have you considered to get this kind of help? I have been in a few relocations myself in the past and when you have children you need help to deal with the uncertainties in lots of different areas.
Here is their website just in case could be your "cup of tea" ?www.securelybe.com
Good luck with the move, London is a great place to be if you know how things work and what to do

[Batterseamummy]

North Battersea is very close to Chelsea (just over the river) but with the benefits of Battersea Park, the river, very close to the Kings Road, but all without the extreme Chelsea house prices. It's also a bit more varied in North Battersea, it's not totally over run with children, but it's easy to get to Northcote rd etc too. Could be a good compromise for you?

[amybelle79]

Wow! you've had a lot of replies!! Thought I'd add my two pence worth as well though....

I live just off Abbeville Road and I really love it. It has a real village feel. Its quieter and feels more spacious than the street between the commons (I think anyway!) and property prices are cheaper.

There is a good mix of useful shops and nice restaurants on abbeville road which give it a nice community feel - you bump in the neighbours at the bakery or in the pub on the weekend, there is a summer village fete and a christmas fayre etc. You're a very short walk from clapham common for swings, tennis courts and open space and also clapham high st or old town for bigger supermarkets, pharmacy more restaurants etc

I really love it here. Its a great place to be with little people.

But, as people say proximity to your school is probably the biggest factor - make life easy for yourself! If at all possible I'd avoid being reliant on a car for the school run. The traffic might be manageable but its a nightmare to park and you might find yourself spending a fortune on parking tickets - the wardens like to hover around the school gates and punish parents for parking in the wrong spot!

Could you rent in the area for a while until you get to know the area a little more? Then you can buy a house in your favourite spot with confidence.

Good luck!!

[Soriano]

Thank you to everyone who gave their 2 cents and took the time to reply. Now that I've been to the area I can see why my initial question was a bit difficult to answer- I'm still a bit confused as to where certain areas begin and where certain areas end- but I am delighted to report that we found a lovely place to live between the commons and just off Northcote Road.

We tried desperately to get a place close to the school but were unable to get in walking distance so I'm afraid we will have to take the city bus or face traffic at least until the children are old enough to walk the distance. At least my husband will finally have an easy commute.

I look forward to joining your community! Thanks again and see you all in July.

[nvmof3]

Living between the Commons is more expensive for a reason. It is lovely! The houses tend to have more square footage than those on north side, tonsleys, Shaftesbury estate etc. if you were thinking of Chelsea you will find BTC much more affordable with better access to green space than Chelsea. There are many American families around here too. You will pay more for your house if it's in catchment for the state schools so in your case you should avoid 400m around Honeywell School on Honeywell Road (between northcote and webbs roads) and around 500m around Belleville School (on webbs road between belleville and Wakehurst roads). Good luck!