Be my agent (for free!) (X-post from welcome wagon)

My wife and I are moving to London this fall.  I've never been there, and I'm pretty sure I'll have to pick a place during a very short trip this summer.  As such, I'd love to do research now and get things narrowed down a bit before I go.

If I give you the specs, will you give me some ideas?

---There will be 4 of us next fall --- wife, myself, almost-3 year old, newborn---we probably need a 3-bedroom flat

---My wife will stay at home, so we want to be close to parks, places to walk, near other young families, good access to seeing the rest of the City (we'll be live-in tourists, since we've never been there)

---I'll be working in EC2, and I'd like to be no more than 20-25 minutes away.

---Probably something more "established" than "emerging."  We lived in "emerging" for 3 years in Chicago (and LOVED it), but I think with 2 kids now, we won't have the same energy that is required to find all the hidden gems and really enjoy such a place

---That being said, we're not the types who value brand-name for the sake of

---It's all rough right now, but we could probably pay £1200-1800 per month

Thanks!

If you can stand to travel more than 25 mins (say, 45-60 mins door to door) I would suggest looking just outside London, maybe in Hertfordshire or Essex (North and East of London) or in the other direction, Surrey (south of London, eg Richmond, Twickenham). Within London, Hampstead probably meets most of your requirements - it has a huge Heath, lots of interesting arty spots, loads of history and a villagey feel.

www.findaproperty.com and www.upmystreet.com both have lots of info about areas, amenities etc.

Good luck in your search!

I agree with Britwife.  If you are willing to spend a little extra time commuting, some areas of Surrey and Hertfordshire are very nice.  The 2 web sites she mentioned are ideal for you to see what is available both in London and its surroundings.

BTW, in case you are wondering what a Heath is in Hampstead, it is basically a park.   

bvamin

I second Hampstead for the villagey feel, good parks, young families.  And there are tubes, buses, good food and easy access to other places.  Belsize Park is also rather lovely and near quite a few things, plus Primrose Hill or Regents Park for your park access.

now that i think more about it, hampstead is a good option.  i'm looking, and finding decent 3 BR places near there.....and some with gardens wich is great for a kid...

i had mentioned some other areas which are good to check out too.....but it looks to be a better ££ range too

If you plan on staying long enough for your kids to start school here, keep an eye on the catchement areas as well.

We have friends who live in Devon who are expecting their first child in 6 months and they're already moving into a better catchement area than where they are now.  One must plan ahead! 

Find out if your company will also pay for private education...if so, check out the school where I work: The American School in London in St Johns Wood.

Get a copy of the 2004/2005 London Property Guide, see link below ....



It is a treasure trove of information on commuting, schools, parks, shops, rental levels .... everything in short. Well worh the outlay!

One thing to bear in mind is that Londoners often feel very attached to their neighbourhood and can be quite dismissive of other neighbourhoods - ask any North Londonder about living 'south of the river'!!! However, generally speaking, west and north are more leafy and better connected by public transport than south and east London.

London's neighbourhoods are based on historic villages and many still have a village feel, Hampstead is the classic London village and is an absolute delight.  There are many more urban villages closer into the centre: Marylebone, Chelsea, Kensington, Islington, to name but a few - all are very nice places to live.  Good luck with the move and feel free to ask UKY what people think of specific areas. Non-biased  Americans may give you a more honest answer than many Londoners!!!

Thank you so much, people!  I'll be sure to invite you all to my housewarming this fall