Finding It Hard to Find the Right Place to Live

Hi all

So DH and I were in London last week for my "informal" interview and scouting neighborhoods and I have to say I was extremely dismayed to find the areas we looked in were not where we would want to live (Colliers Wood, Merton, Raynes Park, Wimbledon). Even these areas were too urban for my tastes and I am a bit disconcerted about whether or not I will find the right area for us. I really would like to not have to commute more than an hour to work (to/from Central London) and I really want to find an area to live that is suburban, very green, with a villagey/small town vibe. Can this be found?

On the bright side, the interview went well and I was told I am at the very top of their list to transfer once a position becomes available (which could be next month or next year, ughhh).

Thanks in advance for any advice.
K

I would not live in Colliers Wood or Merton. But Wimbledon and Raynes Park are great, and really are not far from Central London at all. We lived in Wimbledon for 3 years and loved it, I would move back in a heartbeat! If you want something closer you should check out Putney or Fulham, or South Kensington.

That is a shame.  I live in Wimbledon Village and love it.  For me, it is only a 10 minute walk to the convenience I crave but is still green and villagey.

I agree about Merton and CW.  I would not like to live there.  Raynes Park is out for me too because I find it too suburban!  Go figure.

I would suggest picking the train lines you are likely to frequent (say into Waterloo) and mark the point on the line that it is too far for you timing wise.  Then work from the furthest point in, getting recommendations on the area.  Unfortunately, you will need to go further out to get suburban.

I dont have any idea of your budget, but if you dont mind being a the max of your 1 hour commute time, you may want to look into Surrey.  Some suggestions - Farnham and Windlesham.  There are wonderful villages out here that feel a world away from London, but really you are 30 miles (1 hour by train) away. There is also Tilford (which is a bit further out), but a really cute village.  Oh, and Hartley Wintney in Hampshire may be a good option too.

Thanks Sara Smile for the advice and thanks Mirrajay for the suggestions; I will start looking into both!

I'm sorry - I see I read your question wrong, forget going to look at the places I mentioned! Wimbledon Village is so lovely, we lived between Wimbledon and Wimbledon Village and spent more time in the Village than in Wimbledon, and it does not feel urbany at all. Richmond is nice as well, I love it there!

St Margarets, Richmond, Kew, Chiswick are all pretty "villagey". Hampton Wick and Surbiton also seems really quiet, leafy, and suburban, yet still have decent access to central London.

I second Wimbledon Village though! It's really a fantastic area. We are renting in Kew, but are in the middle of house hunting as first time buyers. While we would love to stay in the Richmond area, we just can't afford anything decent in the area. We have focused our attention on Wimbledon for ease of commute, and because we love the area.

Not sure how much time you've spent in London, but I personally found that it took some time living here to be able to "read" an area. Once I had seen and experienced more of London, I had more of a reference point when trying to get a feel for an area. We lucked out when we sort of blindly moved to Kew. Though people always told me how nice it was, it just seemed like everywhere else to me. Now that I've lived here for nearly two years, I have so much of a greater appreciation for the area.

I think you'll find places in all directions from London that fit your bill.  Two suggestions;

Chislehurst or Petts Wood in Kent (both 1920s era suburbs with plenty of real countryside around and about.. about 20-30 minutes by train from Charing X, Waterloo or London Bridge.)

Metroland http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Metro-land-map.jpg (similar to my first suggestion but NW of London, reached by the Metropolitan Line, hence the name.)

Have you thought of renting short-term when you first come to the UK, for instance a vacation apartment rental that rents by the week, or a suite hotel, and then really looking in-depth at different neighbourhoods over the course of a couple of weeks.

What does everyone who has posted on this think of Tower Hamlets of Roehampton areas?

Do you mean "or" Roehampton? Like the Roehampton close to Putney?
I personally would be very careful as Roehampton is mostly dogdy tower blocks and ex-council estates.
The area immediately outside the Priory Lane entrance to Richmond Park is nice (and along Priory Lane for that matter), but the area below Roehampton University is cheap for a reason.

What does everyone who has posted on this think of Tower Hamlets of Roehampton areas?

Tower Hamlets isn't Roehampton, maybe that is a typo?  Regardless, I am not a fan of Roehampton.  Some of it is fairly run-down and dodgy.  The transportation links are awkward as well.

I don't have any advice as to where to live, but wanted to mention that I live very close
to central London (my tube stop is zone 1) and work in central London near Baker Street and it still takes me 45 to 50 minutes to get to work.

I don't have any advice as to where to live, but wanted to mention that I live very close
to central London (my tube stop is zone 1) and work in central London near Baker Street and it still takes me 45 to 50 minutes to get to work.

I second this, the commute can be killer. I have friends who travel from all over London for university. They live only a few miles away but it takes them 1-2 hours each way

I second this, the commute can be killer. I have friends who travel from all over London for university. They live only a few miles away but it takes them 1-2 hours each way

I suppose it all depends where a person actually works.  Let's say the office is a ten minute walk from Charing X station, and your train journey from the suburbs takes 30 minutes (and on some lines, you can be way out in the country in 30 minutes.)  Then, your commute will take 40 minutes (plus the amount of time it takes you to walk to your station from home.)

If, however, you live in London and have to take a tube journey with two changes, then a bus, then a 15-minute walk, then, yes your journey to work could take an hour or two depending on daily conditions.

Having said that, TfL has a web journey-time calculator that factors in schedules, engineering works, etc. and usually gives a very accurate estimate of total journey times... You just enter the start and end point of the journey, time of travel & it gives the best recommended route with times.  I'd recommend that to folks trying to decide where to live.

http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/

I second this, the commute can be killer. I have friends who travel from all over London for university. They live only a few miles away but it takes them 1-2 hours each way

So true, particularly if a bus is involved.  I live in Wimledon and on paper my office is not too far away from Waterloo.  But I take a bus from Waterloo and waiting for the bus and fighting traffic, at a minimum, triples my commute time.  Apparently it is the same to walk it than to bus it.