Where to live in London proper for a young married couple?

Hello,

My wife and I will be moving from Seattle to London in mid-June.  After a couple months of corporate housing we'll be looking for a more permanent location to call home.  While in corporate housing we'll spend time visiting London neighborhoods to get a feel for them and determine which ones best fit our lifestyle.  We'd like to hear some of your suggestions of London neighborhoods that we should check out.  Here are some things to know about us and what we're looking for:

1)  Our budget is 350 GBP per week (~1517 GBP per month)
2)  We're a young couple that enjoys eating, drinking, going to parks, walking, and recreational sports
3)  We would like to be close to restaurants, pubs (traditional, not clubs), and shops
4)  We would like to be within a 25 minute commute of the Chancery Lane Underground Station
5)  We would like a safe neighborhood

Any London neighborhood suggestions that fit the above would be much appreciated!

Thank you,
Greg

My first thought for you is Clapham and Balham. Clapham Common. Lots to do, plenty of restaurants and pubs. This will push your 25 min commute time but definitely worth a look as there is so much to do around there.

Keeping a bit closer to Chancery Lane, you could take a look around the enclaves of Shoreditch/Old Street, Bethnal Green and Angel/Islington, though your budget would get a serious work out in these areas; keep an eye on the neighborhoods surrounding the pricier areas like Highbury and Dalston - they could hit the spot as well.

If you want instant access to more parks, you may want to stop in North London. Kentish Town/Tufnell Park/Dartmouth Park will get you on the doorstep of Parliament Hill/Hampstead Heath and all the other green spaces up there. Myself I'm quite partial to that part of town as you are close to the more expensive areas with nice shops and pubs and the bus links into town are fab.

Dels gave you great ideas - I have a lot of friends in all of those areas who are in their 20s and 30s.

Clerkenwell too.

I lived in Islington for almost three years and loved the choice on offer on Upper Street and Essex Road.

Another option is around Fitzrovia / Bloomsbury where you can get a one bedroom for about that if you look around and have some patience and imagination.  I have a 2 bedroom for 450 a week, in a beautiful historic building, so it can be done.  I love this area - I'm 5 minutes from the British Musuem, pubs scattered around the area, Charlotte Street within a 10 min walk, Soho in 20, and every manner of Tube and bus connection you could hope for.  Compared to the 325 a week I paid in Islington, Bloomsbury is a better spot for the money. 

If you have already moved, where did you wind up?