Calling London Hitchers

He still works in Streatham but now commutes from Yorkshire every week. This is going to sound really bad, but I don't actually know where in London he lives from Monday to Friday now! I'll find out though.

I can't believe there are places in London where you only pay £400 in council tax a year - I pay £900 for the smallest house in the world in the outskirts of Leeds! This news has upset me.

We're band H and pay just under £700 pa I think, Kharv. A real bargain compared to the usual London costs!

Streatham's out then!

Any other suggestions of nice places to live?

There are some nice properties in Blackheath. Not sure what the links are like. I know there is a train station there

I can never get my head around how council tax works. I am Band G in the midlands and pay 2.5k pa. I always thought London was expensive or is that just property prices and not council tax??

My sister lives in Perivale and loves it, good transport links not far from Ealing and she found a few good schools for her son when she relocated there.

My H2B used to live in Dulwich when he was younger near the park and I used to think it was lovely. Although not sure what it's like now.

I used to live in Lee near Blackheath. Blackheath is lovely and so is Greenwich x Although rent wise I would say pricey.

I have been doing lots of work in and around London recently & I love it. I like Fulham, Wimbledon, Balham is not bad, Rickmansworth would be my ideal!

Can't believve the Council Tax I pay £1,500 a year in Bristol.

I'm going to have to step in and say that I think that Streatham is getting a bad press here!

I've lived in Streatham for the majority of my life and whilst there are a few areas I would steer clear of, there are also some that are beautiful.

The areas surrounding Streatham Common are lovely and Streatham vale is even better. Quieter and still with the greatest transpost links.

CB if you want something even more picturesque, may I suggest looking at the Mitcham/ Streathma Common border. I'm not talking about Mitcham Town Centre but the areas, again, surrounding the Common. With the Tramlink and the newly added Mitcham Eastfields station, it's a great investment and I see property prices going up over the next few years when people realise what a good area it is....

Ok Streatham defence over....I love West and East Dulwich. Bel Air park is mine and OH's park of choice in the summer. Lovely community atmoshphere and awesome schools.

Getting married in Greenwich/Blackheath area and whilst I love the area and the greenery, the town becomes overrun with Students at times (IMO-please dont scream at me!)

I think that Balham has the best of all worlds, if you like the contrast of greenery and the buslting city on your doorstep. Currently the Northern Line is one of the most reliable on the weekends which is also good news...

That's my 50 pence worth!

HTH

x

I have family who live in hanwell near Ealing, they are right near the 'bunny park' its lovely round there, they have lived there forever and I dont think they'd ever move!

Big up the SE London/Bromley massiiiive!!!!!!!

I lived in Crystal Palace before moving to the other side of the park in Penge purely so we could afford (and find) and three bedroom terrace house with a garden. I am also getting married in Greenwich as OH used to live in New Cross Gate (DO NOT EVER GO THERE!) and Greenwich was where we had our first date.

West Dulwich and Greenwich are both lovely places (as is East Dulwich) and if you are used to West London will be probably less of a culture shock BUT they are the expensive parts of SE London and for that you will not get as much for your money. Both are also so-so on the transport fronts if you are used to the tube: West Dulwich is on a very quick train to Victoria (less than 10 minutes) but if you need to go further east the nearest tube would be a bus ride away in Brixton. Greenwich has the DLR but that also has hissy fit days and it is then a bus ride to North Greenwich tube or the overground train. Greenwich is very touristy as others have said and if you have people coming to stay who travel by car it is a NIGHTMARE for parking with resident only streets for miles (trust me - our guests have been warned!!). West Dulwich IMHO can also be a little yummy mummy but nowhere near as bad as Nappy-valley (Wandsworth). Blackheath is gorgeous but it is very expensive and transport is again overground only.

Not only because I live on it but I would have a serious look at the areas on the new East London line. The Evening Standard keeps featuring them in their property sections which does push the price up but they are historically cheap areas because up until this time last year they weren't on the tube map so 'didn't exist' as far as most Londoners were concerned. Crystal Palace is lovely with a good selection of local shops (mostly independent) and great restaurants/bars/pubs. Crystal Palace park is fantastic with it's own dinosaurs and childrens play area - you might not be ready for 2.4 children yet but when you have guests coming who do have little folk this is a great asset to have nearby. The other stations near the park are Penge West and Sydenham (Sydenham hill is one stop on from West Dulwich on the overground and it is uber posh with most of it on a private road). Alternatively, consider Honor Oak Park or Brockley both of which are developing their own little communities and have good value properties. The best bit of the East London line is it is now connected all the way to Islington via Dalston/Shoreditch/Hoxton so you can easily get into London for a night out (if that's your thing) with all the cool kids or see your friends who pay the premium for living north feeling smug that you have a house when they have a flat.

Oo-er!!! Don't I sound like the resident estate agent (I'm not - that couldn't be further from my real life job)!! Feel free to PM me if you want to ask about specific areas

It might be but unfortunately it has also just been in the paper as the next line for upgrade works.....cue weekends of misery and no late running trains if it is like all the other lines they've done upgrade work on recently (Jubilee, Victoria.....)

Wow, loads of people living saaarf of the river :p

I can't really comment on those areas much, have heard Stoke Newington is a really nice area ? Your search area is massive! Good luck with finding a place Cricket!

Thanks all!

Yep, hannioli. Just want to find the right place. Space, safety and environment are key, followed by travel needs.

DARN IT!

Greenwich council tax has not gone up in three years!

<crash>

in which case SE is probably better than NE. i grew up in bromley, and although it's a bit far out and, to be honest, quite middle class suburbia, it really does have those 3. as do places like dulwich, greenwich, blackheath - all of which are really lovely areas (whenever i want to have a look at some property porn, blackheath always does it for me). someone else mentioned crystal palace - good call.

my sis used to live in stoke newington and has now moved a bit further out - although SN is now a bit more gentrified, and does have good overground/bus links, it can still be a bit dodgy at night.

good luck x

We're in North Dulwich and although its not on the tube (OH won the argument) its actually really nice and green and peaceful and only ten mins on train to london bridge or victoria or blackfriars etc on thameslink, plus there are loads of buses. and dulwich park is looooovely! as its not on the tube you get lots more space for your money and its still in zone 2. happy househunting! x

We're in North Dulwich and although its not on the tube (OH won the argument) its actually really nice and green and peaceful and only ten mins on train to london bridge or victoria or blackfriars etc on thameslink, plus there are loads of buses. and dulwich park is looooovely! as its not on the tube you get lots more space for your money and its still in zone 2. happy househunting! x

I agree with MrsJ - Balham is where it's at!! It is on the cusp of Wandsworth Common and Clapham common and can be quite reasonable. Wimbledon is also nice.

This thread is tugging on my heartstrings - had to move from Balham up to Leeds for work

I heart SW London, so much better than N, E, W, SE. *I may be a little biased though!*

An Ealing girl here! Well actually thats a lie, I live nearer Reading now. But I grew up in Chiswick and spent most of my time in Ealing, rented there in my early twenties and all of my friends are still there!

I love it, but I guess it's a bit like home to me. The Broadway has got gradually crapper over time, a lot of the shops have closed, but there are still some good places shop. Some great restaurants, cafes and delis. Westfield is really close if you want big shops. Central line into town takes about 20 minutes. I don't think it can be beat for travel connections as you're close to the airport, got the Great Western line out to SW, buses and tube connecting most of London and the M40, M4 and M3 within easy reach. In the nice parts of Ealing the houses are nice and big and the areas generally quiet and leafy.

The negatives points; council tax isn't cheap there though and I don't think rents are as good value for money as elsewhere. My best friend is in Hanwell (so not even 'proper' Ealing) and paying £1125 pcm for a 1 bed flat! Not including bills or anything. It's a lovely flat, newly refurbished ground floor converted Edwardian house with a garden, but eeek!! My mortgage is a third of that!

Happy house hunting!

I play at Greenwich Yacht Club as their preferred supplier (but you can obviously pick your own entertainment).

https://www.greenwichweddingvenues.co.uk/

Its right on the Thames, and possibly worth a look. Reports from clients are the food and service is great.

HTH,

Jason

Number 37 bus and 43 if I remember correctly go straight into the city via Angel Islington easy enough. Overspilling the posh folk from Islington. Very up and coming but I guess like all places rough in parts. I love Muswell Hill and if I were returning to London I would head back but again transport links not so great as no tube.

*giggles at Jason*

She's looking for somewhere to live Jason, not somewhere to get married

Number 73 bus !!!!!!! I am going senile !

Sherrie I went to school in Rickmansworth and lived in Chorleywood ! Both on Met line . I know it is Herts not London but great access.

Greenwich is lovely and I live in Woolwich in the Royal Arsenal which is also lovely!! x

I stayed there on Sunday, love some of the houses up on Hempstead Rd!!