# Relocating to London in Jan 2012 w/ 2 children



## jval26 (Oct 20, 2011)

Hello everyone,

This is my first post to his forum and I've been perusing through many of the previous threads hear to get a sense of what to expect when we move. I just accepted an offer to relocate to London from Chicago. My wife and I have two little girls, a 2yr old and an infant, 4 month old. I've been researching areas in London but it's been quite difficult to narrow it down. 

My budget for a flat is relatively tight. 400pw for a 2br flat. But that would be at the top of our budget. 

1) Could you please give me some recommendations for some areas that are safe and has walking access to cafes, restaurants, grocery stores and the tube? 

2)Since we will be without an automobile, we will have to be able to get around with our little ones with the prams, so convenience will be espeically important. I am concerned that if we live too far away from Central London, my wife will have a harder time getting around with our little ones without a car. Am I completely mistaken with this assumption?

3)I am considering the Battersea, Clapham, and Greenwich areas. Are these areas family friendly, safe and accessible to what I mentioned above? 

4)What about the primary schools in those areas? I expect this move will be from 3-5 years, possibly longer so my toddler will obviously need to start school eventually. 

6)My office is located in E1. would it be unreasonable to bicycle into the office from the areas I mentioned above? I've also researched Greenwich and Isle of Dogs. However, i was thinking of staying closer to west London however with the budget I am not sure if we will be able to afford a 2br flat this has our requirements.

7)Lastly, and I really do apolgize for this long post! Just so many questions. Where are all the Spanish speakers in London?  My wife and I are of Mexican decent and would love to meet people that also speak Spanish, Spanglish, Englanol. Whatever.. not just for us, but for our kids. Spanish speaking is important to us. 

Thanks everyone.

-J


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

jval26 said:


> Hello everyone,
> 
> This is my first post to his forum and I've been perusing through many of the previous threads hear to get a sense of what to expect when we move. I just accepted an offer to relocate to London from Chicago. My wife and I have two little girls, a 2yr old and an infant, 4 month old. I've been researching areas in London but it's been quite difficult to narrow it down.
> 
> ...


London is 659 square miles. The farther you get from Central London, the less expensive housing becomes. As you have probably realized, £400/week doesn't stretch very far. Here is a website which will help you research areas: 

UK house prices, property, crime, local neighbourhood & schools | UpMyStreet

Also, getting a map of London and tube map to help match up areas is a great resource.

Most areas have a "High Street" which will have a concentration of some degree of shopping and restaurants.

Once you decide where you want to live check council websites for schools in the area. You can also check league tables.

Greenwich is nice and leafy, Clapham is a little edgier and by that I mean younger but still fine for families. I'm not familiar with Battersea as a neighborhood.

As far as biking to work, does your office have shower facilities? Just something to think about as the areas you have mentioned are more than a leisurely bike ride away from E1. 

London doesn't have a huge Spanish speaking population and any pockets that there might be will be small. As you would expect, there are very few Mexicans here. It may sound trite, but if you are yearning for Spanish speakers, go to a tapas or other Spanish restaurant. There is also a small Spanish market called Brindisi (and separate tapas restaurant) in Borough Market and there is always at least 1 person in there of Spanish decent.

Brindisa Spanish Foods | London


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## Relochatter (Dec 22, 2010)

Hi J,

If you would like more help in finding a property or with any other part of your relocation. Please feel free to give me a call on +44 (0)1256 313802 or drop me a line at [email protected].

Sounds like you may benefit from our Home Search serivce where we could help find you a property to match your families requirements. As the UK's largets independent relocation company we have very strong links in with Letting Agents across London. We also have an office in the US, so could speak to you on a local basis. 

Thanks

Laura


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## jval26 (Oct 20, 2011)

Relochatter said:


> Hi J,
> 
> If you would like more help in finding a property or with any other part of your relocation. Please feel free to give me a call on +44 (0)1256 313802 or drop me a line at [email protected].
> 
> ...


Thank you Nyclon and Laura,

I understand that 400pw may not take me very far for a flat, but it is currently what we are looking at. I have researched at other areas as well, such as St Johns wood and around NW. But not too far out as i'd like to stay within a certain distance from E1. I will be working with a relocation company that my employer is providing so thanks but i should be fine with them. I am just interested in thoughts and recommendations on my queries so i can possibly narrow my searches and get more info on thos areas and the validity of my concerns. I guess we may be the only Mexicans on the block. . Hopefully we wont stick out much! Lol. We will bringcsome Mexican flare to our neighborhood. 

Thank you.

-J


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## rifleman (Jun 24, 2011)

For lots of Spanish speakers head to South Lambeth Road where there is a long established Spanish & Portugese community.


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## Mayhem (Sep 10, 2010)

jval26 said:


> Hello everyone,
> 
> This is my first post to his forum and I've been perusing through many of the previous threads hear to get a sense of what to expect when we move. I just accepted an offer to relocate to London from Chicago. My wife and I have two little girls, a 2yr old and an infant, 4 month old. I've been researching areas in London but it's been quite difficult to narrow it down.
> 
> ...


Hi,

1) We currently pay 400pw for a brand new 2 bed 2 bath flat in Ealing.
It's a security building and most of the occupants are professional expats.
The area is quite nice. There are plenty of shops around and restaurants (Italian, Greek, Chinese, Japanese. Ealing Common is a 2 minute walk down the road.
Ealing Broadway, which is a decent sized shopping centre, is a 10 minute walk down the road. There are lots of families and kids in the area. The local Common (Ealing Common) often has things on, including fairs. At the moment the Moscow Circus is there. There is a small Sainbury opposite the tube station for most of your shopping and many other shops. There is a large Tesco and Marks & Spencer at Ealing Broadway. There is also a large Morrisons in Acton (away from Ealing Broadway). Most shops will deliver (usually free), so you shouldn't need a car for most things.

2) The main reason we chose the location is due to it's great links to transportation. We live DIRECTLY across the road from Ealing Common tube station. This station has both Piccadilly and District Line services. You can catch the tube to directly to Ealing Broadway (5 mins) which has a number of National Rail (UK) services, St Pancras (25 mins) for the Eurostar, Central London (Piccadilly Circus; 20 mins); Southbank/Westminster (20 mins). Getting to Heathrow Airport takes only 35 mins (one change at Acton Town) and getting to Sheppards Bush Shopping Centre takes only 15 minutes with one change at Ealing Broadway. Also there is a Budget Car Hire place in Acton Town (10 minutes walk) and you can hire a car for the weekend for less than 80 pounds. You won't need a car for day to day living from here.

3) Having lived and worked in the West, I can't comment on those areas.

4) There are a number of schools either within walking distance from Ealing Common Station or located within one stop. I don't have kids so I'm not up on which ones are good.

5) From Ealing Common Station you can catch a District Line Train directly to your work, with a short walk at the other end. It would however be faster to catch the Piccadilly Line to South Kensington then change to the District Line. It should take you 30-40 minutes each way. This is very good by London standards. Probably too far to bike. 

6) I work with a lot of Spanish speakers (South American). They live all over London. There are no 'pockets' however you shouldn't have to go to far to hear someone speaking Spanish. The thing I will miss most about London is going for a walk and hearing 10 different languages spoken on the way. There seems to be quite a market in teaching languages here (French, Italian, Spanish, German).


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

jval26 said:


> Thank you Nyclon and Laura,
> 
> I understand that 400pw may not take me very far for a flat, but it is currently what we are looking at. I have researched at other areas as well, such as St Johns wood and around NW. But not too far out as i'd like to stay within a certain distance from E1. I will be working with a relocation company that my employer is providing so thanks but i should be fine with them. I am just interested in thoughts and recommendations on my queries so i can possibly narrow my searches and get more info on thos areas and the validity of my concerns. I guess we may be the only Mexicans on the block. . Hopefully we wont stick out much! Lol. We will bringcsome Mexican flare to our neighborhood.
> 
> ...


St. Johns Wood is lovely and very family friendly. There are also lots of Americans there due to the American School. Unfortunately, it's also one of the pricier neighborhoods in London and it's doubtful you would find a 2 bedroom flat in your budget.


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## jval26 (Oct 20, 2011)

nyclon said:


> St. Johns Wood is lovely and very family friendly. There are also lots of Americans there due to the American School. Unfortunately, it's also one of the pricier neighborhoods in London and it's doubtful you would find a 2 bedroom flat in your budget.


Thank you Mayhem and Nyclon. Great feed back

I know that 400pw will be a stretch in the areas that I am looking at. Ealing looks nice, so does Richmond and parts of Acton.. However as this will be our first venture at living abroad and our first time in London. We would like to live in London to experience what the city has to offer, (while our kids are young too, lol!). Obviously, it will be challenging with our budget, but I am hoping, we can find something that is London and meets our requirements. Wishful thinking perhaps.. I would obviously compromise somethings, like space, commute, and/or being unable to bicycle into the office, but I cannot compromise other things, (such as safety and certain conveniences). 

It appears that parts Greenwich may suit our needs, possibly Battersea. Any other recommendations? Any hidden London Gems that is family friendly that I haven't mentioned? Thanks again.
:clap2:


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## AliceLondon (Oct 25, 2011)

rifleman said:


> For lots of Spanish speakers head to South Lambeth Road where there is a long established Spanish & Portugese community.


Yes I was going to say that, too


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## rifleman (Jun 24, 2011)

And, I suppose it goes without saying, the best tapas in London.
Although, if some of the comments I read on here are to be taken seriously, South Lambeth Road is probably too dangerous for some Expats. ;-)


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## petshopgirl (Oct 25, 2011)

hi - saw your post and thought I would reply...it's my first time here too! I am from the chicagoland area orginally and have been in the uk for a decade. London isn't my specialty, but I would check out Blackheath, Dulwich, Crystal Palace or Brockley for more affordable rentals and decent schools. I would call Dulwich a hidden gem. They are also in south london and, perhaps, would provide an easier commute for you as well although I don't think they are on the tube. South London is generally more affordable. You could commute in from nice villages or communites in Kent like Sevenoaks or Maidstone. School catchments are a PITA in London (and the UK), but you should know that your children are entitled to free nursery care 12-15 hours a week from the age of 3. So, shop around and look at Ofsted inpection reports and get on waiting lists of good places now. Mission burritos provide the closest resemblance to Mexican food that I've had here. But, if you like tamales, I would recommend stocing up on them before you come so you can at least have some homemade items!


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## jval26 (Oct 20, 2011)

Thanks Petshopgirl. i am definitely looking at the Dulwich area. Matter of fact, i posted another thread on that topic. I was completely UNAWARE that we are entitled to 12-15 hrs of nursery care per week for children ages 3 and up. its that TRUE? I'm completely clueless about that and that would be a huge help for us. 

Still researching Southern parts of London. But I'm getting close to deciding where to focus my flat searches. 

TAMALES!!! HMMMM. Just had some today.. (not kidding). We fully intend on bringing good Mexican foods with us when we move. Dried chiles for mole, masa for tamales, canned chipotles and serranos, and tortilla presses for our cooking needs. If good mexican food is not available, we'll have to make our own for sure. I sure hope we can at least get a good Tequila in London!  Cheers and Thanks again.


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

jval26 said:


> Thanks Petshopgirl. i am definitely looking at the Dulwich area. Matter of fact, i posted another thread on that topic. I was completely UNAWARE that we are entitled to 12-15 hrs of nursery care per week for children ages 3 and up. its that TRUE? I'm completely clueless about that and that would be a huge help for us.
> 
> Still researching Southern parts of London. But I'm getting close to deciding where to focus my flat searches.
> 
> TAMALES!!! HMMMM. Just had some today.. (not kidding). We fully intend on bringing good Mexican foods with us when we move. Dried chiles for mole, masa for tamales, canned chipotles and serranos, and tortilla presses for our cooking needs. If good mexican food is not available, we'll have to make our own for sure. I sure hope we can at least get a good Tequila in London!  Cheers and Thanks again.


You are not *entitled* to free nursery care in the UK but you may be *eligible* for it.
Its called Free early education and it applies to 3 and 4 year olds only.

Various districts in the UK have different rules and regulations for the provisions and you will need to research it in the area you find yourself.


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## Moving2UK (Oct 24, 2011)

jval26 said:


> Thanks Petshopgirl. i am definitely looking at the Dulwich area. Matter of fact, i posted another thread on that topic. I was completely UNAWARE that we are entitled to 12-15 hrs of nursery care per week for children ages 3 and up. its that TRUE? I'm completely clueless about that and that would be a huge help for us.


YEAH! Isn't that great?? I started getting worried when I looked into private school costs, and then I found this website: direct . gov . uk / parents / Preschooldevelopmentandlearning / NurseriesPlaygroupsReceptionClasses (sorry, I'm new and can't post links, yet). FREE preschool...or nursery or early education! I'm still trying to figure out the difference among preschool, nursery, child care, etc.

Good luck in your search! I don't live there yet, but I'm considering a move and have done a lot of research. I'd suggest asking your company's relocation specialist to suggest places fit whatever is most important to you within whatever distance you want to be from E1 and then hop on one of these websites to browse what's available for your money in each place:
findaproperty . com
primelocation . com

I've found both websites very helpful and hope you do, too. Good luck finding the best place for your family!


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