Best location around London?

iPete

In short, looking to purchase a first property next year and whilst it isn't number 1 priority, the more I think about it, a good ride to work is actually quite important.

From St Pauls I'm looking at upto a 16 mile ride radius (an hour or less riding). Needs a good train line for the other half.

Currently in the SW (Staines, 19 miles) and want to get closer. Part of me wants to try something really new but Embankment > Richmond Park > somewhere like Surbiton/New Malden is really appealing but is there better out there?

I look North and from my limited experience, riding up towards Camden/Highgate has always felt 'orrible.

mattsaw

Surbiton is probably the best of all worlds for your needs,

- Sub 20 minute fast trains into Waterloo
- Close to RP for evening laps
- The lanes of Surrey are literally on your doorstep and cuts out the worst of London traffic
- A few choices of pretty traffic free routes into town in the mornings

talius

Hard to see past somewhere south west - Richmond, Twickenham, Surbiton, Molesey etc, for the best commute and the best access to countryside and parks etc

rower63

Teddington/Strawberry Hill

bracketed

Round Epsom way is proving to be rather good. Commute isn't bad, and you can divert onto Embankment if you want. And the Surrey hills are not so much on your doorstep - they *are* your doorstep.

Edit: Two train lines in too - to Waterloo and Victoria. 8)

timothyw

If you are ready for somewhere new you might want to consider 'Metroland' in the north west (somewhere around Harrow, Rickmansworth, Northwood etc).

I can't comment too much on the ride into work (mine is rather along the top rather than into central), but for the weekends you are in easy reach of the Chiltern hills, which offer much of the appeal of the Surrey hills but without quite so many crowds of cyclists.

rjsterry

No idea of your budget, but swinging anti-clockwise from Epsom, you might get more for your money. Carshalton might be a bit suburban for some, but has a choice of a short 12-mile commute through Streatham, or longer routes up to about 16 miles up to Wandsworth, then over the river and along the Embankment. Heading south, you're out into countryside in 15-20 minutes, and Box Hill, etc. is 14 miles away via some nice warm-up hills, or you can head southeast towards Titsey Hill and beyond. RP is miles away, but I don't miss it at all thanks to the nearby countryside. PT is also pretty good with trains direct into City Thameslink (and on to St Pancras, etc.), Victoria and London Bridge, and the tube up in Morden.

surrey_commuter

If you are looking for a flat then Surbiton has lots of them - less good on the house front. In that area prices directly reflect walk to the station and train service (time and frequency)

There are a lot of people on here from SW London so if you got more specific with priorities you would get some good feedback.

warreng

I live in Epsom and I hate it and everyone there

Hope this helps

EKE_38BPM

WarrenG wrote:

I live in Epsom and I hate it and everyone there

Hope this helps

Stop sitting on the fence. Tell us how you really feel.

anonymousblackfg

EKE_38BPM wrote:

WarrenG wrote:

I live in Epsom and I hate it and everyone there

Hope this helps

Stop sitting on the fence. Tell us how you really feel.

Epsom's 2 train lines, both of the crap, slow and infrequent! I listen every day to the worker on my right complain about teddington/hampton trains all going to sh*t.

I looked SE before reverting back to SW for a house purchase, the market had priced in 'opportunity' such that you got less for your cash than dull established areas. However, SE is closer to countryside than SW.

warreng

If I had my time again I'd be heading towards Hampton Court, Strawberry Hill, Twickenham Green way

lancew

Bromley is a great spot for that.

I have a 16 minute train to victoria or a 30 minute train to Blackfriars and a few fast trains now run that way that take around 15 minutes (Dad works 100 meters from St Pauls and has been doing this commute for 10 years).

For a bike ride there is around 3 different options to get in, with one being shorter with a hill (over Crystal Palace) or longer and flat (in via Lewisham/Catford). In the summer I was going mostly through parks to get in and out but with winter closing in I am going via the main road which also very nice. I go into Soho so the end is slightly different, but the bulk of the ride would be similar.

http://www.strava.com/activities/203965780 - Flat through parks.

http://www.strava.com/activities/202807499 - Flat via main road.

Colinthecop

WarrenG wrote:

I live in Epsom and I hate it and everyone there

Hope this helps

I used to be a Policeman in Epsom and I echo that....

Just up the hill in Banstead is much nicer. I'd live there... infact, I did.

warreng

Colinthecop wrote:

WarrenG wrote:

I live in Epsom and I hate it and everyone there

Hope this helps

I used to be a Policeman in Epsom and I echo that....

Just up the hill in Banstead is much nicer. I'd live there... infact, I did.

Ah, the Longmead estate............

iPete

Thanks all, very useful info!

Colinthecop

The Longmead wasn't too bad... well compared to the estates I'd worked in Brixton.

It was the Gypsies that caused us the most grief.

alansd1980

Banstead is a nice place to live but terrible for commuting.
The reason I started cycling is because the trains are so bad.
For someone going into Central London chip stead or woodmansterne would be better.

All depends on budget and what you are looking for.
Flat with good nightlife or house surrounded by families and fields?

rick_chasey

I like fulham.

veronese68

Kingston, more precisely the bit where I live. It's quiet, yet a short walk into town or to Richmond Park. Only downsides are the houses are small and the prices are ridiculous. But that's because it's such a good place to live.
There is a house near me that is rented out, the last 3 sets of tenants all wound up buying a house in the immediate area. I'd say that speaks volumes.

ugo.santalucia

Crystal Palace?

What size flat are you looking for and what budget?

anonymousblackfg

Rick Chasey wrote:

I like fulham.

Nice enough area but the prices are sky high (£800k for a two bed?) and twunts who live there are unfeckingbearable.

warreng

I fear I may have to row back from my comments on Epsom - you may not be as miserable and anti-social as me

On the plus side there are regular trains to Waterloo, Victoria and London Bridge. The schools are pretty good (and that's why I'm lumbered staying here). The town centre is ok for shopping. I do absolutely love being on the edge of the North Downs

Prices are an issue - our 4 bed semi would be unaffordable for me to buy now

iPete

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Crystal Palace?

What size flat are you looking for and what budget?

Certainly add Crystal to the list, budget uknown, this is realistically 6-12 months away but lets assume 250-300k which rules out a fair few places (e.g. Fulham probably).

Not a studio, outside space preferable (garden/balcony), ground/1st floor or maisonette (to get the bikes inside), if SW London eg. near A3 somewhere to leave the car (otherwise may as well sell it, not driving across London to see the parents).

Koncordski

I lived in teddington for 5 years and moved out about 2 years ago. I miss it, every. single. day.

iPete

I have also considered purchasing a boat on one of the North London canals, not sure I've sold it enough to the other half mind! Would be a PITA keeping anything valuable/good bikes.

tgotb

Look at somewhere with alternative transport links for your other half, in case the primary one fails. For instance I used to live in central Richmond and commute by train; when the trains weren't running (which happened surprisingly often) I could jump onto the tube. Was also good for getting back from Central London late at night: last Piccadilly Line tube to South Ealing, then the #65 bus which runs all night.

Prices are very closely correlated with distance to nearest station. If your other half is willing to ride a cheap bike a mile or two to the nearest station, that gives you a lot more options. I'm now midway between Kingston and Richmond, and on public transport days my commute starts with a 10 min ride to Richmond station on my pub bike.

keyser__soze

Lancew wrote:

http://www.strava.com/activities/202807499 - Flat via main road.

Bit of a dog-leg avoiding the A21 there. Is it that bad? Interested as I've recently moved down SE-wards and am looking at options for extending my commute suitable for dark/winter weather/road surfaces - need to find the Chertsey loop of the SE - and one option from work was down from Greenwich thru Bromley and on to the Dulwich Paragon chaingang route and trying to work out best way to do it.

talius

iPete wrote:

I have also considered purchasing a boat on one of the North London canals, not sure I've sold it enough to the other half mind! Would be a PITA keeping anything valuable/good bikes.

I lived on a houseboat on the Thames at Strawberry Hill - best house ever

ugo.santalucia

iPete wrote:

I have also considered purchasing a boat on one of the North London canals, not sure I've sold it enough to the other half mind! Would be a PITA keeping anything valuable/good bikes.

we did look into that... difficult to find one which is big enough to live in and has a mooring with electricity and water...

MrSweary

What Lance said.

If you can afford SW go for it - lovely part of the world mostly. We couldn't. Hence we moved out of Twickenham to Beckenham. Leafy, very close to some great country riding. Nice easy commute in with a little hummock to stretch the legs on (CP Park hill). Great transport links. Really good schools. We got a 1.5x bigger 2 bed maisonette of similar layout to our Twickenham place for 100k less. Oh and the people here are a lot more down to earth than in Twickers, darling.

Plus we have two awesome pubs a few minutes walk away!