What is it you love about bringing up children in East Dulwich?

[citizenED]

Snowboarder - just make friends with people with fab gardens. That's what we do!

[snowboarder]

Good idea.

Goes off to ponder how to word the dulwich mums with gardens will you play with me thread......

[littleEDfamily]

There aint no shame in it, snowboarder, no shame at all.

[new mother]

haha quite funny re gardens.

No, the point is - we couldn't afford Pimlico! We were too late!

Where, by the way, are the London "suburbs"? Would it be Surrey as a massive whole? I really don't know... or more Richmond, which is jsut as expensive as places further in, I suspect...?

[????]

Er, isn't ED a suburb?

[snowboarder]

ED = zone 2 therefore central. In my head suburbs are zone 4+. But I'm just making that up!! Always think of suburbs as 1930's semis....we're far more gritty and urban surely?!?

[littleEDfamily]

We're definitely gritty and urban. Not to mention very cool, trendy and inspiring to others on the grounds of our postcode alone.

[????]

....I love East Dulwich but 'very cool and trendy'??? Mmmm.

[Keef]

I'm guessing (and really really hoping) that littleEDfamile was being tongue in cheek there.

Anyway, I think the vast majority of ED is Zone 3 isn't it?

To me, there are burbs, and there are BURBS. ED is not exactly inner city, but it doesn't really feel suburban.

Sidcup... Now there is a bloody BURB!!! *shudders*

[DaveR]

Everywhere else is lifeless

[Moos]

Hilarious article. One of the charges levelled against London is that it is apparently Too Far Away From Some Other Places, with the result that "Those trying to run businesses in the north of England or Scotland have to incur serious expense to even make it to a meeting in the capital, leaving home at four in the morning to make it to London for 9am."

What an evil place!

[Ruth_Baldock]

I've lived in a proper Suburb. Zone 5, Mill Hill East. Dead as a doornail the whole time. 1930s Semis, lots of schools. Waitrose. ED is much better and I wish I had grown up around here instead of MHE (Had to walk 20 minutes to get to the nearest station. Noooooooooooo).

[Keef]

1930s Semis

Sidcup!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[prdarling]

Burbs = Sidcup, Beckenham, West Wickham, Penge, Bromley, Surbiton, Sutton

ED of course not city but so not suburbs. Has urban vibe similar to Stoke Newington, Crouch End etc.

Very very different feel to the Burbs. Lots more grown men in football shirts, even when they are not watching football :)

[new mother]

NO exact idea where Sidcup is but the name alone somehow has suburb potential...

[cate]

Ruth_Baldock Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I've lived in a proper Suburb. Zone 5, Mill Hill

> East. Dead as a doornail the whole time. 1930s

> Semis, lots of schools. Waitrose. ED is much

> better and I wish I had grown up around here

> instead of MHE (Had to walk 20 minutes to get to

> the nearest station. Noooooooooooo).

So you aren't having North London and Waitrose withdrawal symptoms? Or even Brent Cross withdrawal symptons? Once a North Londoner, nearly always one. I used to go shopping in Temple Fortune and BC a lot when I lived near there.

[The Nappy Lady]

Snowboarder, I feel your pain. We are lucky in as much as the first house we bought (from a friend) was this very 3 bed house in Nunhead...which was big enough for us to grow into....but for me, although our garden is really lovely and gets a lot of praise it will always be about a third of the size I would like......I grew up with an acre of land to play in, and although I wouldn't want anything that size to maintain (can't even keep the house clean these days), I would love to have a bit more space for the girls to play in. On a sunny day, by the time we have 2 sun loungers and the paddling pool set up there is barely room to move, though that is partly due to the flower beds I admit!

However, on the positive side, I found with No.1 that as she got older it became easier and easier to make good use of all the local outdoor spaces (set back a bit my baby C, but she is getting there now). What I mean by it getting easier is less 'stuff' needed just to get out the door, and a lot more time spent just 'chilling out' in the park etc. We can walk fast with her on the scooter, or even all ride our bikes to the park now. Also, days out into town - so many brilliant places to go, playgrounds, free museums, the Southbank. I feel so lucky to have all that on our doorstep.

When we visit friends in the country I do get a bit wistful I can't deny it, but I know if I was there I would equally be pining for what we had here.....I think the grass will always look greener, and it is very hard to find the 'perfect' place to bring up children so no right or wrongs here, but don't be too quick to write off what you've got.

You know, I reckon it's a great plan to try to find some parents with children of a similar age and a decent sized garden, no shame in that. Equally they may be looking for someone with a fab home & kitchen to hang out in on rainy days - and I know you have that, so it can go both ways!

Maybe a load of us should club together and buy a bijou place in the country so we can all escape for a week now and again....I can throw about ...oooh ?10 in if that helps?!

Molly

[Ruth_Baldock]

Cate; Brent Cross, yes. The rest of it, HELL NO. I don't drive and it was practically impossible to get anywhere. We also didn't have a nightbus stop so had to walk an hour+ when I went out in central London in my late teens. If we'd lived in Golders Green/ Temple Fortune/FINCHLEY, even, I would have been much happier.

Actually my 'grand plan' is for us to move to East Finchley/Muswell Hill. This is when we start defecating money, of course...

[katgod]

It's an attitude thing. Dear friends and family live an hour out of London. One boy, in Year One at an 'outstanding' primary school recently had 'bring your DS to school' day. Now it may be contentious, but, broadly, I would say most ED parents I know do not allow their 6 year olds to have a DS or are at least a bit embarrassed to have one, and the local schools would not encourage use of the DS in that way. My friend's son was the only one without a DS. And at 3.45 in the afternoon seeing the local park and swings deserted, as people rush back to their garden (or DS) and no one really chats. But never say never.

[whishter]

Snowboarder - I have sent you a pm.