Moving away from ED

[SamNY]

I'm doing a quick survey to understand where families are moving to, if they are leaving ED. Are people moving to surrounding areas?Any thoughts welcome.

[Carbonara]

Sydenham. To reduce mortgage - bigger house, less financial pressure on family.

[veryseriousgirl]

We're toying with the idea of moving to Kent - same reasons as Carbonara - bigger house, 1/2 the mortgage...

[Smiler]

We moved to surrey, to get a house and because mr smiler is a country bumpkin who was stressed out living in London.

[Claire29]

We moved in the last 6 weeks to Sidcup, in a rented house buying a house in Bexley. Since moving it's been a bit strange as have been coming back to dulwich every day as eldest was still at school, now he has changed school. It's lovely for him now having a school that has a playing field and large playground, also kids play out more on streets, no stressing over parking, as most houses have off street parking, having a big garden and finally getting a trampoline which they love. It's surbubia but I'm really enjoying it, it's peaceful, I'm only 15 min drive to Bluweater, train into charing cross takes 25 minutes. For us the main reason was bigger house, bigger garden, and decent secondary schools, for in the future. It's surprising how quickly you adapt.

[snowboarder]

We've gone to (north west) Kent too. Bigger house, massive garden and fast train into town. Lovely but I miss ED SO much!!

[duchessofdulwich]

.

[katyc]

We're in the process of moving to Esher in Surrey(fingers crossed). Bigger plot, Primary school with huge playing field, co-ed state secondary schools, good for eating out and not too far out. Not cheap though.

[bluesuperted]

Ooo this is providing me with some eye candy for my rightmove app! Love a bit of property/location porn ;)

[dulwichgirl2]

I have always thought Nunhead had potential and is still handy. Schools ok. There used to be a 100 to 150k "discount" too.

[Saffron]

When our landlady on Barry Road abruptly terminated our lease so she could make a quick sale, despite our contract, a huge dispute ensued. She did settle with us in cash, so we at least got our full deposit back in cash. But, we then only had a few weeks to move. We couldn't find anything suitable in ED in that time.

We found a place in Brockley instead. Hilly Fields Park is at the end our road. We're walking distance to the Brockley Market on Lewisham Way and also to the shopping centre in Lewisham Town Centre. ED is a short bus ride away, as is Crystal Palace. Since Brockley is now getting the overspill from Nunhead (which got the overspill from ED), new shops are now opening on Brockley Road too.

[Jo'sEnglish]

dulwichgirl2 Wrote:

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

> I have always thought Nunhead had potential and is

> still handy. Schools ok. There used to be a 100 to

> 150k "discount" too.

Nunhead is lovely, much quieter and more villagey feeling than ED, but close enough to get the benefits. It has an excellent little strip of shops (Deli, baker, greengrocer, fishmonger).

We couldn't afford to buy there though and had to move further out. Ended up in Hither Green which has a similar quiet feel, lovely parks and excellent nurseries and schools. Can walk to Lewisham town centre and Blackheath and Greenwich (as well as ED) not too far away. We love it so far!

[sillywoman]

Claire29 Wrote:

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

> We moved in the last 6 weeks to Sidcup, in a

> rented house buying a house in Bexley. . . . It's

> surbubia but I'm really enjoying it, it's

> peaceful, I'm only 15 min drive to Bluweater,

> train into charing cross takes 25 minutes. For us

> the main reason was bigger house, bigger garden,

> and decent secondary schools, for in the future.

> It's surprising how quickly you adapt.

I would just like to say that whilst I completely understand about how expensive & small property is in ED & how small our gardens are comparative to places further afield, we do actually have excellent primary schools here in ED & we have very good - better than decent - secondary schools 'for in the future' too.

Hoists bosom protectively & dons hard hat.

[Claire29]

sillywoman Wrote:

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

> Claire29 Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > We moved in the last 6 weeks to Sidcup, in a

> > rented house buying a house in Bexley. . . .

> It's

> > surbubia but I'm really enjoying it, it's

> > peaceful, I'm only 15 min drive to Bluweater,

> > train into charing cross takes 25 minutes. For

> us

> > the main reason was bigger house, bigger

> garden,

> > and decent secondary schools, for in the

> future.

> > It's surprising how quickly you adapt.

>

> I would just like to say that whilst I completely

> understand about how expensive & small property is

> in ED & how small our gardens are comparative to

> places further afield, we do actually have

> excellent primary schools here in ED & we have

> very good - better than decent - secondary schools

> 'for in the future' too.

>

> Hoists bosom protectively & dons hard hat.

Hi,

Yes I know the primary schools are good, I took my eldest out of Heber and turned down a place for his brother for September, I've seen first hand how good they are, so wasn't an easy decision. Re secondary schools, having seen how great the demand is for primary schools in the area I think in a few years it will be the same for secondary and even having a good boys school, the new one opp Peckham Rye, living close doesn't guarentee a place. Also I know a lot of people are against grammar schools, which bexley has, but if any of my boys are bright enough to get a place I'd be more than happy for them to go to a school that will keep them on their toes so to speak! I can't afford to send them private, and if they were academic enough for grammar I'd be happy for that. Also there is a good boys school over this way too.

Having grown up in Camberwell I do know what schools are like in London, and like any parent I want the best for my kids, I think everyone has different opinions for the types of schools they want for kids.

As long as the kids are happy = happy parents :)

[dulwichgirl2]

Claire 29, if you can get them into a grammar, good luck to you. They are absolutely the bee's knees and any child going there will be well placed for Oxbridge, given the positive discrimination being practised in favour of state schools. so why don't we move? Well, inertia for one thing. I am not a person who likes moving - some people do! - and stamp duty for another. If you make a mistake, it is a bad one. If I were starting out, where would I buy? The problem is that what you need as a youngster is different from a young mother which is different again from a mother of older children. I think ED followed by my Nunhead idea meets lots of needs. Sw, bosom down dear.

[sillywoman]

Bosom down, but don't call me 'dear' ;)

[dulwichgirl2]

Sorry Sw, wasn't meant negatively - seemed to go with the sentence, that was all. :-)

[ClareC]

We have moved to Kent too, journey into town only 10 mins longer door to door than when we were in ED! And you get a seat......

Bigger house, huge garden and grammar schools.

It's harder to meet people / find the best places to go but once you do make friends everything falls into place very easily.

We love it here, only part of ED I miss is the people.

We have been here 3 months now and I still feel like we are on holiday!

[susyp]

We moved to Kingston, again in order to buy a house rather than a flat. I miss E Dulwich most particularly the community and the forum! But again good schools (don't know anything about E dulwich schools as didn't have a child when I lived there) and we are on the river which is great - I have taken up Dragon Boat Racing which is the only sporting activity I've every done in 38 years so it can't be bad! But doesn't have the same feel as E Dulwich.

Susypx

[Carbonara]

Haven't moved yet. Looking. But rising costs against static income is making life very hard.

ED has access to excellent schools, and schools are different, better, than when we grew up in Camberwell.

I personally wouldn't move to Kent because the grammar system is all very well if you are certain of a place, but it has such a detrimental effect on many of the other schools that the risk is so great. I prefer a genuine comprehensive with a good stream for academic high achievers and a range of options for everyone. Maybe I am wrong - do Kent-bound emigres check the alternatives to the grammars?

Anyway, Kent and Surrey are too far out for us, we want to live in London, and not to replace downsizing savings to higher commuting bills, or have to pay for even more childcare to cover extra commuting time.

[oimissus]

we are struggling with this as for me the biggest stumbling block to moving out further into SE London (which is all we could really afford, and as we know it, it would make sense) is that it puts even more of London between us and family, who are all to the north and north-west of London - it already takes me an hour and a half to get to my mum's in north-west burbs, and that's from Peckham's very good station, and the drive to Birmingham is an epic slog through to the M40. Does anyone else have this problem, and how have you overcome it? We can't possibly afford to move in that direction so I feel we maybe stuck where we are - which isn't so bad - husband can walk or cycle to work and I can get up to sister in Hertfordshire very easily on the train - but the shadow of the Peckham Academy is looming over us . . .

[Claire29]

Hi Carbonara

Yes have researched schools other than grammar and there is a really good state school, Hurstmere, within distance (hopefully!) of where we will live. I will only think about the grammar one's if kids pass 11+, which if they do, great, if they don't more than happy to send them to the other school. My family are based out this way too so that has been a big pull to the area, apart from getting more for money.

[susyp]

Claire29 I lived in Sidcup for 12 years , left about ten years ago after a bad breakup to move as a singleton to E Dulwich! My ex went to and all his family taught at "Chis and Sid" school as they called it - in Sidcup - I was a bit of a militant leftie and never got to grips with it being a grammar school but I know it was very good. Such a small world!

Susypx

[ClareC]

Hi Carbonara,

Yes, looked at all schools not just Grammars. The Comprehensives are good too and have streams as in any other area. Cannot see how selective schooling can have a detrimental effect on the Comprehensives, interested to know how?

We too had the pull of family in Kent, I grew up here myself and from my experience saw the top streams of the comprehensives can and do do as well as the Grammars.

A lad in my class at school had two sisters, he and one sister went to Grammar, the other sister Comprehensive. It was the one at Comprehensive that ended up with straight A's and went on to medical school.

Not all schools are good, just a lot easier to get a place in a good one and you genuinely do have a choice of school :)

[awilliams123]

Um...have moved to Toronto, Canada. Mainly because I'm from here and having family close-ish by is really important to me. I am REALLY missin ED though. Although all the reasons for moving back still stand (family, affordability, schools, lifestyle), our years in ED will remain a 'golden era' in my memory.