Moving to East Dulwich - advice

[benschiffer]

Hello,

Firstly... Merry Christmas!

Secondly... I'm not quite sure what sort of response this is going to get but I'll give it a whirl anyway. My wife and I are thinking of moving to ED soon. We had a little boy 4 and a half months ago, currently live in Myatts Field in Camberwell. We're pretty happy in the area but are upstairs neighbours are a complete nightmare, so are hoping to buy our first house.

I'm convinced East Dulwich is the place to be. I love Lordship Lane. Peckham Rye's close for dog walks. The biggest selling point seems to be schools. There are threads on this forum worrying about which of the four amazing Primary Schools people should send their kids too.

The only drawback I can see is transport... but for context, neither my wife nor I are commuters. We go into Central London on average once or twice a week but very rarely at rush hour. I've seen threads complaining about the transport but my sense is that if I'm not trying to get to an office at 9am, it'll probably be alright?

I'm kind of presuming anyone hanging around on the ED Forum is going to be pretty pro but... I'm just putting it out there. Is ED really the best place in the world? Or should we move to Kensal Rise or Walthamstow instead?

Thank you for bearing with me and... again... Happy Christmas.

Ben

[KidKruger]

ED is nowhere near the best place in the world, but if you gotta live in London you could do worse.

Obvious question is - if you only need to go into town once or twice a week and not during rush hour WHY choose ED, when you could be further out, have more space/bigger house and possibly better quality of life ?!

[NewWave]

KidKruger Wrote:

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> ED is nowhere near the best place in the world,

> but if you gotta live in London you could do

> worse.

> Obvious question is - if you only need to go into

> town once or twice a week and not during rush hour

> WHY choose ED, when you could be further out, have

> more space/bigger house and possibly better

> quality of life ?!

I tend to agree with the above.

Unless you have lots of friends in the area I'd probably move further out To Bromley or somewhere like that and get more for my money.

As regards Moving to Kensal Rise I lived in Kensal green for many years and ED is definitely way nicer the busses are better in Kensal rise but trains are better in ED and I think quality of life and neighbourhood too (I still visit KR regularly due to friends living in Queens Park and KR).

Walthamstow I can't comment on I'm afraid.

[singalto]

I have lived in ED for 26 years and don?t think public transport is at all bad. Denmark Hill station is close and gets youto lots of places and the buses are pretty good.

[scarlettbanks]

Also consider the Bellenden Rd area - in Peckham but close to East dulwich. Nice shopping street (smaller, less busy than Lordship Lane), better commute to central London (Peckham Rye station), near trendy bits of Peckham and good restaurants etc. Our kids go to The Belham Primary and love it. Price probably similar to ED these days, or slightly less.

[Pugwash]

Can you afford ED house prices? Most terraced 2 bed houses are in the ?800K area?

bus transport links are good and you have a selection of stations to choose from . if you only commute a couple of times a week try Orpington area where you get more for your money.

having lived in ED all my life with the exception of about 4 years in Forest Hill of which a year was spent staying several months in Wimbledon, Maidenhead and Charlton for work purposes. I am happy to spend the rest of my days in this area

[Yeslovewhatcanigetu]

The transport in ED is fine, even at rush hour. I think it?s a great place to live.

[philosophie]

I have lived in East Dulwich for nearly ten years and absolutely love it: amazing parks, community, shops and cafes... If I could buy a house and live here forever, I would. The transport really isn't that bad (although buses at rush hour can be testing!), especially if you're like me and hate catching the tube anyway! The only thing I'd change is the pollution, but that's a London-wide issue....

[Seabag]

You?ll enjoy ED, it has a bit more of a family/ community feel. Walking in the area with children, and local shopping is pretty good.

I?ve been in South London for about 25 years, and although I?ve a house in Sydenham, ED feels like home. I?ve considered moving elsewhere, but ED is the place I?ve come back to live in again.

Have fun, it?s nice mostly.

[DulwichFox]

Have lived in East Dulwich 39 years and previously in Peckham for 28 years.

Bought my first property in E.D. back in 1980 for ?16,000 (?9,000 in 1979)

Prices have gone up since. Keep going up.

Bought my current house in 1996 for ?88,000 When it was built in 1887 it would of cost ?70. Seventy pounds

Rent was ?5.00 (Five) per year.

DulwichFox

[geh]

lived here for near on 20 years. can't move, too good

[benschiffer]

Thanks so much for all your responses. I didn't really expect much, so this is great.

[benschiffer]

KidKruger Wrote:

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

> ED is nowhere near the best place in the world,

> but if you gotta live in London you could do

> worse.

> Obvious question is - if you only need to go into

> town once or twice a week and not during rush hour

> WHY choose ED, when you could be further out, have

> more space/bigger house and possibly better

> quality of life ?!

This makes total sense... but the truth is, I've lived in London basically all my life. I've never been more than about 15 minutes walk from a Tube Station. Even ED feels a bit far out for me... so I don't think I'm ready for the proper suburbs!

[benschiffer]

scarlettbanks Wrote:

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

> Also consider the Bellenden Rd area - in Peckham

> but close to East dulwich. Nice shopping street

> (smaller, less busy than Lordship Lane), better

> commute to central London (Peckham Rye station),

> near trendy bits of Peckham and good restaurants

> etc. Our kids go to The Belham Primary and love

> it. Price probably similar to ED these days, or

> slightly less.

I love Bellenden Road but had missed Belham Primary somehow. It looks great though, so we'll definitely consider this. Thanks!

[yeknomyeknom]

We?ve lived here 12 years and started our family here in ED. We have lived in 3 flats/houses. If you can get yourself in East Dulwich bordering Peckham you get the best of both worlds. Slightly cheaper property prices. Grown up meals out in Lordship Lane and youthful, vibey Peckham High Street for when you feel like a cool pop up or something more experimental. East Dulwich schools and Peckham Rye?s great train links to an awful lot of places. ED Fancy shops for gifts and fashion etc and then Iceland and McDonalds in Peckham for when you feel less flush. Picturehouse cinema in ED for the arthouse films and Peckhamplex for the mainstream ones and super cheap tickets. Peckham Rye Park and playgrounds bordering on both which gets a traditional funfair, steam fair and circus visiting annually. Also, with a kid you get nearby Dulwich Park, Dulwich gallery and Horniman museum with its annual kids exhibition (dinosaurs, colours etc) and aquarium, soft play at Peckham Pools. Good libraries in both locations, both with bespoke, closed off kids areas so they don?t have to be too quiet.

[fishbiscuits]

A good point has been made - why stay in London if you don't need to commute.

Somewhere like Bromley might seem appealing with larger/cheaper housing available, major high street and shopping mall. But it's quite characterless and chain-oriented, you'll get a better eating/drinking scene in ED, Peckham, Camberwell (although depends on tastes I suppose). And the mix of people is quite different - more skewed towards the typical Suburban, middle class, Tory voting type (I know that sounds extremely snobbish, but it really is true). Here, your kids will grow up in a more diverse and liberal environment. Of course the downside to that is inner city social problems.

Going into Central London is relatively easy from round here. The trains aren't perfect, but taxis/cabs home are affordable and cycling is a realistic option.

I've been to Walthamstow a few times, and I don't really understand why people rave about it. It just seems a bit... shit. But maybe it's like Peckham, in that it is scruffy on the surface but with hidden gems... who knows!

[scarlettbanks]

benschiffer Wrote:

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

>

> I love Bellenden Road but had missed Belham

> Primary somehow. It looks great though, so we'll

> definitely consider this. Thanks!

Yes, we had originally missed it too, perhaps because it's newer than some (in its 6th year now) and away from Lordship Lane, but it was our favourite of the primary schools we visited. Our kids attend now, and it has fantastic leadership and teachers, it manages to be both fun/arty/nurturing and academically stimulating, and the kids seem very happy.

Bellenden Rd and the surrounding streets have a lovely feel to them - we prefer vs Lordship Lane - although I can see why others like LL. Also, there are certain streets which seem close enough to get admission to both The Belham and then Charter ED for secondary school.

[fayebarrett]

I have lived in ED for about 5 years now and absolutely love it. I had the same worry about transport when we moved here but

1) it?s really not that bad - bear in mind there?s Denmark hill, forest hill and East Dulwich.

2) I quite like not being on the tube line- people don?t come for a ??night out?? so it?s mainly locals around town at the weekends.

It had a really lovely community feel with lots of independent shops. If you have a little one then the parks are awesome too!

The fact you?re already on the ED forum probably shows you?re keen to be part of a community. So it?s sounds like ED is for you!

Good luck !

[benschiffer]

scarlettbanks Wrote:

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

> benschiffer Wrote:

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

> -----

> >

> > I love Bellenden Road but had missed Belham

> > Primary somehow. It looks great though, so

> we'll

> > definitely consider this. Thanks!

>

>

> Yes, we had originally missed it too, perhaps

> because it's newer than some (in its 6th year now)

> and away from Lordship Lane, but it was our

> favourite of the primary schools we visited. Our

> kids attend now, and it has fantastic leadership

> and teachers, it manages to be both

> fun/arty/nurturing and academically stimulating,

> and the kids seem very happy.

>

> Bellenden Rd and the surrounding streets have a

> lovely feel to them - we prefer vs Lordship Lane -

> although I can see why others like LL. Also, there

> are certain streets which seem close enough to get

> admission to both The Belham and then Charter ED

> for secondary school.

I just looked up Charter ED. Also looks really interesting. This message board is basically sorting out our kids education! If you can be bothered, I?d love to know what streets you recommend we target...

[Coach Beth]

Do bear in mind that as your baby is now just under 5 months old, that you will find a schools reputation can change between now and then. But as you say in your first post there are many great schools in East Dulwich - also near Bellenden Road, you have St.Johns & St. Clements, Goose Green Primary (had some problems but under leadership of Simon Wattam, the school has improved dramatically and Bellenden School (not The Belham but another state school very near). You also will find you form your own options as you do the inevitable school tours in a few years.

[benschiffer]

Coach Beth Wrote:

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

> Do bear in mind that as your baby is now just

> under 5 months old, that you will find a schools

> reputation can change between now and then. But

> as you say in your first post there are many great

> schools in East Dulwich - also near Bellenden

> Road, you have St.Johns & St. Clements, Goose

> Green Primary (had some problems but under

> leadership of Simon Wattam, the school has

> improved dramatically and Bellenden School (not

> The Belham but another state school very near).

> You also will find you form your own options as

> you do the inevitable school tours in a few years.

This is a great point... it?s obviously a bit mad to be thinking of schools so early but I guess that?s just part of living in London? It does seem like ED gives us a good chance of finding (and getting into) a school we like in 4/5 years time...

[scarlettbanks]

I agree with the above posts - lots of good schools around here, and I've heard very good things about SJSC, Goose Green, and the others in ED. It might seem crazy to think about schools with a 5-month old, but if you're hoping to stay in this house for >4 years, then it's the location of the house which will determine which schools you'll be able to get into. And if you're hoping to stay in this house >10 years, then you'll want the house to be near both a primary school and a secondary school that you might like (with the risk, as others have said, that you may not like the school in the future).

Re targeting streets which will get you into your fav schools - it's tricky - try to find out the 'longest distance for admission' in previous years - this forum is a good source of this info, especially posts by Renata - and also the Southwark website (only gives details for some schools). Then 'draw circles' on Google Maps using these radius. This won't guarantee you admission obviously, since distances can change year-to-year, although if you are comfortably closer you will be fine.

[singalto]

There are also other excellent schools such as Heber and Goodrich. We have a cinema which even has showings for babies lots of restaurants and pubs. There are many young families here. I love living here.

[owlwise]

Try Sydenham! Trains take you direct to London Bridge or the Overground to Islington. Great shops and community. Big Sainsburys in Bell Green, Crystal Palace Park and Sydenham Wells Park 10 mins walk away. I've lived in Sydenham for 16 years and love it here.

[AlanParsons]

My grandfather went to Heber in the 1890s as a very young lad. Some time later - in 1913 - he emigrated to Canada. Nice to see that the school still enjoys a good reputation. From Brighton, Ontario.