The Top 10 Best Places To Live In London For Families
- October 3, 2022
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Where Are The Best Places To Live In London For Families?
London Is Full Of Many Wonderful Places To Live. But Which Are The Best London Neighbourhoods For Families Thinking Of Moving To The City?
In this article, we are going to discuss :
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London is comfortably, one of the most incredible cities in the world to live in although, it might not be the first place you would pack up and move your loved ones to. Family holidays in London are one thing but a more permanent move is a very different prospect.
The unfortunate association between big cities like London with noise, overcrowding and increased pollution, may put many families off the idea of moving entirely. So does this mean there are no recommendations for the best places to live in London for families? Far from it.
London has a lot to offer a family moving here, from the incredible selection of neighbourhoods to call home, to a fantastic selection of schools to send the kids to and of course, incredible employment opportunities! London is a cultural powerhouse, a city filled with art, music, food and sport!
Moving to London will have its challenges but, perhaps the biggest of them all is picking the right neighbourhood to settle into as a family. At Flex Living, we have placed thousands of families into fantastic furnished apartments in London. With our knowledge and experience, we’ve put together this list of all the best neighbourhoods that we consider the perfect place to find a new home in London, as a family.
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Is London A Good Place To Live For Families?
London is very much a city which many fall in love with after moving. A city like London has a lot, and we do mean a lot, to offer to anyone who moves there and families, are no exception. But it does very much depend on what area you pick to live in as this has a huge impact on not only your accommodation options but also, commuting to work, school places and much, much more. With the presence of some outstanding and diverse schools, an amazing recruitment pool to offer the very best jobs in the country, not to mention some truly outstanding and iconic neighbourhoods to call home-why shouldn’t London be an incredible place to live for a family?
At Flex Living, we’ve worked with thousands of tenants for long-term monthly rentals in London.
We know that there are potential challenges to face, especially trying to decide where to live with your family but, London is a great place to live for everyone, with plenty of safe and amazing neighbourhoods for families to move to!
So, the question is then, where are the best areas to live in London for families?
Where Are The Best Places To Live In London For Families?
We are aware that answering this question does come down to a matter of personal preference but, our list is made considering several factors such as green spaces, schools and house prices, for our selections in this list.
Some suggestions might raise a few eyebrows and some you might find yourself silently nodding in agreement with. We’re here to talk about options and there are a lot of incredible options for living in London as a family.
Before you carry on reading, if you’re first concern is finding a safe place to live with your family, you can read our article on the safest areas in London you can move to.
Here are our top 10 choices for the best places to live in London for families.
10) Wimbledon
Wimbledon is a historic neighbourhood in South London. Most recognisable as the home of the major tennis tournament held at the All England Tennis Club each summer which shares its name. Wimbledon is internationally recognised for tennis but how does it rank for families living in the area?
The popular children’s characters, The Wombles, were created as the imaginary inhabitants of Wimbledon Common. Whilst you won’t see these furry characters walking around, Wimbledon Common is one of many fantastic green spaces in the area for families to make use of, with several excellent play parks for younger children and, even some open-air, wild swimming spots for when it’s hot in the summer!
Schools in Wimbledon and the surrounding area are fantastic, with plenty of options for children of all ages, including private and state-funded schools. Transport links are good, with plenty of connections available by rail into the centre of London, as well as other parts of the city. There are plenty of options for shopping locally in the historic centre of Wimbledon and access to amenities and services locally such as hospitals, is fantastic.
Wimbledon is considered one of the safest areas to live in South London and is one of the best London suburbs for families to consider moving to. You can find more information about living in Wimbledon, including crime statistics for the surrounding area, on the local government authority metron
9) Islington
A not too unexpected pick for our top 10, North London facing Islington is an underrated area to live in for families, with plenty of selling points to justify moving there. With a real blend of property types and neighbourhoods, the Islington area can cater to families of all shapes and sizes, with some truly amazing homes to live in!
Islington is one of the best places to live in North London for families. There is a really good pool of both primary and secondary schools to potentially send the kids to in the area, as well as fairly easy access to both the central city and, other parts of London.
Islington is famous for its many green neighbourhoods and community gardening projects are very popular pastimes in this part of London!
Islington is a diverse and multi-cultural place to live with its fair share of art and attractions. Theatre and other performing arts are particularly popular in the area, as well as gastronomy, with many fantastic restaurants to dine in locally. Shopping for amenities is fantastic thanks to the many independent boutique stores in Islington.
Islington represents one of the quirkiest places to live on our list but, it’s easily one of the best areas to live in London for families, so why not try living there? You can find out more about living in Islington, including applying for schools and parking permits, on the local government website
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8) Hampstead
Hampstead is one of the loveliest parts of North London to live in. It’s very hard to escape the presence of nature, as the ancient heartland of Hampstead Heath offers such a comfortable and quiet retreat from the busy inner city. There are some fantastic homes to find for a family in this wonderful part of London and due to its distance from the city centre, there are plenty of options for renting a property.
Hampstead may be slightly further away from Central London but the distance is far from unmanageable.
The Northern Line provides a reasonably fast connection to the center of London, whilst overground services are good for connecting to other parts of North, West and East London.
Options for schools in the area are very good. There is a great mix across North London between private and state schools, with several highly rated schools found close to Hampstead. Living locally as we suggested earlier, is great for those who want to get out in nature, with the option to easily explore other areas of North London like Waltham Forest and beyond.
Hampstead is very relaxed and easily, one of the best places to live in North London for families. You can find out more information about living in Hampstead and the surrounding area on the local government authority’s website
7) Notting Hill
It always amazes us how many people forget about living in Notting Hill. It has earned love from many fans of 90s romcoms, as well as those who attend its signature carnival. Notting Hill remains is an excellent place to live for just about everyone with so much to offer.
There is an amazing atmosphere and sense of community dotted around the tree-lined streets and beautiful boutique stores on the high street and lanes. Property prices may not be on the more affordable side, but there are more than enough options in the area to cater to all comers, especially families looking for larger properties to live in.
Notting Hill is great for its proximity to the city centre as well as some of the best schools in West London. Living here offers both an incredible opportunity to connect in a very liveable part of London and also, a chance to live somewhere a little bit quieter if you so desire. With beautiful green spaces like Kensington and Holland Park nearby, as well as access to the museums and theatres of West London, it has everything to keep the family entertained throughout living here!
Notting Hill is a fantastic area to move to in West London with the family. To find out more about what it’s like living in the area, including waiting places for state schools and parking permits, on the local government authority rbkc
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6) St John’s Wood
The area around the Limehouse basin and St.Katherine’s Dock is popular on Halloween for ghost tours and tales of the infamous London bogeyman, Jack The Ripper. The wharf area and this part of the River Thames are some of the most picturesque and desirable places to live in the city.
There are some exceptional properties to live in along the river with incredible views of the London sideline. But what stands out about living in this part of London is the quiet side streets and beautifully converted warehouses, which now contain more luxury apartments than luxury goods! With plenty of options for homes, the area is perfect for a family although, prices can become quite expensive at some of the waterfront properties!
There are great transport links to both the city centre and East London, which makes connecting to work and to schools, very easy. There are some fantastic local primary schools nearby, as well as options for prestigious private schools in the financial centre of the City Of London. The local restaurant scene is fantastic, with pubs like the Dickens Inn dating back more than 400 years, as well as plenty of modern options by chefs like Gordon Ramsey.
Living in Limehouse and St. Katherine’s is one of the safest areas to live in East London. To find out more about living in this amazing part of East London, visit the local government authority website, where you can find more information.
5) Greenwich
If you’re a parent who’s leaning towards education as the priority in where you decide to live with your family, maybe you’d like to look into the number of schools in Greenwich that Ofsted has given their highest rating to. Spoiler alert: it’s a lot (50+ pending the latest report release!).
With stunning river views, no shortage of lush parks and green spaces, as well as a great variety of properties, it’s no wonder Greenwich is such a lovely place to live.
Homes by the riverside and especially up towards Blackheath are particularly charming for this part of the city. Properties are fantastic and slightly more affordable to live in than other picturesque parts of London – which is always helpful for moving to a city this expensive!
The only slight snag is the commute into the centre. It’s not the longest journey in the world with the brand new Elizabeth Line but, sometimes your commute may still be a little longer than you might like it to be, depending on where it is you end up working in London of course.
Greenwich is very beautiful and is one of the best London suburbs for families to consider moving to. You can learn more about local statistics and other useful information on the local government authority police website
4) Limehouse/St.Katherine’s Dock
The area around the Limehouse basin and St.Katherine’s Dock is popular on Halloween for ghost tours and tales of the infamous London bogeyman, Jack The Ripper. The wharf area and this part of the River Thames are some of the most picturesque and desirable places to live in the city.
There are some exceptional properties to live in along the river with incredible views of the London sideline. But what stands out about living in this part of London is the quiet side streets and beautifully converted warehouses, which now contain more luxury apartments than luxury goods! With plenty of options for homes, the area is perfect for a family although, prices can become quite expensive at some of the waterfront properties!
There are great transport links to both the city centre and East London, which makes connecting to work and to schools, very easy. There are some fantastic local primary schools nearby, as well as options for prestigious private schools in the financial centre of the City Of London. The local restaurant scene is fantastic, with pubs like the Dickens Inn dating back more than 400 years, as well as plenty of modern options by chefs like Gordon Ramsey.
Living in Limehouse and St. Katherine’s is one of the safest areas to live in East London. To find out more about living in this amazing part of East London, visit the local government authority website, where you can find more information.
3) Kensington & Chelsea
Yes, this is the most expensive area to live on the list but, how could we not recommend living in this incredible part of West London? You will struggle to find a nicer area anywhere central and by nice what we mean is – outstandingly beautiful. The properties in Kensington and Chelsea are amongst some of the best homes you’ll find anywhere in the world, let alone in London.
It won’t come as much of a surprise that you will find some of the best options for schooling and commuting in the city living in this neighbourhood. The area is not all glitz and glamour. Whilst Kensington and Chelsea have an undeniable reputation for luxury property and amenities (see Kensington Highstreet, home of Harrods Department store and many beautiful museums), as well as some truly exquisite options for dining.
But there is another side to this area. The quiet around certain streets and squares (particularly close to Sloane Square) is a huge part of the appeal of living in this area. If you want to feel at home but not feel you’re constantly a part of the big city, then living in Kensington and Chelsea can very much provide that option for families (at a higher price of course).
Kensington and Chelsea are two of the best places to live in West London for families. To find out more about living in the area, including how to successfully park your car on the street without being fined each week, visit the local government authority website for more helpful information about living in the area.
2) Fulham
Why did we pick Fulham for the number 2 spot over our last entry? Because we believe it offers very much the same things as Chelsea and Kensington but, at a more affordable price (even if only slightly in some cases), enabling you to reap very similar benefits to living in Chelsea and Kensington. The fact that Fulham borders both areas is only further proof of our argument!
The area around Fulham could potentially be considered more lively but, also offers a fair amount of shelter from the more central parts of London, providing amazing living spaces for families.
Properties are fantastic, ranging from beautiful terraced homes on leafy green streets, to stunning riverside properties.
There is no shortage of good school options, some of which rival even areas like Kensington and Chelsea (and we aren’t just referring to elite private schools) and transport links to more central areas of the city are strong, if not quite as good as other areas of West London. Shopping locally on Fulham Broadway is great, with plenty of variety and the same applies to the local restaurant scene, without the same cost as Kensington Highstreet!
Fulham is one of the best places to live in West London for families although issues like parking and trying to find places at local state schools may still apply. To find out more about these areas as well as others, have a look at the local government authority’s website, for more information.
Like The Idea of Living in Fulham?
1) Richmond
Richmond can be found at the top of many people’s lists for the best areas to live in London and it comfortably tops ours for the best places to live in London for families. Yes, it might be the furthest away from the city centre on this list but, the transport options are more than enough to make living here feasible and if not, just look at where you’re living!
River properties are in abundance, parks are plentiful (Richmond Park is the largest in London with a colony of more than 300 deer living there!) and there are more than enough outstanding schools nearby to send the kids off to. Richmond has its unique feel and sense of community to it. Living in Richmond is distinctly London Esq but, life happens a lot slower down by the river and arguably, that is all the more reason why it is perfect for raising a family there.
The town centre is perfect and covers all the needs for amenities with both local and high street stores, fantastic independent pubs, ice cream parlours and restaurants, as well as a delightful selection of riverside walks and water activities to take the family on when it’s the weekend.
Richmond is one of the best London suburbs for families to consider moving to, very safe for families, with plenty of options for schools and many beautiful homes. You can find out more information about all of this and more on the local government authority website.
Helping You Move To London
Are you looking to move your family into the grand old city of London in the future? If you want to read more about living here, then why not check out some of our other articles on our blog, including a fantastic selection of area guides of London, the best options for schools by area, as well as articles on moving to London.
If you’re stuck with options for short term rentals in London then we would love to help. Get in touch with us today, and let’s see if we can make you and your family’s dream move to London happen!