Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Seeking advice, moving to area from Australia
Hello
I will moving back to the UK in May. My wife has been offered a job at City Uni (she is a lecturer) and we have elderly family in Herts and Essex. We have 2 children, boys who will be 11 and 12. We are therefore looking for somewhere to settle which will give easy enough access to the university (The Angel, Islington) as well as being affordable enough (I think ~400K would be our range) and having a good state school (hopefully offering music and art as well as science, maths and the other core subjects).
Our problem at the moment is of course that we are the other side of the world and don't know anyone with recent experience of the area. When we do talk to friends in the uk they tend to say, 'Ooh I wouldn't, good luck with that' or similar. We do get the feeling that it might be an area on the up and think it's worth looking at.
So, I would like to ask the readership of this site for their suggestions as to where we may be happy to settle. We are pretty community minded so would be hoping for some good neighbours and some community activities that kind of thing.
Over to you.
Russell
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mel T on
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We live on one of the lower ladder roads, 5 mins walk from Harringay station. Direct trains to old street only take 11 mins and it would be a 10 min fast walk to the university from there. We've been here 2 years and it's the quietest place we have lived, with nice friendly neighbours, good restaurants (especially if you like Turkish) and great transport links. Prices shoot up when you cross over the railway bridge into Stroud green but properties in ladder roads still feel fairly affordable. I would definitely recommend this area!b
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Permalink Reply by Alison P on
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Hi Russell
Loads of good advice already.
The only things I'd add is to have a look at other discussions on here about secondary schools - there was one before Christmas I remember that talked about Park View, Grieg etc. I think Heartlands has a small catchment area - I don't think many people on the ladder would get in there (certainly not the southern end). And Park View just posted recently about their great Ofsted.
There is another secondary school called Skinners that is very near Manor House that I know some people are keen on - its in Hackney but as I understand it they take kids from Haringey. They have an exam which they use to band children and then select a set proportion from each ability band.
I'm on the ladder and work very near City Uni. I don't know if your wife is interested in cycling but is only 35 (leisurely!) minutes on a bike - I've quite a nice route through Finsbury Park and then the back streets of Islington.
Good luck - hope you end up somewhere near!
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Permalink Reply by GillianM on
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Hi Russell- definitely go for Harringay - you won't be disappointed! I don't know too much about secondaries I'm afraid though I believe they are "on the up". I think you'll find some posts from the head of Park View on this site recently - I think they have just had a good ofsted!
Id'd reiterate what Liza said about N15 - east of green lanes, north of the salisbury / st ann's road. You can get houses under £400k a few minutes walk from green lanes that way.
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Permalink Reply by Abi on
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All of this, but just wanted to do my bit for the bit of N15 east of green lanes and SOUTH of the Salisbury. The set of roads where I live bordering Vartry Road are becoming very popular with young families and is about the best value for money you'll get in London, anywhere. It's within the reach of zone 2, yet we managed to buy a 3-bed with garden space for a shade under £250k which meant we did not even have to pay stamp duty! I have spoken to people who sincerely believe it's impossible to buy any property in London for below that price so did not even bother to try. The homes are mainly Edwardian maisonettes - some that could do with some serious repair, others that have been done up and restored beautifully and many in between.
Please don't think this is because it's 'rough' - I think it's more because it's a little bit dead in terms of shopping amenities, but frankly we are close enough to Green Lanes and other shopping hubs that it doesn't matter unless you're not very mobile. We have an active residents group, and neighbours are very friendly, mostly professional types, lots of creatives (actors, journos, Telly people etc and YES, quite a few Aussies!) LOADS of young kids (we're the last of the youngish couples in the road not to have a baby, fingers crossed etc) and a real sense of community. The majority of our neighbours drive so I don't think they notice the lack of excitement on the doorstep. We don't, and being childless I do admit we miss having bars and cafes very nearby - but the Harringay pubs are a 15 minute walk away and you can also get to the bright lights of Hackney, Stokey or Islington (not to mention town) in about half an hour.
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Thank you for that, it sounds great. I like to think we're young too although we are fifty-ish, but fifty is the new thirty anyway isn't it!
Thanks again, hope to be seeing you later in the year!
And I have to say thanks to you all for being so helpful, this web community is awesome, I don't know of anything like this over here.
Russell
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Hi Russell,
I live near the Salisbury pub mentioned above, & I teach in nextdoor borough Hackney's Stoke Newington School & Sixth Form which has great Art & Music. It's a great part of London - go for it. There have been very positive reports for a couple of the neighbourhood schools recently, some new schools established & like others I have the impression the education in this area is on the up. I don't know what Park View's strengths are & I would advise you to get in touch with your probables directly as soon as possible to find out about curriculum but also waiting lists & catchment area - but if you have more general questions feel free to send them my way. If I were doing it I'd be anxious about moving kids at 11 & 12 - have they already got friends here or have you thought about setting up a buddy exchange via facebook to ask questions etc & maybe hopefully make a friend before they come? I could set this up. Or you could wait until you know which school...
Good luck with the whole massive adventure!
Jennifer
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Good advice, thanks Jennifer. No we don't know anyone locally so just trusting that they will pickup friends as they go and of course we don't know exactly where we are going. I will make a list of the places we fancy though and contact them. A bit north of you I know but Alexandra Park school looks good, and it seems that there are a few other schools with good or outstanding ofsted reports around, of course we can't tell everything from ofsted but from over here we haven't got much else. And the neighbourhood does need to be some where we can both afford and like the feel of.
Anyway thanks again, will likely be in touch in the future.
Russell
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Ali Pali (Alexandra Palace) is a great area & a regular weekend destination for us. If you can find something in budget in Ali Park you might have found your answer. From our house hunt 2 1/2 years ago I think that houses move quickly in that area and prices are higher because of the school being popular. OFSTED reports are a good starting point as you say, for making your schools shortlist, and then (I know, I'm repeating myself) getting in touch with the school to find out the waiting list is important too.
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