Tell me all I need to know about living in London

[UnderProtest]

So my husband, my 2.5 year old boy/girl twins and I moved to London officially last week.  Please tell me anything and everything I need to know about living in London with small children. No detail is too small!  I can't even figure out the radiators/floor heating or locks in this place.  I need all the advice I can get!!!  Thanks!

[loira]

Welcome! Are you settled in your own flat, or are you still in temporary accommodation? Is your heating electric, or do you have a gas boiler? If you have heated floors then I am supremely jealous.

I'm still pregnant with our first, so no help to you regarding small children - though I have found the price of childcare in London to generally be astronomical so maybe prepare yourself for that if you both work. However, there is a lot of adult and kid-friendly stuff to do that's totally free (museums, parks etc). I think there are one or two other posters on here who live in London and have kids, so maybe they'll be more help.

I guess for now, maybe focus on the basic things like setting up a bank account, getting your grocery staples, exploring your neighbourhood, figuring out the bus routes. Feel free to pm me anytime if you have any questions.

[UnderProtest]

Mar 3, 2014 7:42:39 GMT -5 loira said:

Welcome! Are you settled in your own flat, or are you still in temporary accommodation? Is your heating electric, or do you have a gas boiler? If you have heated floors then I am supremely jealous.

I'm still pregnant with our first, so no help to you regarding small children - though I have found the price of childcare in London to generally be astronomical so maybe prepare yourself for that if you both work. However, there is a lot of adult and kid-friendly stuff to do that's totally free (museums, parks etc). I think there are one or two other posters on here who live in London and have kids, so maybe they'll be more help.

I guess for now, maybe focus on the basic things like setting up a bank account, getting your grocery staples, exploring your neighbourhood, figuring out the bus routes. Feel free to pm me anytime if you have any questions.

Thanks!  We are in our own house already. We did a house hunting trip and found our place and were able to secure it then. It is a five level attached house.  I'm not sure how I let my husband convince me that five levels was a good idea with toddlers. I believe it is electric, but I really don't know. The boiler appears to be in the basement (with the kitchen, family room and heated floors). The rest of the house has radiators. I think we have figured out the radiators, but the boiler is still too foreign for us. We have the floors set down to 10C and it's still hot down there. 

I was a sahm in the US and will continue to be one here. Will you work once you have your child? I'm interested to see the mix of dual income/ sahms.

My husband came over a couple weeks ago so I made him in charge of setting up the utilities, internet and bank accounts. He hasn't had much patience for any of it, but it is mostly set up. I went to the grocery store with the two kids today. Uhmm, apparently my daughter doesn't like this whole walking thing, so I might have to wait until their stroller arrives with our sea shipment to do much exploring.

Any ideas of good things to do with toddlers?  We are close to Victoria train station so I'd love to know anything close.  

[dublin]

I'm in London and have a 3 year old and almost 18 month old. I'll try to think of some key points.

These relate to transport:

• Buggy: sounds like you are waiting for your buggy to arrive, but as London requires a lot of walking you may want to buy a used one in the meantime (gumtree is a good source). I have a Phil n Teds double buggy (it's a tandem one) they are the most popular double buggy around because you can fit through shops and doorways much easier than a side-by-side
• Taxis: you don't need car seats for taxis and if you get a Black Cab (traditional London cab) you can just roll the buggy right in
• Buses: buses usually only have space for 2 buggies so if there are already 2 buggies onboard they won't let you board, and for some styles of buses you have to board via the middle doors (but ask the driver when you get on if you need to board in the middle, thus avoiding getting stuck halfway down the aisle!)
• Tube: only a handful of tube stations have elevators which is a huge pain if you need a buggy (otherwise you can take the buggy on the escalator but you can't do this with a double buggy); you can check on journey planner to select 'step-free' routes.

Nursery:
Pre-school (called 'Nursery' here; it gets confusing because Daycare is also called Nursery sometimes) starts when kids are 3. The school year starts in September so if your kids turn 3 by Sept 1st they can start Nursery at the local school (however that is only if there is space and you have to apply, check your local council website: if you are near Victoria I am assuming your are in Westminster Council so check out their website regarding schooling). With nursery/pre-school you can also attend a private (fee-paying) nursery/pre-school and the government will help subsidise it (basically you get 15 free hours, but it's up to the nursery how they do that so mostly you just get offered a reduced rate, but it helps).
Normal school (the first year is call reception) starts when they are 4 years old; and like anywhere you can go public or private. If you want to go private you'll need to start looking at schools and getting them on waiting lists now (yes even though they are only 2.5).

You should probably get registered with your local GP. Even if you have private insurance many of them still require that you go to the NHS GP first before receiving any treatment privately.

Regarding things to do; the Natural History Museum and Science Museum are not far from you in South Kensington and are free. The Princess Diana Memorial Playground in the NW corner of Hyde Park is fun. The Aquarium next to the London Eye is good at this age, you might even want to consider an annual membership (it pays for itself if you go more than twice), and in general that whole Southbank area near the aquarium is good for the kids. Also on the other side of the river in Battersea Park is a Children's Zoo that had a lot of playground areas (and the playground in the park itself if nice).

Hope this helps.

 

[mrsukyankee]

Welcome to London. I live here but don't have kids so not able to give you any help with that. Each person's heating seems to be a bit different, but you can turn off the radiators at the source, so if a room is too hot, turn it down!

[UnderProtest]

Mar 3, 2014 14:24:27 GMT -5 mrsukyankee said:

Welcome to London. I live here but don't have kids so not able to give you any help with that. Each person's heating seems to be a bit different, but you can turn off the radiators at the source, so if a room is too hot, turn it down!

Omg, I wish it was this easy. I think I can handle that much. It's something to do with the stupid heated floors in the basement. Normal room temperature should be about 21 degrees Celsius. We have it turned down to 7 and it is still too hot. We have to open the back door in order to stand being in the room (somewhat important since it's the kitchen and family room). And the property managers are less than helpful so far. 

[UnderProtest]

dublin

Our buggy should arrive on Friday, so I think I can wait that out. We have a baby jogger city select which is a tandem stroller so I hope we can use it somewhat. We even went to Mothercare on Saturday night to see if there were other options available here that would work better. It looks like we are out of luck with the tube stations.

As for nursery/preschool.....my kids turn three in October so they will miss the cut off in 2014. Are there any pre-nursery programs? In the US, preschools around me started early and my kids were enrolled in the fall (started in September while they were 11 months old). I am not working so I don't need daycare, but I enjoyed the break and they enjoyed the socialization and activities.

What do you need to do to register with a GP? Do you get to pick a particular doctor or pediatrician? We will have private insurance but are completely clueless about everything medical related here.

Thanks for the recommendations on children's activities! What area are you in?

[mrsukyankee]

UnderProtest - that doesn't sound right at all (are there any other means to deal with the temp such as a different control panel, possibly?). I'd suggest getting in touch with your local citizen's advice bureau. They can help you with fighting your property managers...or perhaps tell your PMs that you are going to go seek legal advice as it's unliveable. And use your best American angry voice - they seem to fear Americans sometimes as they think we're sue happy.
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/

[UnderProtest]

Mar 3, 2014 16:32:05 GMT -5 mrsukyankee said:

UnderProtest - that doesn't sound right at all (are there any other means to deal with the temp such as a different control panel, possibly?). I'd suggest getting in touch with your local citizen's advice bureau. They can help you with fighting your property managers...or perhaps tell your PMs that you are going to go seek legal advice as it's unliveable. And use your best American angry voice - they seem to fear Americans sometimes as they think we're sue happy.
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/

There are four, count them, four fucking thermostats in the basement. It has to be a combination of at least two because there is no way that seven degrees should be too hot. I have only been here since Thursday so I'm willing to spend a little time trying to work it out. The property manager was so kind to send me a PDF of one of the manuals (that was already in the house). I escalated it to the letting agent but I used the nice southern passive aggressive threats about that room being the reason we let the place and it needs to be tolerable.  We will see if he responds. I hate being the stupid American, but radiators really?  There isn't a more efficient and easier way to heat a home???

[dublin]

Mar 3, 2014 16:05:21 GMT -5 UnderProtest said:

dublin

Our buggy should arrive on Friday, so I think I can wait that out. We have a baby jogger city select which is a tandem stroller so I hope we can use it somewhat. We even went to Mothercare on Saturday night to see if there were other options available here that would work better. It looks like we are out of luck with the tube stations.

As for nursery/preschool.....my kids turn three in October so they will miss the cut off in 2014. Are there any pre-nursery programs? In the US, preschools around me started early and my kids were enrolled in the fall (started in September while they were 11 months old). I am not working so I don't need daycare, but I enjoyed the break and they enjoyed the socialization and activities.

What do you need to do to register with a GP? Do you get to pick a particular doctor or pediatrician? We will have private insurance but are completely clueless about everything medical related here.

Thanks for the recommendations on children's activities! What area are you in?

Yes, private (fee-paying) nurseries/pre-schools will take them at this age. There's a mix of places that are more 'daycare like' and ones that are more 'pre-school' and run only during the school year. Have a look at the Ofsted website (http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/). 

Regarding a GP look here: (http://www.nhs.uk/choiceintheNHS/Yourchoices/GPchoice/Pages/ChoosingaGP.aspx) You pick the GP surgery (office) but it's usually a group of Drs. You don't see a Pediatrician unless there is a specific need; otherwise the GP is your point of contact when you or the kids are sick, they need their immunisations, etc. It depends on your insurance some have private GPs but otherwise you'll need to see the NHS GP for most things.

I'm in Wandsworth, south of the river, in 'nappy valley'!

Good tip on Internet groceries, I take it for granted. I use Ocado; they bring the groceries right into your kitchen if you want. Excellent for all the bulk stuff too!

[UnderProtest]

dublin or neeps

Have you found one grocery delivery to be better or cheaper than others?

Also, can anyone give me some idea about the ranges in department stores? Like equivalents to Target vs. Macys vs. Neiman Marcus in the US (cost and quality). Thanks!

[dublin]

I use Ocado for groceries, but they all tend to do coupons for your first shop so you could try them all (order from high to low price: Waitrose/Ocado, Sainsburys, Tesco, Asda).

Hmmmm there really isn't a Target equivalent, maybe away from the city center some of the very large supermarkets. A Macys equivalent is maybe John Lewis (Peter Jones in Sloane Square is the same company too). Harvey Nichols and Selfridges would be Neiman Marcus. I wonder if the other London ladies would agree?

[anna7602]

Mar 3, 2014 19:57:30 GMT -5 UnderProtest said:

dublin or neeps

Have you found one grocery delivery to be better or cheaper than others?

Also, can anyone give me some idea about the ranges in department stores? Like equivalents to Target vs. Macys vs. Neiman Marcus in the US (cost and quality). Thanks!

I'm not in London, but if you take the Eurostar across the chunnel, I highly recommend Monoprix as an even-better version of Target. I have friends who regularly go from England to the Carrefour in Calais, too, but I haven't been to it myself. They stock up on wine there.

[jennybee1018]

Mar 3, 2014 20:35:06 GMT -5 anna7602 said:

Mar 3, 2014 19:57:30 GMT -5 UnderProtest said:

dublin or neeps

Have you found one grocery delivery to be better or cheaper than others?

Also, can anyone give me some idea about the ranges in department stores? Like equivalents to Target vs. Macys vs. Neiman Marcus in the US (cost and quality). Thanks!

I'm not in London, but if you take the Eurostar across the chunnel, I highly recommend Monoprix as an even-better version of Target. I have friends who regularly go from England to the Carrefour in Calais, too, but I haven't been to it myself. They stock up on wine there.

We just got a Monoprix in Doha, and it's awesome!! My new favorite grocery store :-)

No help with London, but welcome! Hope you stick around :-) We're a resourceful group of ladies, and there's a large majority of people in London!

[mrsukyankee]

Mar 3, 2014 19:57:30 GMT -5 UnderProtest said:

dublin or neeps

Have you found one grocery delivery to be better or cheaper than others?

Also, can anyone give me some idea about the ranges in department stores? Like equivalents to Target vs. Macys vs. Neiman Marcus in the US (cost and quality). Thanks!

I like Sainsbury's for delivery as the prices are good along with quality, though for organic stuff I use Abel & Cole.  I don't know if you know it, but there are Whole Foods - the closest to you would probably be on High Street Kensington (plus it's the biggest).

There is no such equivalent to Target, unfortunately. I wish! For Macy's - I'd say Debenhams would be close. John Lewis has a higher range but still in the more affordable category. Selfridges is higher end for the most part so probably a bit more like a Neiman Marcus (from my memory - I've been here 9-1/2 years).  We do have TK Maxx, which is a TJ Maxx.  And IKEA. 

[UnderProtest]

Mar 3, 2014 20:35:06 GMT -5 anna7602 said:

Mar 3, 2014 19:57:30 GMT -5 UnderProtest said:

dublin or neeps

Have you found one grocery delivery to be better or cheaper than others?

Also, can anyone give me some idea about the ranges in department stores? Like equivalents to Target vs. Macys vs. Neiman Marcus in the US (cost and quality). Thanks!

I'm not in London, but if you take the Eurostar across the chunnel, I highly recommend Monoprix as an even-better version of Target. I have friends who regularly go from England to the Carrefour in Calais, too, but I haven't been to it myself. They stock up on wine there. 

What?  Do you mean the wine is even cheaper or in France?  I thought a bottle for five pounds was great!  I remember going to a Carrefour when I was in France in college, but I don't remember what was so great about it. Care to enlighten me?  

Also, what brand clothing did you like for your daughter?  My kids are younger but in the US I was a huge fan of Carter's for everyday wear and Janie and Jack for nice stuff. 

[Deleted]

Not sure about in London, but out here in the sticks it seems like Waitrose grocery delivery has higher quality produce, whereas Tesco they just grab whatever is at the top (or bottom?) of the pile regardless of whether or not it looks very nice to eat. Waitrose is more expensive obviously, but I guess you get what you pay for. Sainsbury's seems like a good middle-gourd.

As for clothing, a lot of US stores will ship to the UK if you want to do internet shopping. Otherwise I havent really found any clothing stores that I really like that are age-appropriate for me. Sizes are different here...they say You're supposed to add 4 to your US size to get your UK size (so if you're a US 10 then you would be a UK 14) but I haven't really found this to be true. Like in the US each store is slightly different so there will be some trial and error. Same with shoes....you are supposed to subtract 2 from your US size (so USA 9 is a UK 7), but I've also found that to be hit-or-miss, so you'll have to try stuff on.

[pittpurple]

Mar 4, 2014 6:24:12 GMT -5 UnderProtest said:

Mar 3, 2014 20:35:06 GMT -5 anna7602 said:

I'm not in London, but if you take the Eurostar across the chunnel, I highly recommend Monoprix as an even-better version of Target. I have friends who regularly go from England to the Carrefour in Calais, too, but I haven't been to it myself. They stock up on wine there. 

What?  Do you mean the wine is even cheaper or in France?  I thought a bottle for five pounds was great!  I remember going to a Carrefour when I was in France in college, but I don't remember what was so great about it. Care to enlighten me?  

Also, what brand clothing did you like for your daughter?  My kids are younger but in the US I was a huge fan of Carter's for everyday wear and Janie and Jack for nice stuff. 

Hiya! I'm not in London but in Edinburgh so mostly the same brands. I've actually had the best luck with Sainsbury's grocery delivery. Waitrose will deliver specifically from your local store so it depends what they have in stock, I always have tons of substitutions. However, it is free for delivery which is nice! Tesco's does an offer for £12 off your first shop (just google for the code) so you could certainly try them.

For clothes - I stock up on Carter's whenever I'm home or anyone is coming over here, it's such great quality. Kid's clothing here is much more expensive and I don't always love it. But, there's some fun trendy stuff at Next (www.next.co.uk), Marks and Spencer's has some nice classics. The major shops that I've used for baby stuff (they have clothes as well) are Mamas and Papas, Mothercare and Jojo Maman Bebe (fantastic outerwear in particular). Shoes I like Clarks for her as they come in different widths.

We moved over here a few weeks after my DH's job offer, I'd never travelled at all and he'd never been to Scotland so it was a bit of a learning curve! I just started with our neighbourhood and explored out from there. The heating is definitely something you need to sort out with your landlord / agency - just keep phoning, they'll have to help you. If there's anything you're specifically looking for (or need translating! It took me ages to work out powdered sugar = icing sugar for example!) there are tons of UK women on here. You'll have a lot more access to American brands in London as well.

[irish]

Not in London anymore (back in Ireland) but we have Primark which does cheap & cheerful clothes which is great when you have ever growing kids. Would that be the equivalent of Target? pittpurple neeps mrsukyankee dublin

[pittpurple]

Mar 4, 2014 9:17:00 GMT -5 irish said:

Not in London anymore (back in Ireland) but we have Primark which does cheap & cheerful clothes which is great when you have ever growing kids. Would that be the equivalent of Target? pittpurple neeps mrsukyankee dublin

No idea if there's Primark in London but it is here - it definitely is cheap and cheerful! Primark is just clothing though, I think I'd consider Sainsbury's (they have a range of clothes - TU) to be equivalent to the idea of Target since they have everything. But yes, another option but no idea what's around the OPs area, I guess I was thinking more of online options so she could take a look.

[UnderProtest]

I was wondering what Primark was. I saw a bunch of people with their bags while out on Saturday. I'll check them out, but keep the suggestions coming! Thanks for the sizing information.

I am completely clueless as to everything here. We can't figure out the trash disposal process either. Anyone want to chime in on that? Our property management company gave us a little booklet, but I found it less than helpful. They have said that they will get the heat issue figured out in the next day or two (so maybe by next week?). I guess I have to be a pain in the ass to get stuff taken care of??? I don't want to be the bullish American, but I don't know what else to do.

There is a Sainsbury's about two blocks from the house (actually there are two, one is a small shop and the other a decent size store) and I am pleasantly surprised by the quality of produce and foods. I am also a bit surprised at the price. It doesn't seem as expensive as I was expecting. I might not be calculating the exchange rate correctly in my head (I know it's about 1.6ish dollars to the pound, but I have no mental faculties left with two 2.5 year old kids). I know eating out is quite expensive so I would have thought the food would be more expensive too. Speaking of, any decently priced, decently tasting restaurants around town? My husband did manage to find the Chipotle already and I've heard good things about Nandos.

[blushing]

Mar 4, 2014 9:19:47 GMT -5 pittpurple said:

Mar 4, 2014 9:17:00 GMT -5 irish said:

Not in London anymore (back in Ireland) but we have Primark which does cheap & cheerful clothes which is great when you have ever growing kids. Would that be the equivalent of Target? pittpurple neeps mrsukyankee dublin

No idea if there's Primark in London but it is here - it definitely is cheap and cheerful! Primark is just clothing though, I think I'd consider Sainsbury's (they have a range of clothes - TU) to be equivalent to the idea of Target since they have everything. But yes, another option but no idea what's around the OPs area, I guess I was thinking more of online options so she could take a look.

There is a huge Primark in Oxford Street (near Selfridges).

For kids clothes check out Pumpkin Patch as well. I generally get my son's clothes from the supermarkets, H&M (love their kids clothes), Debenhams and Marks and Spencers. For any rain/snow suits its worth looking at Go Outdoors or Mountain Warehouse. They should all have websites for you to either buy or look up your nearest store.

Grocery shopping I like Tesco's. I also love their clubcard scheme.

To find local things to do with your kids it is worth looking at www.netmums.com.

(I am not in London, I am down on the south coast in Bournemouth).

[blushing]

I love Nando's! Wagamama's is another popular one, although I must admit I have never eaten there. I often find that trying your local non-chain eateries are good. And don't be scared to try pub's, even with your kids. Most pub lunches are decent and family friendly.

[mrsukyankee]

Here is my one BIGGEST suggestion. Stop converting the money. It will drive you mad. Think about money in terms of units. Figure out how many units you get in and how many units you can spend - then go with that. Otherwise, you'll be constantly comparing apples and oranges - for the normal Brit, they don't think about how much something is worth based on euros or dollars, but in whether or not they can afford it in the pounds they get paid in. I know it's normal to think this way and I did it for a bit, but it made life so much easier when I didn't think that way. Especially if you're getting paid in pounds!

[blushing]

Oh and the best advice I can give you is don't be scared to take your kids out in the rain. It rains often. Invest in some welly boots and rain jackets/rain suits and embrace the water. It is the only way to stay sane!

[frlcb]

Next, ZaraKids, M&S, John Lewis for kids. Primark and even Tesco and Sainsburys sell cute cheaper clothes.

[frlcb]

And yes, buy wellies for all of you!

[pittpurple]

Mar 4, 2014 9:53:05 GMT -5 blushing said:

Oh and the best advice I can give you is don't be scared to take your kids out in the rain. It rains often. Invest in some welly boots and rain jackets/rain suits and embrace the water. It is the only way to stay sane!

Yup!! We take LO out in everything, lots of playing in the mud for us :-)

You should look up local mum's groups / toddler play / American women's groups - that sort of thing. They'll be able to give you location-specific help, I can help with UK stuff but things are slightly different depending on where you are.

[UnderProtest]

Mar 4, 2014 9:51:15 GMT -5 mrsukyankee said:

Here is my one BIGGEST suggestion. Stop converting the money. It will drive you mad. Think about money in terms of units. Figure out how many units you get in and how many units you can spend - then go with that. Otherwise, you'll be constantly comparing apples and oranges - for the normal Brit, they don't think about how much something is worth based on euros or dollars, but in whether or not they can afford it in the pounds they get paid in. I know it's normal to think this way and I did it for a bit, but it made life so much easier when I didn't think that way. Especially if you're getting paid in pounds!

I know!  We just have a slightly strange situation where my husband is still being paid in dollars so I can't help but convert!  Hopefully I'll get the hang of it fast.

I did buy some boots and raincoats for the kids already. They should be here later this week if I can find them in all the boxes.  Where is a good place to get some for me?  And what brands are decent?  I feel like I would stick out wearing my baby blue north face coat. 

[frlcb]

Mar 4, 2014 10:29:14 GMT -5 UnderProtest said:

Mar 4, 2014 9:51:15 GMT -5 mrsukyankee said:

Here is my one BIGGEST suggestion. Stop converting the money. It will drive you mad. Think about money in terms of units. Figure out how many units you get in and how many units you can spend - then go with that. Otherwise, you'll be constantly comparing apples and oranges - for the normal Brit, they don't think about how much something is worth based on euros or dollars, but in whether or not they can afford it in the pounds they get paid in. I know it's normal to think this way and I did it for a bit, but it made life so much easier when I didn't think that way. Especially if you're getting paid in pounds!

I know!  We just have a slightly strange situation where my husband is still being paid in dollars so I can't help but convert!  Hopefully I'll get the hang of it fast.

I did buy some boots and raincoats for the kids already. They should be here later this week if I can find them in all the boxes.  Where is a good place to get some for me?  And what brands are decent?  I feel like I would stick out wearing my baby blue north face coat. 

Who cares about sticking out, you can't worry about that, I would just wear what you have. I stopped worrying about that soon after I moved over (back in the US now) because you will go crazy. It's the same as converting money.