London Neighborhoods? North London?

I am from london, lived here all my life

there are Jewish communities in a number of areas but the two main religious ones are golders green and hendon. there are also substantial communities in edgware, stanmore, finchley, mill hill, pinner (these areas all have local kosher shops and butchers)

st john's wood is also an area with many Jewish people as you say. It's a lovely area, but because it is more towards central london is is expensive (I think). there are also Jewish people living in the west end, around great portland street/regents park area (very expensive/fashionable/upper class/ "posh"). these areas are not nearly as religious as golders/green/ hendon, however there are many shuls/ Jewish facilities here. my family rabbi lives in the west end as do many others and there are quite a few chabad centres/flats and many Jewish houses round there, so don't worry if you're put around central london. st john's wood in particular has Jewish restaurants, butcher and shops. while people here tend to be more secular, many are practicing Jews (traditional) and keep kosher and go to shul on saturdays. there are synagogues scattered all around central london - st johns wood is where the chief rabbi lives, I think his home shul is st john's wood synagogue.

hampstead is not really religious at all, but it's very close to golders green (five minute bus ride), so you could easily do shopping

central london as I said many parts of it do have access to jewish facilities and certainly shuls

areas like finchley, hampstead garden suburb, barnet, muswell hill have Jewish communities but it sounds like you are going to be in central london? and these areas are out in the suburbs

london is quite easy to travel around depending on how much you are willing to travel from home to school etc

I confess we started our London life as ex-pats in St John's Wood more than a decade ago so am very familiar with the scene. I must agree that it is mostly MO to traditional crowd. Because it is VERY expensive (we're talking GBP600-1000 per WEEK for 3 bedroom flats), it tends to attract young professionals or older rich families. Many of us moved out with expanding families because of the costs. It is a very lovely neighbourhood, VERY good transportation link and near the Regen'ts Park, main attraction for ex-pats is the American School which is around the corner from the main shul. The closest analogy is Upper East Side (rather than Upper West Side because SJW lacks vibrant singles scene).

I know a few families in SJW who would fit description of being yeshivish, but they are mostly working on kiruv projects at local synagogues. I can give you the contact detail of the rabbi at United Synagogue. There's a lovely mikvah in a neighbouring Maida Vale, though there is no eruv, no kosher restaurants, two shops that sell rather limited lineup of kosher products at inflated prices so we used to go to GG for kosher shopping anyway.

Socially and hashkafa wise, I think you'll be more comfortable in Hendon which has young yeshivish crowds, though I do agree they can be cliquey sometimes. A friend of mine who was also on ex-pat package managed to have her company rent a flat in Hendon. They also have good sized Israeli community. From some part of Hampstead, you can walk to GG. Whether people hold by NW Eruv or not really depends on shuls/rabbis.

As for comments by amother just above me, yes there are some facillities in central London (I mean West End) but it is very limited. I must agree it takes a bit of time to establish social life--maybe something you'll have better luck through your DD's nursery.

Another suggestion I make is to find a map of london, also check Transport for London website and plot the commuting routes esp if both of you work. One advantage of SJW and Hampstead is it's cabbable distance to the City/West End.

As for nursery/school, how old is your DD? Here the nursery starts from 3, reception from 4. As others warned, it is very difficult to find places. Would you consider only single-gender school? Is co-ed an option? There is a nursery (for 2-3yr old) at St John's Wood synagogue, there is a private school in Maida Vale though clientelle are very left wing MO to non-frum. Both are co-ed. Having said that the one in Maida Vale gives surprisingly solid LK, and they're willing to take ex-pats children.

Gold Member Joined: Mar 16 2009 Posts: 2328

I lived within the gg/hendon bubble and hated it. It is really tough to meet people and make friends, people are very into their own world. Also, it is very far from central London, ESP hendon. I was there for a limited time and did not take advantage of london or do all the touristy things I would have done had we lived closer.
Sjw and ham stead are both really nice and closer.

So the comment that you will be lonely is totally off. And I was friends with other Americans and it was really hard for them ot make friends. Much easier for the ones with British dhs, but not so easy for the rest of us.

Where do you live now? Living in gg or hendon is more like living in queens. Not that I've ever lived there, but that's what it seems like it must be. I would really go for hampstead or sjw if I could do it again. I am MO though. I also found gg and hendon to be very you must do x to fit in type places, including withbhow you dress, hair covering... You might be fine if that's okay with you or you are wearing the right sheitel and shoes anyway.

I was also friendly with some yeshivish people and what I understood is that BY is more like America, or even more relaxed America, not at all like Israel. but I stand to be corrected.

Feel free to pm me. I think those are great places to live. The main minuses are being away from kosher restaurants and stores, but people definitely do it. Yes, generally mo, but there are definitely non MO too, ESP in hampstead.

You definitely need to look at a map, as well as look at what your transportation will be like. If you will have a car, great. Otherwise you need to see how public transportation will work for you.

Gold Member Joined: May 22 2008 Posts: 1046

I would check with the company to see if they can place you in the section of Hampstead near Temple Fortune or perhaps in Temple Fortune itself.
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Diamond Member Joined: Nov 30 2006 Posts: 2613

Honestly, for 18 months you might really enjoy St John's Wood aside from school logistics. It is a lovely area, very well located, and it's not that far to go up Finchley Road to Golders Green to eat or shop.

Hampstead is also posh, and traditonally arty/liberal type, but a bit more out of the way (buses are a real pain there whereas St Johns Wood has excellent transport). St Johns Wood has a lot of expats as there is an American school. Panzers sells American groceries if you want to buy real cheerios.

Temple Fortune is a way from Hampstead--it is the end of GG at the top of Finchley Road, towards Henlys Corner. Hampstead is the other end.

Maybe hatemywig (hey love your screenname!) was thinking of Hampstead Garden Suburb?
HGS is lovely but rather limited public transportation.

BTW if you're in central London like SJW, you don't need a car. Actually car is a burden UNLESS you're doing a school run to GG/Hendon. Instead many people sign up for streetcar which is a shared membership car scheme.