Whitehall Park N19 London - Safe?

amyparr

Hi guys,

I'm looking to buy my first flat in London with my boyfriend. We're currently looking in the Highbury/Barnsbury areas of North London, but I'm considering the Whitehall Park area of Archway/Highgate as well.

Does anyone know this area at all - is it safe to walk home from the tube in the evening? It seems like you can get a lot more for your money there - but is it just because it's a bit scummy?

Blacksheep1979

friends used to live just road the corner from there on dresden road - perfectly fine.

Patr100

amyparr wrote: »

Hi guys,

I'm looking to buy my first flat in London with my boyfriend. We're currently looking in the Highbury/Barnsbury areas of North London, but I'm considering the Whitehall Park area of Archway/Highgate as well.

Does anyone know this area at all - is it safe to walk home from the tube in the evening? It seems like you can get a lot more for your money there - but is it just because it's a bit scummy?

And I'm sure the locals speak highly of you as well.

amyparr

Sorry?

I don't see the point in beating about the bush - some parts of London are quite undesirable places to live. And I'm sure in lots of those places the locals would agree!

Apologies if I offended anybody.

PS - the reason I'm asking if it's scummy is because the prices are quite low there - I'm not suggesting it is.

starving_artist

You can put in a postcode and look up the crime stats for the area here . I would say Archway has an image of being edgier than barnsbury, highbury or highgate.

poppysarah

Have a mooch round on a Friday night ... explore the area at times likely to have problems - or the hours you'll be walking about from the tube

theartfullodger

Are you asking to understand threats to yourself or to evaluate the possible business opportunities???

Apologies to all readers offended by this, or any other of my posts.

Cheers!


Lodger

ruggedtoast

amyparr wrote: »

Hi guys,

I'm looking to buy my first flat in London with my boyfriend. We're currently looking in the Highbury/Barnsbury areas of North London, but I'm considering the Whitehall Park area of Archway/Highgate as well.

Does anyone know this area at all - is it safe to walk home from the tube in the evening? It seems like you can get a lot more for your money there - but is it just because it's a bit scummy?

You do need to be a bit careful around those areas. One end of Highbury is lovely, the other end isnt.

Looking at the map for N19 it seems to incorporate some pretty dicey locales - Holloway - Kentish Town, and isnt too far from Seven Sisters Road.

Unfortunately thats just what "affordable" London is like - I assume you're accepting of that.

Be aware that a lot of those areas have been facelifted recently, Caledonian Road, Kings Cross, Holloway all look a lot nicer and the gangs have been moved off the main drags and back to the council estates off the road but they're still there - oh are they there.

I half lived in Caledonian Road for a year and the stories I could tell you about that area. I wont be going back any time soon thats for sure.

BitterAndTwisted

I'm not very familiar with this particular are of North London but anywhere that borders Highgate one can safely assume is pretty desirable. It's a conservation area with a lot of 4 - 6-bedroom family houses which might be a fair indication of who lives there. The advice to take a tour round the area late at night at the weekend is an excellent one and is most certainly what I would do when considering viewing properties an unfamiliar location.

I live in a far more "blue-collar" area but feel absolutely safe when arriving home late at night or at any other time. There are idiots everywhere but they often prey on their own, rather than lurking around in the better parts of town.

Running_Horse

I lived in Archway 25 years ago in the shadow of the suicide bridge, and reckon it's right on the boundary of inner city and suburban London. The further up Archway Road you go the better it gets. The area round Archway Tube has a bit of a reputation, but is very well connected to transport and a lot better than many cheap parts of London. You could do a lot worse.

somekindofwizard

In my opinion it's fine round Whitehall Park - near Highgate which is lovely, and Hornsey Rise which has a cracking pub However, having a scout around at the times you're worried about is the only answer because everyone their own tolerance for what makes them feel safe. I live on the edge of a council estate on Caledonian Road and think it's fine, but it's not for everyone. Depends on your tolerance for the odd gang-on-gang stabbing and overhearing snatches of conversation about drug deals.

I'm sure you know this already, but Highbury/Barnsbury way is amazing.