Nervous about buying in London - advice needed

Hillbilly1

padington wrote: »

I never liked the look of that new river development. From my unlcles house on muswel hill it looks like eastern block weopons silo, really ugly. Also it's got that strip of water but they've fenced it off so the advantage of sitting next to a canal on a sumers day isn't happening, that would really annoy me. What are the other issues, would be interested hear? On the upside that route through from crouch end to wood green is a handy bike route now to station road.

I always feel sorry for the sods that bought there when they could have had a little cottage just around the corner for the same price. I guess some people just don't do their homework and get suckered in by advertising and free champagne at open days, tricks little old ladies in tucked away cottages don't do.

Regarding commuting my niece leaves at 7.30 and I leave at 9 and we never have a problem getting a seat on the Piccadilly line. We were just saying what a joy it is compared to Finsbury park and the hassle of getting the W3 before hand to get there from Crouch that we had before. Also there's almost as many buses as Oxford street going down wood green high street so not sure why you struggle with getting a seat, maybe it's the Noel park bus stops that are unusually chocker ?

I think you are a bit confused - I don 't live in N22 , nor did I say the buses are busy. I actually said SG and Crouch End areas the buses/trains are busy by the time they get to these areas and you have to stand. One of the main reasons I live at the start of the W7 route... and agree getting on tube at Turnpike Lane/Bounds Green much better than at FP!

From RC post it now appears you don't live in Stroud Green, but actually Finsbury Park! Prices will be higher as it is Zone 2 and you walk to the tube. SG didn't really appear as an area until people were priced out of CE but didn't want to say they lived in Finsbury Park...

V little difference in crime/feeling etc between Stroud Green Rd and Wood Green High St and about 8 mins diff on tube for commute.

rainbow_carnage

Hillbilly1 wrote: »

From RC post it now appears you don't live in Stroud Green, but actually Finsbury Park! Prices will be higher as it is Zone 2 and you walk to the tube. SG didn't really appear as an area until people were priced out of CE but didn't want to say they lived in Finsbury Park...

I live in SG, as in I live off Stroud Green Road, on the Harringay side. It's the name of the ward.

Finsbury Park is the general area. People who live on Seven Sisters Road say they live in FP. As do people who live on Blackstock Road. Even people living by Manor House say they live in FP because the actual park is walking distance from their house. Manor House is also Zone 2, but significantly cheaper and a lot less nice than SG.

When I say that I'd like to stay in SG, I mean on one of the streets off SGR, between FP station and Crouch Hill. Sadly, we can't afford it.

rainbow_carnage

Purleygirl wrote: »

Sometimes it feels an impossible situation but moving out of the area might not be such a bad thing. Some parts of Essex for eg are really nice, you can get a coach daily to Victoria from Chelmsford. You can't beat coaches they are comfortable, cheap and reliable. I know a 1.45 min journey can seem a bit grim, but you can read, work on the computer, sleep... If you feel that where you're living now isn't right for your eventual kids you need to decide about a move, life marches by very quickly. If you buy a house you can rent out a room to a lodger to help with the mortgage. You kind of need to make a decision, whether to stay or leave London. It sounds as if you want to go because you want a safe place and decent schools for your kids to be. How about doing some more research on commutable surrounding areas. Google the bus stations which serve London, look at the school ofsted reports, get a feel for other places that are more affordable and offer you more space, garden and personal safety for your money. Hope I've helped.

Thanks, but we're pretty settled on London. And if not London, then New York (closer to my parents). Yes, we'd like our kids to go to good schools, but we also want them to be city kids. My husband grew up in the countryside, and I grew up in a middle-class suburb. We know what that's like, and it's not what we want for our family.

padington

rainbow_carnage wrote: »

I live in SG, as in I live off Stroud Green Road, on the Harringay side. It's the name of the ward.

Finsbury Park is the general area. People who live on Seven Sisters Road say they live in FP. As do people who live on Blackstock Road. Even people living by Manor House say they live in FP because the actual park is walking distance from their house. Manor House is also Zone 2, but significantly cheaper and a lot less nice than SG.

When I say that I'd like to stay in SG, I mean on one of the streets off SGR, between FP station and Crouch Hill. Sadly, we can't afford it.

It's funny how things change, according Don mc Cullen the war photographer, Finsbury park used to be the apsolute !!!!!! of London, the most dangerous place of all. Probably
explains the police station bang in the middle of it.

Hillbilly1

And I'm not sure if worth it. You really need to decide on what you would accept as a current area, and also a future area.

Would you have children in London?

If you bought for say around £200k would this leave you some savings and some spare each month to save to be able to buy elswhere in 5-7 years and have this property as a rental investment if it is hard to sell?

If you are considering being outside London for children this could work. If you are going to commute in once you have kids make the break and move now.

We considered Winchmore Hill for a while, but a friend who had done similar said either go to Herts, get more for money and slightly longer commuter or stay in N10. We stayed!

maintenanceman

"I would also question being picky between WG and Turnpike Lane, its splitting hairs! Why people like Turnpike Lane is they can squeeze in to the N8 postcode and claim to be in Crouch End - they aint.. they just paid over the odds to live in Wood Green! I'm a total postcode snob"


Actually you are missing a trick there. The turnpike lane area is still N8, you get the postcode and if you want to be snobbish you can actually say Hornsey. The benefit is that you don't pay Crouche Onde prices, although the prices are you going up in that small pocket of area (pocket postcode) around the back of Turnpike Lane, or so I have been told.
As regards to Stroud Green I still perceive it as dodgy. Always feel uncomfortable in that area. Maybe it's just familiarity.

Hillbilly1

padington wrote: »

It's funny how things change, according Don mc Cullen the war photographer, Finsbury park used to be the apsolute !!!!!! of London, the most dangerous place of all. Probably
explains the police station bang in the middle of it.

I would still regard it as such (sorry OP!). Worked there for 4 years. Regularly (at least monthly) had to give our CCTV footage to police officers for rape/stabbing enquiries as their CCTV didnt cover our front door...which apparently was nicely sheltered for such activities. Used to time our shifts by the drug dealers outside, they were regular as clockwork. Didnt watch crimewatch during that time very often as usually knew a few of the photofits... you learnt to be careful.

However I think familiarity with an area says alot. Now I don't work there I can see it for the cr*phole it is, which I glossed over having to go through it every day. OH hated me going there!

Interestingly when we called the police they often came up from Holborn as FP station was busy. Nice when there was armed men looking for a crack dealer gone awol with their stash in our hallway (said dealer was eating the evidence under a chair....) at 3pm in the afternoon. And this was not a one off... although different dealer each time. Not sure how much crack one can swallow and be safe!

padington

maintenanceman wrote: »

"I would also question being picky between WG and Turnpike Lane, its splitting hairs! Why people like Turnpike Lane is they can squeeze in to the N8 postcode and claim to be in Crouch End - they aint.. they just paid over the odds to live in Wood Green! I'm a total postcode snob"


Actually you are missing a trick there. The turnpike lane area is still N8, you get the postcode and if you want to be snobbish you can actually say Hornsey. The benefit is that you don't pay Crouche Onde prices, although the prices are you going up in that small pocket of area (around the back of Turnpike Lane, or so I have been told).
As regards to Stroud Green I still perceive it as dodgy. Always feel uncomfortable in that area. Maybe it's just familiarity.

Sod 'Stroud green' or even 'Hornsey', get yourself in 'Alexandra Park' (Muswell hill side of wood green). :money:

maintenanceman

padington wrote: »

Sod 'Stroud green' or even 'Hornsey', get yourself in 'Alexandra Park' (Muswell hill side of wood green). :money:

Blimey this is turning out to be postcode wars. It's Ok around there but it's almost Bounds Green. Sorry.

padington

maintenanceman wrote: »

Blimey this is turning out to be postcode wars. It's Ok around there but it's almost Bounds Green. Sorry.

Bounds green is like being stuck in a boring Sunday afternoon in the 1980's ill give you that but I have recently been eyeing up the new bowling green on the rec, which looks quite tasty ...