PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING
Hello Forumites! In order to help keep the Forum a useful, safe and friendly place for our users, discussions around non-MoneySaving matters are not permitted per the Forum rules. While we understand that mentioning house prices may sometimes be relevant to a user's specific MoneySaving situation, we ask that you please avoid veering into broad, general debates about the market, the economy and politics, as these can unfortunately lead to abusive or hateful behaviour. Threads that are found to have derailed into wider discussions may be removed. Users who repeatedly disregard this may have their Forum account banned. Please also avoid posting personally identifiable information, including links to your own online property listing which may reveal your address. Thank you for your understanding.East London
Options
jamespetts
Posts: 62 Forumite
East is the new South in London, it seems: the formerly unfashionable areas due East of the City seem to be the destination for many, no doubt because they are the last place in London where one can get a decent freehold property in zone 3 for a (relatively) affordable price. I daresay that developments in (now fashionable) Stratford have helped, too, as does the impending Crossrail development. I am looking to buy there myself, and should be grateful for any local knowledge that anyone has about the various local areas.
Forest Gate has boomed in popularity, it seems, this year in particular, after a Guardian article in February entitled, "let's all move to Forest Gate". On the Crossrail, Forest Gate station will be only 14 minutes from Farringdon. As a result of this, however, properties in the area have become quite expensive, to the extent that the only thing that I could afford North of the Romford Road (which one agent suggested was the better area) were either a modern in-fill one bedroom one-up one-down or a somewhat dilapidated very small two bed with awful pebbledash and a non-original front window ruining the Victorian look. South of the Romford Road has richer pickings, but anything in the E7 postcode seems dear compared to surrounding areas. I am looking at a nice 2 bedroom house near a school needing only fairly minor work, albeit this is nearer Upton Park than Forest Gate, despite being in E7. My impression of the area are somewhat mixed; the area near the station and to the immediate North has its moments, although due South of the station is somewhat mixed, and commercial premises are not very exciting. The residential areas South of the Romford Road seem quite quiet and leafy as long as one does not go to far East and cross into the bleak wilderness that is Manor Park/E12. The housing stock in E7 is very mixed, with some enormous and wonderful houses in the conservation area to the South-East of the station going for near a million; most of the properties are 3 bed terraces, most of which are a little too expensive for me, but the rarer 2 bed properties are affordable. Forest Gate is about 7-7.5 miles from central London. Forest Gate does not flood.
Heading South-West, there is Plaistow. I have not visited this much yet, but, in pre-Crossrail travel terms, it seems the best of all the zone 3 areas, especially for me, since I like cycling (it is less than 7 miles from where I work in central London, and, like all of East London, delightfully flat). South and West of Plaistow is in a flood risk zone and the crime rates in Plaistow seem a little higher than in Forest Gate. The housing stock here seems as mixed as in Forest Gate, with everything from two bed terraces that I can just about afford to imposing 5 bedroom mansions for an order of magnitude more. Most of the properties seem to be three or four bed terraces, mostly Victorian, with some 1930s stock thrown in. There seems to be a commercial centre to Plaistow.
East of Forest Gate, meanwhile, is Manor Park. The housing stock here is quite eclectic and seems quite mixed even on the same street: the prices are considerably lower than Forest Gate, and decently sized 3 bedroom houses are within my budget. There is little commerce to speak of, and much of the housing seems to be let and in multiple occupation. The area has a bleak and desolate feel about it, and seems run-down compared to Forest Gate. Crime rates immediately around the station (which will in a few years be just one stop further along the Crossrail than Forest Gate), perhaps the bleakest and most desolate part, are very high, although seem to fall off in the more residential parts. I am trying to avoid this area, although the boundary between this and Forest Gate is somewhat porous. This is not so good for cyclists, being about 8 miles from central London. Manor Park, apart from its Eastern extremity bordering on Ilford, is also not in a flood risk zone.
To the South of Manor Park is East Ham. Some distance from the Crossrail, this nonetheless has regular Underground trains (every 2-3 minutes) into central London (changing at Mile End for the Central Line is the quickest way in). I have visited this area, although only so far to the North of the station, and found it surprisingly pleasant: definitely livelier than Manor Park. To the North-West of the station is an estate consisting of roads with the names of poets, on which the late Victorian housing stock seems to be of particularly high quality; the prices for these are quite high, although there are some just about within my budget that I am minded to view. There is a park nearby. The houses here (in the Northern part of East Ham) seem better maintained than in Manor Park and the impression that I get is of more family occupancy compared to multiple occupancy that I saw in Manor Park. Prices here are generally good, and there is a relative cornucopia of lovely, spacious period houses within my budget. It is, however, about the same distance from central London as Manor Park (8 miles), which, although flat, is not ideal for cycling. Also, I have not looked at the area South of the station, which includes a ward which has a particularly high crime rate (due South of the station), albeit the neighbouring wards in which many of the houses are seem to have much lower crime. As with Plaistow, the coming of the Crossrail will not affect this area directly, but the Whitechapel interchange will enable Crossrail services to be accessed after a short Underground ride. I am not sure whether those piling into Forest Gate at high prices have realised this yet. East Ham has flood risk areas south of the railway line, but most of it is outside the flood risk zone.
Between East Ham and Plaistow, and bordering on the Southern end of Forest Gate is Upton Park. Upton Park is home to Green Street, a long commercial road with what must be the highest density of sari shops in London if not the whole of the British Isles: if one is minded to buy a sari, one might be hard pressed to find a better place outside of India itself. Although I am not in the market for saris myself, some of the shops appear to be relatively upmarket, and the atmosphere along Green Street is quite pleasant (and it feels a touch classier than High Street North, running through East Ham only a mile or so away). Green Street in its Northern extremities goes up to Forest Gate itself, but the prices of houses in the Southern parts are somewhat more reasonable than near Forest Gate station (and what applies to Plaistow and East Ham for transport applies to Upton Park: regular Underground services into London, and access to Crossrail via the Whitechapel interchange). There are a few 3 bed houses here that I can afford, although some on certain roads, especially near Upton Park and East Ham stations, are very pricey indeed. The Upton Park area is mainly outside the flood risk zone apart from the extreme south.
I should be interested in any views on these areas from anyone who has lived or worked near them. I rather suspect that East London will be the last affordable area of London within striking distance of the centre, and that people will one day look back fondly at our time and remember when there were some (relatively) affordable houses left. I do wonder whether the larger houses might appreciate better in those circumstances (and be more pleasant to live in in the meantime in return for only a minute or two of extra travel time on the train or a mile or two on the flat by bicycle), but should be interested to know of any particular things that may not be immediately apparent from daytime visits to the areas and by studying the police's crime map and the Environment Agency's flood risk map.
Forest Gate has boomed in popularity, it seems, this year in particular, after a Guardian article in February entitled, "let's all move to Forest Gate". On the Crossrail, Forest Gate station will be only 14 minutes from Farringdon. As a result of this, however, properties in the area have become quite expensive, to the extent that the only thing that I could afford North of the Romford Road (which one agent suggested was the better area) were either a modern in-fill one bedroom one-up one-down or a somewhat dilapidated very small two bed with awful pebbledash and a non-original front window ruining the Victorian look. South of the Romford Road has richer pickings, but anything in the E7 postcode seems dear compared to surrounding areas. I am looking at a nice 2 bedroom house near a school needing only fairly minor work, albeit this is nearer Upton Park than Forest Gate, despite being in E7. My impression of the area are somewhat mixed; the area near the station and to the immediate North has its moments, although due South of the station is somewhat mixed, and commercial premises are not very exciting. The residential areas South of the Romford Road seem quite quiet and leafy as long as one does not go to far East and cross into the bleak wilderness that is Manor Park/E12. The housing stock in E7 is very mixed, with some enormous and wonderful houses in the conservation area to the South-East of the station going for near a million; most of the properties are 3 bed terraces, most of which are a little too expensive for me, but the rarer 2 bed properties are affordable. Forest Gate is about 7-7.5 miles from central London. Forest Gate does not flood.
Heading South-West, there is Plaistow. I have not visited this much yet, but, in pre-Crossrail travel terms, it seems the best of all the zone 3 areas, especially for me, since I like cycling (it is less than 7 miles from where I work in central London, and, like all of East London, delightfully flat). South and West of Plaistow is in a flood risk zone and the crime rates in Plaistow seem a little higher than in Forest Gate. The housing stock here seems as mixed as in Forest Gate, with everything from two bed terraces that I can just about afford to imposing 5 bedroom mansions for an order of magnitude more. Most of the properties seem to be three or four bed terraces, mostly Victorian, with some 1930s stock thrown in. There seems to be a commercial centre to Plaistow.
East of Forest Gate, meanwhile, is Manor Park. The housing stock here is quite eclectic and seems quite mixed even on the same street: the prices are considerably lower than Forest Gate, and decently sized 3 bedroom houses are within my budget. There is little commerce to speak of, and much of the housing seems to be let and in multiple occupation. The area has a bleak and desolate feel about it, and seems run-down compared to Forest Gate. Crime rates immediately around the station (which will in a few years be just one stop further along the Crossrail than Forest Gate), perhaps the bleakest and most desolate part, are very high, although seem to fall off in the more residential parts. I am trying to avoid this area, although the boundary between this and Forest Gate is somewhat porous. This is not so good for cyclists, being about 8 miles from central London. Manor Park, apart from its Eastern extremity bordering on Ilford, is also not in a flood risk zone.
To the South of Manor Park is East Ham. Some distance from the Crossrail, this nonetheless has regular Underground trains (every 2-3 minutes) into central London (changing at Mile End for the Central Line is the quickest way in). I have visited this area, although only so far to the North of the station, and found it surprisingly pleasant: definitely livelier than Manor Park. To the North-West of the station is an estate consisting of roads with the names of poets, on which the late Victorian housing stock seems to be of particularly high quality; the prices for these are quite high, although there are some just about within my budget that I am minded to view. There is a park nearby. The houses here (in the Northern part of East Ham) seem better maintained than in Manor Park and the impression that I get is of more family occupancy compared to multiple occupancy that I saw in Manor Park. Prices here are generally good, and there is a relative cornucopia of lovely, spacious period houses within my budget. It is, however, about the same distance from central London as Manor Park (8 miles), which, although flat, is not ideal for cycling. Also, I have not looked at the area South of the station, which includes a ward which has a particularly high crime rate (due South of the station), albeit the neighbouring wards in which many of the houses are seem to have much lower crime. As with Plaistow, the coming of the Crossrail will not affect this area directly, but the Whitechapel interchange will enable Crossrail services to be accessed after a short Underground ride. I am not sure whether those piling into Forest Gate at high prices have realised this yet. East Ham has flood risk areas south of the railway line, but most of it is outside the flood risk zone.
Between East Ham and Plaistow, and bordering on the Southern end of Forest Gate is Upton Park. Upton Park is home to Green Street, a long commercial road with what must be the highest density of sari shops in London if not the whole of the British Isles: if one is minded to buy a sari, one might be hard pressed to find a better place outside of India itself. Although I am not in the market for saris myself, some of the shops appear to be relatively upmarket, and the atmosphere along Green Street is quite pleasant (and it feels a touch classier than High Street North, running through East Ham only a mile or so away). Green Street in its Northern extremities goes up to Forest Gate itself, but the prices of houses in the Southern parts are somewhat more reasonable than near Forest Gate station (and what applies to Plaistow and East Ham for transport applies to Upton Park: regular Underground services into London, and access to Crossrail via the Whitechapel interchange). There are a few 3 bed houses here that I can afford, although some on certain roads, especially near Upton Park and East Ham stations, are very pricey indeed. The Upton Park area is mainly outside the flood risk zone apart from the extreme south.
I should be interested in any views on these areas from anyone who has lived or worked near them. I rather suspect that East London will be the last affordable area of London within striking distance of the centre, and that people will one day look back fondly at our time and remember when there were some (relatively) affordable houses left. I do wonder whether the larger houses might appreciate better in those circumstances (and be more pleasant to live in in the meantime in return for only a minute or two of extra travel time on the train or a mile or two on the flat by bicycle), but should be interested to know of any particular things that may not be immediately apparent from daytime visits to the areas and by studying the police's crime map and the Environment Agency's flood risk map.
0
Comments
-
I grew up in Hackney. My parents bought there 30 years ago. I am very glad I grew up in Hackney, I moved away for 6 years, and returned 2 years ago. I can't afford to buy there, but am buying in North East London zone 3.
Different areas are different, different boroughs are different. So I'd just do some googling if I were you.0 -
Crossrail has plans to come to my area, only a 15 year wait for the train...0
-
My grandparents had a shop on Green Street ages ago.. It's a flipping dump and describing it as 'classy' is very optimistic. My little brother just bought a flat close to Westfield in Stratford.. that does have the feeling of gentrification, but I think 2000 identikit flats won't do much for property prices.
I'd personally avoid East London unless you plan to live past Romford towards the edges of the M25. I do look forward to Crossrail though0 -
out of all of those places I would live in the north part of forest gate, by Wanstead flats. The rest of the areas would not be for me. I would prefer to go further east as previously suggested0
-
Nice post Jamespetts,
Having lived in the area for 15 years (3 years forest gate, 4 years upton park, 3 years east ham, 5 years manor park), i would rate them as this:
1) Upton Park (Nearby green street)
2) Manor Park (not very close to station, look at around highstreet or around first avenue - fourth avenue area)
3) East Ham (around the station is good)
4) Forest Gate (north side of romford road, near wanstead flats)0 -
Sunny2good wrote: »Nice post Jamespetts,
Having lived in the area for 15 years (3 years forest gate, 4 years upton park, 3 years east ham, 5 years manor park), i would rate them as this:
1) Upton Park (Nearby green street)
2) Manor Park (not very close to station, look at around highstreet or around first avenue - fourth avenue area)
3) East Ham (around the station is good)
4) Forest Gate (north side of romford road, near wanstead flats)
Ahh, thank you, this is helpful. Do I take it that the numbers are ranks in descending order of quality?0 -
yes. I have tried to rank them in terms of quality of accommodation, transport links, access to shops and crime rate etc0
-
That is very kind - thank you.0
-
Sunny - do you ever remember a wool shop called Bettys on Green street? I think it's an Afgan/Persian restaurant now0
-
I would urge caution in relying on the environment agency flood risk map as I recently put in my own post-code and was very surprised to discover I was apparently in a high flood risk area. Well I have lived here 20 years and definitely no sign of any type of flooding. I would maybe rely on local knowledge instead?0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 343.6K Banking & Borrowing
- 250.2K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 449.9K Spending & Discounts
- 235.7K Work, Benefits & Business
- 608.7K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 173.3K Life & Family
- 248.3K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
- 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards