Enfield Island Village - any comments?

OrangeProse

My partner and I are looking to rent an apartment on Enfield Island Village. It seems very nice, the price is fine and it suits us travel-wise, as we both commute into Liverpool St.

Has anyone any reviews of the island, area, etc? The only slight worry I have is that several people have told me to avoid the EN3 postcode area, which the island falls into.

Thanks for any thoughts.

blue_monkey_2

The traffic at rush hour at the lights at Mollison Avenue take forever to get through. Huby used to work up in Brimsdown and the traffic can be horrendous even on Saturdays it is a nightmare in the afternoons so bear this in mind. I believe there is just one way in and out of the village so you might find yourself caught up and down in that. Driven past it many a time but I would not choose any of those areas personally.

Why not go a few miles down the road to Broxbourne where it is quieter? There are far more trains in and out of Broxbourne as well. Cheshunt is getting rougher by the week so avoid that area if you can. There are not so many trains that stop at Brimsdown and those that do are the slower stopping services. Liverpool Street to Broxbourne is 20-25 minutes depending on the service you get.

Hth

Edit: Look for the Hertfordshire Mercury to find out which letting agents to use and also the private ads for Broxbourne. Not sure if this link will work for the e-edition http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/Launch.aspx?referral=other&refresh=6c0M15Ls7i0R&PBID=f521534b-8b05-46b4-8836-b3c0061cc36a

If not try this one chose this and down the left 'find a' and then 'property' It'll be at around page 50 for lettings: http://new.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/hertfordshiremercury-pagesuite/

Look for the last few pages in the Homes section

Sola

Enfield Village is okay - a bit too soulless and artificial for my liking, and it's true the traffic is awful. Broxbourne's a nicer area but the station parking is horrendous. Waltham Abbey is very pretty but it's about a mile and a half walk to the nearest station which is Waltham Cross. Don't even consider living in Waltham Cross. There are still nice parts of Cheshunt (Flamstead End, Appleby Street etc), and Turnford is a possibility, but again it's away from Cheshunt Station.

blue_monkey_2

Sola wrote: »

Enfield Village is okay - a bit too soulless and artificial for my liking, and it's true the traffic is awful. Broxbourne's a nicer area but the station parking is horrendous. Waltham Abbey is very pretty but it's about a mile and a half walk to the nearest station which is Waltham Cross. Don't even consider living in Waltham Cross. There are still nice parts of Cheshunt (Flamstead End, Appleby Street etc), and Turnford is a possibility, but again it's away from Cheshunt Station.

If you join the Gym at Lea Valley Leisure centre (around £30 a month) you can park for free. This is what I used to do, go over the bridge and you are in the station car park. Plus you can of course use the gym and leisure centre.... or not, LOL!! It is cheaper than parking in the station though which is around £4 a day, but the Leisure Centre charges £2.50 daily also if you don't want to join the Leisure Centre.

Yes, agree with the above as well, Waltham Cross is just as bad and I chose Broxbourne because it is quiet and close to the station really, there are some nice parts of Cheshunt but they are few and far between. The reason everythin is too expensive here where I live (around 12 miles from Broxbourne) is because all the townies are moving to the country as it is so close by road and that is pushing prices up and up. The other areas like Ponder End, Enfield Wash, Brimsdown, I wouldn't live near any of those. My nan lives in Edmonton which is about 3 miles from Enfield Village and that young lad got stabbed just over the road from her house. I don't even visit for the day as I really do not like the area at all now.

Oh yes, also there are a lot of HGV moving around so expect this at nights as well as it is mainly industrial on that road and the big parcel depots are up there as well.

brooksy69

What people have said about traffic is very true (busy, one road in and out of the Island Village), and when I moved to Enfield I deliberatly avoided the EN3 postcode as well. If you want to live in Enfield per se then go for somewhere in the Chase Side / Windmill Hill / Ridgeway area (EN2) - these are still close enough to Enfield town station to get to Liv St easily, you also have the added advantage of Enfield Chase station which serves Moorgate as well as being easily commutable by bus to Oakwood (2 miles) for those inevitable days that the trains are not working (like this morning when the Moorgate line was disrupted). Also easy access to the M25 (5 - 10 mins at peak times). Whilst Broxbourne etc are lovely, once you get that far out, you start paying a hefty whack for season tickets - when I moved a couple of years ago moving outside the M25 raised the season ticket price so much it was actually cheaper to either go for a higher morgate payment or rent and stay inside its limits.

Finally the areas I have mentioned, without wanting to sound like a snob (which I am not, I chose where I live carefully as I wanted to live somewhere reasonably nice), are the nicer part of Enfield, yet rents are still fairly cheap (2 bed flat in the flats where I live is about 900pcm). You could also look at Winchmore Hill - but prices start to get stupid (although rents sometimes arent too bad) and I owuldnt want to live too far from the station there as it becomes a bit suburban and dead away from the area around the green or green lanes.

Overall, I like Enfield - its got a lot to offer if you want to stay local, although some of the pubs can be a bit hit and miss, but the shopping isnt bad for a small town, and the links to london are great.

brooksy69

Also would agree with the post above that Edmonton is a no go (I was also warned off living there by a friend who has lived there for over 10 years)

blue_monkey_2

Oh yes, I also forgot, the new News International Site on the A10 at Waltham Cross will be opening shortly and it is HUGE and will dramtically increase traffic around that area so if you can move further North of the M25/along the A10 you might find it much easier in the long run.

Sola

Brooksy - you're absolutely right about Enfield Town. If I were to move back out that way, I'd be looking at Chase Side etc.

blue_monkey_2

brooksy, my nan lived in one of those huge tower blocks that used to overlook the station - on the top floor - eek. the lifts still give me weird nightmares!! They put her behind the green in those new houses they built a few years back. Everyone has tried to convince her to move but she flat refuses to and just moans about everything instead.

I went round her house one day and there was her and her friend sitting down on the sofa looking out the windown moaning and swearing about everything around them and the neighbours and they sounded like the nana from Catherine Tate, LOL!!

I have a few family members around there and it seems there is nothing but trouble these days, I certainly would not go shopping there, I find it way too intimidating to go out, even leaving the car is a worry. Lots of parking restrictions as well such as having to have a permit to park and this is coming into effect more and more around the Enfield Boroughs.

blue_monkey_2

Have to confess that I've not been to Chase Side, my parents come from Enfield but more Carterhatch, the Highway, the Wash etc... I drive through them now and everyone has alarms on their houses now and it just makes me feel nervous and worried, not like in the good old days (I am 36, LOL!!).

Sola

The whole area's my old stamping ground, and I don't have a problem with visiting any of it, but then I stomp the streets of East London with intrepid courage!