i feel terrible. ive become such a snob since moving to walthamstow. i was brought up in finchley, north london but my husband was brought up in walthamstow. we had to move in with his parents for a while and i really dont like the area. i like the fact that its multicultural but its so grey and miserable. all the mums at school dont seem to be doing much with their lives and are happy living off benefits. nobody really seems to interact with other cultures. im well educated and used to be a teacher. im at home because i choose to be but everyone thinks im a single mum on benefits. im fed up with the stereotype. i have 4 boys and im scared to bring them up here. i would love to hear from anyone who wants to have an honest discussion about this. if you are able to change my impression that would be great because at the moment i cant wait to move!again.

Sunshineakindat, are you me?

I read your post and thought, snap! (I used to be a teacher too, btw).

My only positive experience of the place is that the 56 bus goes to Islington in half an hour.

Buy a lottery ticket?

wow! youve made me feel better. my friends say im a ghetto snob . im trying desperately to make a compromise and move to highams park.
btw- what do you do now? i really want to go back to work just to get away during the day!
thanks for replying

It's not all bad you know. There are little pockets where it's lovely. The village is obviously really nice. Have you done the walk from Coppermill Lane up to Springfield Park? That should make you feel better about it. I'm more of a North London girl myself and would obviously rather be living in Muswell Hill than Walthamstow but since I can't afford N10, E17 will have to do

lol,

Try the sure start, it is packed with professional mums. Also go to anything remotely cultural.

I also used to be mistaken for a benefit mum, after a while i didn't mind cos it meant no-one asked me for money or automatically told me the discounted price (!).

Shame on you. Stop looking down on people and get involved in the community. Walthamstow has lots to offer, but you haven't taken the time to find out about it. sunshineakindat and starlightexpress you are made for each other. I suggest you meet up and have a good old bitch about how awful Walthamstow is.

OP - i lived in e17 for years and hated it for similar reasons to you, i don't live there anymore however there are alot of middle clasee people i know/have known who live there and love it to bits. there are good things there (so i hear...) you just have to look for them, it has a very 'right on' scene (very guardian reading middle class), you have to work out how to get involved in it if that is what you want. there are nice surrounding areas too though ie just up the road and a bit country'ish is essex with lots of green and nice places to go, i used to regularly go there to escape! the only thing i used to love about walthamstow was the local carboot sale which the bloody council closed down for no reason at all

As per cheesegirl, Walthamstow is lovely if you get involved.

A. I know several teenage boys and their parents locally. All just fine.

B. I grew up in Muswell Hill and Crouch End. I hated it. Fake villages full of people who don't really want to be part of London.

C. And don't think those places are somehow safer than the stow. Higham Hill, for instance, has some very rough bits.

Seriously most of the comments on here, make my blood boil. It's all snobbery! So you only want to live in a place surrounded by the middle classes. Well, if you don't like Walthamstow - move! Stop hating!