House overlooking park - how do tell if it teenage gangland?

[Fizzylemonade]

That's it really, without physically steaking the park out (it is huge) how do I find out if it is a local hangout?

Who would I contact? It is in a new area than where I am so no local knowledge is available to me as yet.

There are no benches it is just open parkland but then near me there is an open field and the teenagers take their own folding chairs and cans of beer

[southeastastra]

ask local police if it's a hot spot

[said]

Knock on a few neighbouring houses and ask?

[FimboFortunaFeet]

Tbh I think I would stake it out at night, just to satisfy my own mind. Our local park shuts the car park at night, thinking that would stop the young guys with cars revving them and blasting out music but they just park on the street now instead.

[preciouslillywhite]

they take folding chairs??

fuck me, that's a better clarss of hooligan, evidently!

...are you in South West London?

[gingertoo]

I'm laughing at the folding chairs!!
My last house backed onto a park and we had loads and loads of problems (Our shed set on fire, fence kicked in among other things) so I can't stress enough how important it is to check it out for yourself.

We took the word of the people that were selling the house that 'hardly anyone uses the park' and 'noise at night? Nooo' What idiots we were...

I'd have nightly stakeouts, I really would!

[Lonicera]

Also have a good look in the park for discarded cans and other rubbish

[titchy]

Where is it - maybe some MNer has local knowledge.

[Fizzylemonade]

I'm in common as muck Yorkshire, clearly we have classy teens although we are in Leeds so maybe not

I was really shocked when I saw it, my dh and I were walking to someone's house for dinner early evening and we ended up following some boys with folding chairs and a 6 pack of beer each.

They walked up a hill through some trees and joined their mates who were already up there!

To be fair the park is so large the majority of it sides onto a main road and there are very few houses that are actually near it. There is a playground in the middle of it which seems in good nick and then there are fields on all sides and trees screening the houses from the park.

I tried the local knowledge thing before on here but didn't get anywhere. Maybe I'll post in the meet up section.

Thanks for all your suggestions though. Anyone know Derren Brown personally?? No? Ah well, I knew hypnotising someone into buying my house was a long shot

[MrsMerryHenry]

Talk to neighbours. We used to overlook a park, and it was fine over 99% of the time. Btw we lived in an area that was borderline rough. When we first looked at the property a parkkeeper regaled us with tales of rapes and attacks on old people in the park. We never had any trouble, so if I were you I'd ask the neighbours as they'll know better than anyone else.

Good luck!

[OrmIrian]

How long has the house been on the market? We saw one when we had sold our house and were desperate to move. This one had all the things we wanted apart from possibly location which wasn't ideal. Backed onto a little bit of partially wooded land with a stream - looked lovely. But there was clearly something wrong - house had been on market for over a year at at time when things were moving fast. (In the end they put it up for part-exchange )

Driving past a few times at weekend and evenings there were always a group of kids there and more often than not some police cars. Not what you want just outside your garden fence.

[LadyoftheBathtub]

You need one of those bird hide things like Bill Oddie, and a supply of sandwiches and orange squash. Stay for a few nights.

[TheMightyToosh]

I would steer clear. IME, even if a place isn't a hot spot now, next year it might be as the kids grow up and move on, and a new load take over.

You could drive round the area at night to get a feel for what it is like now, and see if the park is locked at night etc. Also walk round the park early morning and see what kind of rubbish is left behind - bottles, cans, cigarrette packets, etc.

But unless it is locked at night, and totally secure, I would avoid it personally.

[Fizzylemonade]

LadyoftheBathtub I would feel the need to do a running commentary, and clearly it would be soup in this weather

House has literally just come onto the market. It fronts onto the park but there is lots of screening by trees in the park itself.

Park is open so no locking it up at night and I agree that even if it is nice now it may be hell later.

This is a new build estate with lots and lots of parks in it and play areas. Loads of passage ways link the streets and it all backs onto large open fields which I think is farmland.

There are also football fields close by too giving teens lots of space to be away from housing and being overhear or seen.

We have lots of bobbys on the beat here where I live and I think there as well to deter the loitering gangs. Here we have a shop that they all go to and then take their beer into a field nowhere near houses (we have the same passage ways but no parks)

Thanks to all and especially TheMightyToosh I will have to steak it out and going early morning especially saturday and sunday is do-able.

[Fizzylemonade]

Overhear?? I clearly meant overheard.

Dh is driving home and is doing drive by surveillance