Is Southend rough?

[hugoagogo]

Most seaside places seem to have sadly gone down hill, what about Southend?

Some areas are, some aren’t. What part are you thinking of?

Parts of it are but there are lots of people moving there that have been priced out of London so I don't think it is a rundown as some seaside towns.

I read the other day that the crime statistics there have gone up something ridiculous like 39% in the last year..
I can't remember the exact figures.

It’s quite mixed.

Town centre looks run down, lots of boarded up shops, general feeling of menace. I wouldn't go there at night. It does perk up in the summer months. Southend itself has never been a desirable place to live IMO. Leigh and Chalkwell are lovely, charming, family orientated but £££.

Hmm I'm only thinking for a visit.

There are much nicer seaside resorts nearby - Clacton, Walton on the Naze, Frinton. etc.

It is a traditional seaside town. Esplanade for walking along. The pier for walking/catching the train. Funfair rides by the front. Fish and chips and arcades along the seafront. Catch the tide right and your can paddle or swim in the sea. Walk down to Leigh Old Town for a pub lunch.
For a daytime visit it is fine. I'm not sure I'd do an overnight visit, wouldn't want to live in central Southend either. But then I'm not a huge fan of seaside towns. A bit up the coast is quieter and you can hire a beach hut for the day, Up near Walton the shore is sandier.
It all depends why you are visiting and what you are looking for.

It's fine for a day trip. Nothing to worry about. It's super mixed - town centre pretty poor, but Leigh-on-Sea, Thorpe Bay very affluent with lots of million+ properties. For a day the seafront is good with kids and old Leigh for pubs, cockles etc!

Clacton is just as shitty as Southend. Frinton is nice and Walton is ok too.

Yes southend is horrible now. If the weather is nice, the seafront is full of drunks and druggies. The high street has a bad homelessness and drug user problem meaning you are constantly approached being asked for money, told sob stories about why their legs are rotting etc, some can get quite aggressive with it.

I dont feel safe there on my own any more and wont go without my husband.

The heart of Southend died the day the bastard bank called in its loans on Keddies forcing them to close.

No, don’t bother - it’s a dump - all of it.

It’s got a massive prostitution problem apparently. I wouldn’t want to live there, but it’s not as bad as some seaside towns... I will visit for some chips and a go on the penny falls. Whitstable is far nicer if you’re after a paddle and an ice cream.

I grew up there and it was a lovely place then, I moved away in the early 70s and haven't been back much. I was there last summer for a day, my first visit in about 20 years and it was really depressing, run down, even the beaches were deserted. It left me feeling a bit sad and I wished I hadn't gone.

Leigh on Sea is just down the road and is lovely.

Leigh on Sea for an overnight stay. Nice restaurants and bars, and if you've got kids, look into hiring a beach hut on the front and then eat fish and chips and get the pier train after a few rides at Adventure Island.

Yeah it does feel quite rough.
Only been for summer day trips. There are a lot of druggies around the town centre etc and it's quite run down. It's also very busy on the sea front if the weather is good.

We now prefer to go to Frinton on Sea (much quieter) or Clacton, quieter but still with arcades / old fashioned seaside feel.

My DP is from Southend and he hates it. Stewart Lee described it as 'a white supremacist theme park' and it is certainly 'well Brexit'

If you stick to the seafront you will be fine. Adventure island is a nice day out. Tickets are expensive but many essex schools and public places offer the half price wristbands. Unfortunately the seafront is dominated by adventure island so if you were not planning a visit there, and you have children, there is not much more to do.

Lunch for adults.. Leigh , front full of lovely places to eat , walk in land to high st for independent shops and a host of veggie places to eat . Or go the other way , out the other side of Southend-on-Sea and on to gunners park ( I think ) Shoeburyness is a blue flag beach . Or the arches near the cliffs pavilion for good food with easy parking .

It is a bit. I still had a pleasant day out there last year. The pier is impressive. I wouldn't consider it for any more than a day trip (and only then as it's about the closest seaside place). I tried Leigh on Sea - there didn't seem to be any beach.

As a child,I spent 2 weeks every summer at Southend (from 1964 - 1971) because my late DMum had family living there. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I went back there for the first time in ages,in 2016,and was shocked at how run down the town centre had become. There were a lot of druggies hanging about,and people asking for money. I was glad that I was only there for the day!

We went to Walton on naze for the day last year and I’m desperate to go back. Beautiful sandy beach and a really charming feel to it.

I’ve only been briefly to Southend and have no desire to go back there.

Frinton is lovely- proper old fashioned seaside resort.Not overun and can park close to beach.
Old fashioned high street but brilliant fish and chip shop etc.