East or South East? Plaistow, Ilford, Forest Gate, Plumstead????

[NellytheEl]

Hi all. I’m a first time buyer in London trying to narrow down choices of where to buy. I’ve lived in Islington most of my life but sadly can’t afford to buy in this area.

I am doing a lot of research which is soon to include a number of day and night time visits to the areas in mind. My budget is just over £300k as I am buying alone. Rightmove and Zoopla indicate that the best areas commute (to work) and price wise are East... so... Plaistow, Ilford, Forest Gate... (I’d throw in Upton Park and East Ham too). Plumstead also seems to offer a similar commute time and potentially more for my budget. I’m not in a rush and will see how prices fair after the stamp duty holiday ends (if it does).

I like period houses, so am drawn to the Victorian conversions/maisonettes. Plumstead seems to have Victorian houses in my budget which is amazing!

Anyway I’m really hoping anyone and everyone with knowledge of these areas will chip in to the conversation. What are your comments about safety/crime? I’ve checked police stats but these aren’t a final picture as we all know. What do people think of the communities and amenities in those areas? Prices are going up in all those areas so they seem to all be “investments”. Any other pearls of wisdom are welcome!

I'd go for Forest Gate but only near the Flats/Woodgrange estate. The rest is rough. I say this as an ex-resident with family still there.

@nellytheei

The type of flats you mention ( house conversion) there is a few in the charlton Greenwich blackheath area but they are around 320k

I think you'll really struggle at that price in a naice part of East London, I think a one bed may just be doable in somewhere like South Woodford/Wanstead. If you look out Chelmsford way make sure you take into account the train costs.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/74444175#/

Something like this

You could get a 1 bed in Walthamstow for that.

E17 isn't perfect but it is nicer than Plaistow/Ilford and Forest Gate

Def agree about Walthamstow and the Village is quite nice. Direct line to Liverpool St and Victoria line for everything else. Plus buses. So many bus routes.

Agree also about Walthamstow.

I used to live in Plumstead, albeit it 20 years ago, I left when there was a drive by shooting outside my house. It’s really not a nice place at all, there is a reason it’s affordable! However, nearer the common than the hight street is better.

Have a look at Lee Green, SE12. It’s very close to Blackheath which is lovely but very expensive, and a 10 min bus ride to Lewisham train centre which is a great commuter hub. Hither Green is also worth checking.

Thanks for the replies

Ilford is awful so one to avoid. East Ham and Upton Park are a no no. If you go for Forest Gate, only stick to the side next to Wanstead Flats which is lovely but is being gentrified. Plaistow is hit and miss.

@Easttt thanks. Are you able to elaborate on Plaistow. Where are the good and bad areas? I’m also considering Romford as I like the compact town centre and transport links. Anything to chime in on regarding Romford?

Ilford Lane and the surrounding area is absolutely horrible but once you head towards Gants Hill it gets better.

The Admiralty roads (between The Drive and Cranbrook Road) Redcliffe, Ranelagh, Clarendon all have big Edwardian properties and are big with high ceilings and gardens.

Valentines Park is lovely, there are enough shops to be able to shop locally if you wish. There are a lot of restaurants up by Gants Hill station (as well as chicken/burger shops) but not much nightlife aside from Faces

[quote NellytheEl]@Easttt thanks. Are you able to elaborate on Plaistow. Where are the good and bad areas? I’m also considering Romford as I like the compact town centre and transport links. Anything to chime in on regarding Romford?[/quote]
I don't think there's any good bits of Plaistow (sorry any Plaistow-ers).

I live in FG, I have lived in the area that someone described as "niace" and now live south of Romford Road which I disagree with it being so much worse than north of. I've lived here since 2012 and my husband grew up here. I've never been robbed or felt unsafe. I'd say the main crimes are gang related and there's tons of fly tipping which is disgusting. I don't think you can buy a home in FG for 300k anymore.
As for East Ham I would look at the streets around Central Park, I've looked a few houses there and you get more for your money than in FG.

The whole borough of Newham is a real victim of the "broken window" effect.

Completely agree @JorisBonson!
I have found a real sense of community within Newham though. Lots of young families, made real friendships which have lasted years. There are also some excellent primary schools here. We had 10 mention in the recent top 250 primary schools in England, one of them being number 2.

I moved out of Upton Park 6 months ago (out of London altogether, in fact!), it's not a very nice area. Didn't feel safe after dark, and during the day it's pretty rough. Useful (and cheap) fruit & veg market on Green Street, though! I used to walk to East Ham most weekends as the high street has a Primark and a Lidl, but I wouldn't want to live there - I much preferred living in Ealing, which is where I was based before! The one thing I would say for the area is that the tube links are good - Hammersmith & City Line and District Line from Upton Park, and you can get into the centre of London pretty quickly from there, while it's also not too much of a hike/a short bus trip to Stratford which has more lines/some national train services (and the Westfield shopping centre!)

Hi @NellytheEl

I'm not sure there's a clear enough definition of good and bad in Plaistow. It's depends what you're looking for. Newham does have a good community spirit and the location is excellent. There are also some top schools. Romford is a proper town centre that has everything. There are some nicer parts of it too. The nightlife (in normal times) is lively. Another area of East London worth looking at is Aldersbrook.

What sort of vibe are you looking for/what are your priorities? For compact town centre and transport links East Ham is a good bet (and I’d prefer it to Romford).

Forest Gate isn’t bad at all for transport links (and Crossrail will help - eventually), but the high street isn’t great in its current state. It is gaining a cafe culture, but this is focused on the railway arches rather than the high street.

Plumstead near the common is alright. Would you consider further south? Lewisham, Brockley, Hither Green? Much nicer than anywhere in Newham! Your commute is probably faster on the train as well.

@helmetflask thanks and yes, I am looking into areas further South. Please do share your opinions and experiences? Which areas do you recommend I look into further?

@NellytheEl I moved to Plumstead a few years ago. We're really happy here. There's lots of positives about Plumstead. There is loads of green space. For some reason, the green areas don't all show up as green on Google maps. As well as winns common and Oxleas wood that show up as green, there is also Plumstead common and Bostall Wood. It's amazing to have these green spaces on your doorstep. Shrewsbury Park is really lovely and has amazing views over the Thames.

The transport is good. The bus routes are regular and take you to woolwich in minutes, where you've got the reliable dlr (and one day, Crossrail). The trains from Plumstead train station are regular and reliable. I'm surprised about how little I miss the tube- it's much more pleasant commuting to work on an overground train compared to an underground tube. At rush hour, they are never crazy busy like the tubes can get.

There are some good amenities around. Two lovely cafes in Plumstead. Some nice pubs including the Plum Tree and The Star (I love the sourdough pizzas at The Star). There's some amazing south Asian restaurants. In Woolwich, there's some lovely cafes. Boulangerie Jade is one of my favourite places in the whole of London.

Plumstead also has a really good community. There's loads of community activities and I've got to know my neighbours, which is completely different to where I used to live.

I'm not going to pretend it's a fancy, affluent area. The high street is always full of litter, which annoys me. But it feels no better or worse than most areas of London. Of course if feels different to the affluent areas, but if you could afford to live in such areas, you wouldn't be considering Plumstead and Newham

"Upper" Plumstead is definitely more pleasant than "lower" Plumstead. Lower Plumstead is the area around the high st, particularly north of the high st. Once you go up the hill and head towards the commons, it feels more pleasant.

There are a few houses in upper Plumstead in your price range. I'd choose a house in Plumstead over a flat elsewhere. Having moved from a flat, I love having my own front door and not having to worry about communal areas etc.

@plumrade thank you so much for your detailed response. Which postcodes fall into “upper” Plumstead and I’ll take a look. Thanks again !

It's all the same postcode se18 (that includes woolwich too). Lower Plumstead is the high st, and the roads immediately around, particularly the north side of the high st. As you go south of the high st, it starts gets to get higher. You get good leg muscles!

Of those areas (and I don't know Plumstead) I would go for Forest Gate. It does still have a rough edge, but it borders nicer areas. I personally would rule out East Ham. Ilford has some bits I like, but then I live in East London and my standards aren't sky high!

Would you consider Highams Park or Chingford? They are on a direct line to Liverpool St, and you could get a genuinely nice flat in a decent area for your money.