to be afraid to move to north London?

[Samsean]

Hi

We are relocating to north London (harringay/hackney) due to DP's work. Having just visited the place, it feels scary and unfriendly. Is there anything to be afraid of or is it just in my head?

[MadBusLady]

Oh yes, Seven Sisters probably on the avoid list too.

[TheFarSide]

Jefferson I came out of my house in Walthamstow village today and after a five minute walk I was in Epping Forest.

Definitely countryside

[Skinheadmermaid]

Harengay is pretty crappy but there are loads of cheap shops as everyone is poor!
Wood green is great for shopping too, great primark.
I do however suggest you buy a large dog for personal protection or take up boxing.
Don't visit tottenham at night!
Ah i love living in norf landen

[SpidercalledChester]

My first ever flat was in Seven Sisters. It had cockroaches and the roof leaked. I've lived South of the River ever since...

[Amibambini]

Hackney Rocks! Been here 10 years and LOVE IT. I walk and ride my bike about at all hours and have never had a problem. In fact I feel safer at 4am on a Hackney side street with its 24 hour traffic and people than the utterly silent and dark suburban streets of my 'safe' Australian home city. Sure there are dodgy bits and dodgy people, but they are everywhere, all over London.

I love the mix of people, the buzz, there are so many groups to get involved in, loads of great arty spaces, cafes, markets, parks, pubs, coffee & cake places. Deffo check out Springfield Park, I live on a barge right near there and it's my favourite place I have ever lived in my whole adult life.

[Notcontent]

As others have pointed out, North London covers a very wide range of areas - some lovely, some less so. Like the whole of London. Going by house prices, it is very much the place to be !!!! I can't imagine living in any other part of London.

[MadBusLady]

Wood Green is great for shopping, used to go there a lot when I lived in Crouch End where I couldn't afford anything.

[christinarossetti]

You're being unreasonable to make sweeping statements about two whole London boroughs!

There's nothing in particular to be afraid of, unless you're likely to be involved in the distribution of class a drugs in which case you might get shot.

[Lweji]

Yes, Harringay/Hackney is East London, really.

It depends where you go.
High streets often look a bit unfriendly, but you can find nicer places not that far.

Also consider commuting distance when looking for a place to live.
Check out bus routes and trains if necessary.

[christinarossetti]

Nooooooo, Haringey has solid N postcodes, and Stoke Newington is N16. Agree that Vicky Park area is east London.

[tethersend]

I lived in south London for six years, then defected to north London. I never looked back. North London is far better.

I live in east London now (just by Victoria Park in fact) and I wouldn't live anywhere else.

[Scrubber]

Harringey is north London. I lived in Crouch End for years and it was lovely, I miss it now. There are good and less good areas in the borough, just like most of London.

[MrsOakenshield]

Hackney isn't north London (phew!)

seriously though, one thing that north of the river friends have conceded is how little the river factors in their lives. I'm currently working in south London so it's the first time in 14 years that I haven't crossed the river every day to get to and from work. (But my new place is right by the river so the connection is still there.) And I like that, London was a great trading port built here because of the Thames. If you don't have a connection with it, there doesn't seem much point living here.

well, as you were.

[MadBusLady]

Fuck, between that and the pink range cooker, Mrs D...

[MooncupGoddess]

Gosh, MrsDeV, you're Norf Lunnon royalty!

That's absolutely true, MrsO -I used to live in South London and although my area was fairly grot, getting the bus over the river to work every day was just lovely. Now I can go for weeks without seeing the Thames at all.

[ThePeppermintHippo]

I live in Hackney (near the border with Islington) and I don't think there is anything to be afraid of up here! There are some rough areas and some lovely ones, same as any part of London. I definitely don't think north Londoners are unfriendly!

[WildAndWoolly]

We lived in Tottenham (Seven Sisters end) for 8 years and despite what you might see/read in the news we rarely saw any kind of trouble. There is gun crime but it's generally gang related and you never actually see the gangs (unless you're looking for them).

What we did have was a lovely road where we knew our neighbours and a lot of the other people, a great library, good leisure centre, theatre, fast tube into central London.

The schools were crap though. That's why we moved.

[MadBusLady]

I agree, all my family were from south London and now I've moved back there. Living in Norf London was nice, but crossing the river you know you're home.

[southeastdweller]

I can't imagine what you'd think of the shit-tip I live in (deepest S.E London where even the local Wheterspoons is empty on Frday nights).

I used to live in north London, miss it terribly and hope to be back next month after I've done my time in ths dump.

[crazynanna]

I'm an Archway girl originally and now live in Finsbury Pk/Stroud Green. DD lives in Holloway.
None of us would live elsewhere. Home is where the heart is.

[crazynanna]

I'm an Archway girl originally and now live in Finsbury Pk/Stroud Green. DD lives in Holloway.
None of us would live elsewhere. Home is where the heart is.

[cardamomginger]

We live in Haringey, although one of the 'nicer' bits mentioned upthread. It's lovely .

Also got hopelessly lost in Muswell Hill once when I was off my face the morning after a hard night's partying. There were just too many roundabouts....