Is Thamesmead, SE London, a rough area?

[Bavon]

I've heard mixed things about this area. One person said "you don't wanna go there" . Is it as bad as people say?

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/126174497#/?channel=RES_BUY

this seems cheap!

Well it's not cheap, but it's a very nice development and the Elizabeth Line is amazing and Uber Boats go from Woolwich Pier as well. Woolwich town centre itself is depressing I go through it often after using the EL to catch the 96 bus home. The world-class Punchdrunk Immersive Theatre company has made it their permanent home as well. Just saw their Burnt City in their huge venue. Very good it was as well. It has a growing funky vibe that bodes well for the future.

I wouldn't live there out of choice. We did buy a flat there in the late 90s as it was the only place we could afford.

I'd avoid if you can. Agree Plumstead is better but at the top near the common. Not the lower road or the High St.

Oh that apartment is nice. If I wasn't weighed down by husband and kids I could definitely see myself there.

A it's not thamesmead

B the price is extortionate for a leasehold with service charges in the thousands and for that price you can buy an actual house with a garden a 20 minute walk away.

More bathrooms than bedrooms.

I lived there. I wouldn’t move back. Not far to Woolwich or Abbey Wood so travel on dlr or Lizzie line good. The issue is there are just houses/flats and a small retail park. The smell can be horrific when the wind blows the wrong way. I didn’t feel unsafe at all though.
It was just depressing. I lived in Plumstead Common and Woolwich previously to there.
My mat leave was very lonely. I lived in a flat and had used it as a first time buy whilst I worked in the west end. I had no friends with babies. The mum and baby groups weren’t geared up for me ( my hv words).
We moved out when Ds was one. I wouldn’t want to raise him there. Dh hated it.
Im always cautious with these type of threads as I remember a similar one when I was there and it really upset me. This was my experience but some people obviously are happy there, much like anywhere.

I haven't been down there for at least 10 years but I spent some time there with a friend who was doing a master's in built environment, and was afraid to visit some places on her own. I found it fascinating - up to that point I had assumed those estates were just thrown up as quickly and cheaply as possible, I had no idea about the thought and optimism and ideology that went into them.

Unfortunately once they were built they were not maintained physically, supported financially or managed socially (apart from the Barbican), and never became the communities they could have been. I have a soft spot for Harlow and some other places that are considered shitholes, but even I can't muster up any love for Thamesmead and I wouldn't live there or put money into property there. Also it does smell.

Yes it is. If you have other options, take them.

I know what you mean about being cautious in these threads.
One must remember that people actually live in these areas and may have little choice in the matter
It must be extremely upsetting to read that one’s area is a rough or a dump when you live there

The new builds in Royal Arsenal/Woolwich are great - the whole area has had quite a bit of money invested in it so there are some nice cafes, M and S, nursery, softplay. There has been some thought to what will attract decent residents, especially for the price of the flats. Lots of nice families milling about. Sadly, Peabody has all but given up on the new builds on Southmere Lake, no retail units are in there, no restaurants etc. Wilton Road by the station has THREE barber shops, TWO betting shops, TWO nail parlours and a Mccolls.

Had a weekend of police helicopters over the estates and traveller site.

The whole area is basically the arsehole of Greenwich. Lots of factory/manual labour work though because of the large processing plants in Erith. The community events in Abbey Wood are fantastic as is the green space. The further south you go into Bexley, the nicer it gets.

Well I know that… hence why I said cheap for London. I used to live in a part of London that was relatively cheap because that was what we could afford, but it wasn’t unpleasant by any means. £600k is still quite a sum for most people.

locally, colloquially known as Stinkmead

Yes Plumstead Common is improving, decent people moving in. With a competent LA it would already be gentrified. Plumstead High Street is a very different story and to be avoided.

The newer bits are ok.
I grew up there, my house/well more of a maisonette is actually in Clockwise Orange.
One of the best things I ever did was passing my 11 plus so I didn’t have to go to the local secondary school.

I lived in Lewisham for years and that was rough enough. A friend’s sister taught in Thamesmead; it’s very deprived. Nothing wrong with that, of course, it just may mean it’s not that nice to live in. What is there to do there? What are schools like? I wouldn’t.

I have lived here for nearly two years and to go against almost every poster on here I absolutely love it here. There was a couple of murders last year and there was a shooting outside my block recently, but that can happen anywhere. I have found the people who live here to be really friendly. Once I’m in my flat I feel totally safe. There’s a lot of fields outside my estate and even though there’s not a lot going on, there’s good bus links to central London.

Not forgetting there’s a fantastic boot sale on a Saturday and Sunday

Clockwork Orange

My Uncle and Aunt had moved to Thamesmead at that point and watched some of the filming taking place.

Excuse Me?
Decent people moving in?!!

What are you calling the people of Plumstead here exactly??

PS Gentrification is fine for you types but locals, who have lived in said areas for decades do not want it!!

I mean yeah...who wants anything to be nice eh?

The issue with gentrification is when it removes the character of the area or pushes out residents because of increased rents and house prices.

I don't have a problem for example, with someone removing the betting shops, and the half dozen newsagents and barber shops from Abbey Wood. They don't add anything to the area and attract scumbags.

Replacing them with better shops and services is a good thing.

I do have a problem with investors pushing up house prices and chain stores moving in everywhere.

Lived here for six months when I left college and moved to London. Main reason being I had a friend and her family living quite close in a newly built house. It is rough. My key memory is that when they moved in, as is common there was till landscaping work to be done, which included their front garden. This was put down one day- and then stolen overnight. I moved sharpish and actually so did they.

Oh so Plumstead has nothing nice, is that what you are saying now?

Gentrification runs out the regular working class who live there.. or it outprices them. . Coffee shops popping up everywhere with overpriced Wares for example.
Still, long as those who would probably have looked down their noses at an area years ago, are happy..