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?

I live on the Royal Arsenal which is a very lovely area, real community feel and tons to do, very social and lots of nice cafes and stuff. But very very gentrified and has definitely created a class rift and barrier within the area.

Thamesmead feels unsafe to walk around. Lots of random aggression on the street and just a weird vibe in general. Feels hostile.

Its got a nice bakery over the common.

The high street is a shithole though.

What is the smell from, do you know?

Is it just blowing over from Beckton?

You have factories from Erith that send out quite a weird sour nut oil smell, and there is the sewer plant.

You have factories from Erith that send out quite a weird sour nut oil smell, and there is the sewer plant.

Bad luck. But it could be worse - I was at Gallions Reach recently and the air was absolutely solid with the smell of faeces. I don't understand how that area can be zoned for human use!

Thamesmead is not nearly that bad.

And its not even cheap to buy!

I've lived in Thamesmead for the last 5 years. Naively bought there in my 20s after the credit crunch without doing any research. Thamesmead is both lovely and horrible. Much like many parts of London. Some parts are run down, some stink, some have pockets of anti social behaviour. But there are decent hard working respectable families who live here. I feel safer here than other parts of London. I've lived on the Isle of Dogs near Canary Wharf and I see more drugs and crime when I visit there now then I have seen in Thamesmead. There are some nice parks here, lots of green trees, many of the young people come from good families and are respectable, there are young people in the pairs taking drugs and others there paying football, basket ball etc. The retail park is quite ok, meets your daily needs. Belvedere is not far by car, there's a b&Q there and a Costa. Woolwich is a 5 minute drive, Charlton is 10 minutes drive. Abbeywood is close by and the Lizzie line has opened up links to central London and Stratford. Peabody who are doing large swathes of regeneration in Thamesmead are responsive unlike many other housing organisations. They put on activities, and summer events and shows.

The smell from the sewerage in Summer is vile here though

Over the last twenty years as a single (then) twenty something female I've lived in Lewisham, Catford, Lee, Woolwich. Wouldn't have ventured into Thamesmead even though rent was cheap! The motorbike story reminded me of when I saw someone being chased down with machetes in (relatively more desirable) Forest Hill though.

A lot of the places I've mentioned are nicer now than they were in 2003. Lived in New Cross too, that was horrific back then. My flat are got mugged at knifepoint the first week we were there!

*mate

I'm from SE London, now in Kent. No way would I ever live in Thamesmead. It's grim. There's a soft play place there and I remember saying to my kids on the way there (now adults) driving through the concrete jungle 'this is where you'll end up if you don't get a decent job'

Just spoken to my friend and he said that the concrete jungle is no more. So it's probably a lot better than I remember, over 10yrs ago.

It's over 30 years since I moved away from London. Thamesmead had a dreadful rep back then, and it's sad to think that it hasn't improved in all that time, when so many areas of London have massively changed for the better.

Mind you, I come from Croydon and quite a lot of the borough has changed for the worst, especially the bit where I used to live.

Not keen on Thamesmead but Plumstead Common/Shooters Hill is great. We've been so happy here and have come across literally hundreds of like minded families.

Thamesmead is both lovely and horrible. Much like many parts of London.

This is true. I can say the same for Walthamstow, Whitechapel, Hackney and Holloway from my own experience - they all come around in the end. I never thought Wembley Park would, but I take it back now. Sooner or later Thamesmead will too, once they improve the smell, which must be possible if they tried.

That soft play is closed down now it’s the ONLY thing me and my lot use to go there for

I grew up in Plumstead @Phaseur so I think there's always been decent people living there

But the High St is awful. Not somewhere I would go on my own after dark.

I currently live on the woolwich/plumstead border and had a walk to the aldi in thamesmead.

I will not be walking around there again, to put it simply. It felt very run down and rough.

Have a look at woolwich/plumstead, woolwich (esp near the riverside) tends to be pricier. The area is nice overall.

A friend and I thought walking from Greenwich along the Thames River Path into London would be a good idea...round that area it got very sketchy and we jumped on a bus. We are both OK at taking care of ourselves, but didn't like the feeling at all.

Sorry Anne no offence intended. I just meant alot of the abysmal btl and hmo properties are being sold to young couples / families more community minded.

None taken @Phaseur! Plumstead is now more desirable than it used to be, especially around the common area.

Can only hope the same happens with Thamesmead. I have some colleagues that were looking at Kidbrooke village (as they called it) I advised them against that as well as we all still call it the Ferrier Estate.

Peabody are a great landlord in my opinion. Thamesmead isn't as bad as it used to be and there's some regeneration going on. There just isn't a lot going on culturally- no real cafe culture for eg. But...it's on the river, has a shopping centre with a very good Morrisons and is a lot cheaper housing wise than other parts of London.

I wouldn't go there unless I had to.
And I wouldn't live there.

I've lived in some relatively rough areas of London - Tooting, Dagenham, Walworth and felt quite safe and comfortable there but the last time I was looking to move I looked at a couple of places in Thamesmead and Plumstead and definitely didn’t like the feel - very rundown, shabby, not much in the way of attractive shops etc. I ended up in another area of South East London and it was definitely the right decision!