To want to escape the ghetto

[N15]

I have name changed for this for obvious reasons.

I live in a part of London that has long resisted gentrification, and has a stubbornly high (and rising) crime rate. Stabbings, and even shootings, are far too common. Neighbours have witnessed shootings, with their children. The local secondaries are seen as finishing schools for criminals, with a lot of gang involvement, and knives carried around.

I really worry about my children when they reach secondary school age. I would sooner home school than send them to the local secondaries, but I don't have the ability to home school due to working. I work as a junior doctor, but the wages are low, especially for London.

Any suggestions for an area with decent schools that doesn't break the bank? I would need 4+ bedrooms. Even open to buying land and building, anything to escape.

Bishop’s Stortford. You can get to Tottenham Hale in about half an hour on the train. Good schools. Could definitely get a 4 bed within your budget.

Wimbledon?

Easily within your budget

Do what we did - husband trained in London but chose the GP route because it’s quicker and doesn’t tie you to a big city. On a GP salary you can go pretty much anywhere.

Yes we have shootings in london.

Had someone shot dead literally outside my house once. Not pleasant.

How awful!

Not when you live there, it ain't. Its been nicknamed shanktown ffs.

My area absolutely is ghetto-like, although gentrification is coming apparently, especially with the new waterfront proeprties that will decimate the marshes/canal area 🙄

My area absolutely is ghetto-like, although gentrification is coming apparently, especially with the new waterfront proeprties that will decimate the marshes/canal area 🙄

Do you prefer it remained ghetto-like? I assume you're opposed to the decimation of the marshes, I get that but I'll like to understand what else, if anything, you're opposed to about the gentrification?

@wherethecityis SE12

This is such a weird thread. OP you must know that with that budget you could buy a nice 4 bed family home in loads of parts of London, though maybe further out than you are now. Maybe it's your definition of "nice" that differs from ours! How about Woodford Green for starters? https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/134789783#/?channel=RES_BUY

Archway is a good shout. Or Enfield, Hanwell

I'm against the destruction of community, the council moving people out to fuck knows where away from their support systems, others not being able to live near their families and friends. I had to buy 100miles in furthest east kent as I couldn't afford to buy in my area on my own. Not even a flat. Hipsters coming in an making everything shit. Rich people coming in and forcing the people already there out. Gentrification isn't a good thing imo.

I've just seen OP's unsername and she's from just along from me, I was N18. I'd look at Cheshunt or Herts or Essex if I were her.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/133633667#/?channel=RES_BUY

How far is a commutable distance? 50 minutes on the train? Houlton / Rugby will get you a 4 / 5 bed detached property for around £750-£800k. Put the spare cash on deposit and use the income to fund your travel costs. Or Northampton which is a bit closer. Nice villages.

Actually, if you type '4 bed house London' into Google there is a selection.

I know you mentioned you'd rather stay in North London, but you need to make a compromise somewhere. Have you looked at all at SE London? Areas like Nunhead, Forest Hill, Honor Oak, Crystal Palace, Annerly etc?

All have 4 bed properties within your price range. You'd just need to be prepared to travel.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E85335&minBedrooms=4&sortType=1&propertyTypes=bungalow%2Cdetached%2Csemi-detached%2Cterraced&mustHave=&dontShow=&furnishTypes=&keywords=

"Need" 4 bedrooms

Is there any way to compromise on that

You sleep in the living room and then one room for boys and one for girls would have traditionally been how people coped - that's 2 bedrooms

Thanks. I agree with this bit about gentrification. There has to be a way neighbourhoods can be revitalised without pushing people out and taking over their community.

Sorry to hear you were displaced. It's terrible.

I live in approx this sort of area and the commute to North, although there are options, isn't really nice to rely on. If there was the chance my work was going to deploy me all over North London at short notice I would not consider this at all

Oh come on, this is mad. I thought you were going to say you were in a situation like being a carer for a disabled child in a council flat, not a professional woman with options and a massive budget. Plenty of people commute into London.

Shootings? For a second, I thought you were talking about the US. Didn't know there were guns in the UK, enough to have regular shootings. Knife crime, I get.

@ChangeIsInevitable

I live in West Midlands and news reports in shootings in our larger cities are becoming more common . Sadly have also seen a couple of reports of this happening in quieter areas too .

I'd look at Cheshunt or Herts or Essex if I were her.

Actually I'd look at Chingford, Oakwood, Cockfosters, even Potters bar etc.

Another quick look online and you can get somewhere in Edgware/Finchley type areas for your budget if you want to stay in N London

This

Your budget is up to a million and you are living with stabbings and shootings on your doorstep? Money clearly isn't the issue here (even if you borrowed it sounds like you can) so just move out of London and commute in if you have to. I don't understand what the issue is, just move house.

Essex/Suffolk coast. With that budget, you could take your pick or buy somewhere cheaper and give yourself wiggle room.

Budget of a million ffs. There's plenty of places you can live in London. I highly doubt you live in the "ghetto". If you want them to go to school in some middle class area then move to surrey or somewhere else really obvious.