Harlow. What's it like

[Ebonyonice]

Hi peeps

Does anyone know what it's like to live in Harlow. Is it diverse. I have a 9 year old boy and 6 year old girl. Looking in CM19 area. Honest reflections welcomed :)

I'm a little familiar with it. A friend of mine lived there and I lived not far in Hertfordshire. What appeals to you about the area?

I don't know about areas of Harlow, but I sometimes go to Harlow Town for shopping. It has loads of shops, Primark, Savers, Boots, McDonalds, Wimpy, Tk maxx, and Asda to name a few, and loads more. Going around the Town centre, I do not get the impression that it is really diverse to tell the truth. You would have to visit the areas to get a feel of the place.

I used to work there but quite a while ago now. I wouldn't chose to live there.

It wasn't hugely diverse when I worked there but not as bad as where I grew up. However, the attitude from staff that I worked with...being told I must have rhythm, trying to see any racist incidents from the other side (something must have happened for that children to make a racist comment) got wearing.

Could have been just the school i was at and things may have changed but attitudes like that take a long time to disappear imo.

Plus there is something deeply depressing about the town. It's just so grey with roundabout after roundabout. Sorry, rather a negative response op!

Old Harlow is quite nice though. Not sure how diverse it is.

Other than the house prices there's nothing positive I could write even with the Choice Discount store in the shopping centre. My friend who lives there doesn't like it either. It's OK for getting on the property ladder or you need to be near someone who lives there. My friend's parents live there so she bought near them. Her neighbour is nice to her. Yes the area isn't as diverse but it's getting so mostly for the prices not schools etc.

Thank you everyone. The appeal is proximity to family and price I did a viewing earlier saw a few Black people. Feels quite remote/barren in places. Looking for areas that have reasonable schools and where mine won't be the only Black child in the class navigating that space. My daughter also has SEND so trying to find a secondary school for my 9 Yr old boy and a primary for my 6 Yr able yo accommodate her needs makes my head hurt. :(

I saw a recent newspaper article about Harlow being one of the least diverse places in the whole country. It's BNP territory. I go there for the shops, old Harlow and surrounding villages are nice but it's absolutely not diverse. Cheshunt isn't too far (South Herts) or Ware? Could they be an option?

My cousin's lived there for years with his family. Seems to be ok. It's likely more diverse now than it was back when he moved there

Lived there all my life. Don't know what these snobs are on about, Harlow is the land of cheap kebabs and smelly flaps.
The town centre has all sorts of people. Really diverse if you ask me, I think it's the mixing of similar genes that provide such diversity.

One of my best friends lived there all her life and spent most of it saying she wanted to leave which she did last year. Not sure about the diversity but not somewhere l would live. All relative though x

My friend who livesntherr and has always done since her teens says the same. She's always plotting to move. It doesn't mean it won't work for you OP. I think to be bear famy and for property prices it's worth a consideration. Also compare close by eg Hoddesdon. It's slightly better I think.

I know this was posted a long time ago. But do not under any circumstances move to Harlow it is the ghetto of essex. Can not wait to move from here it is the area of depression and those that produce children but don't want to raise their children. The drug rate here is crazy and known as a dumping ground for London councils with office blocks being turned into flats everywhere. All the shops are abandoned and rotting the buildings are legit depression with concrete after concrete. There's no night life at all just the sketchy pubs where local alcoholics hang out. The area is an absolute state just so deprived and with over 15 million in just council tax alone I struggle to see why the area is so neglected. If you want to raise a family here just don't I've never seen so many children act so wild in public with no parents insight ever..... and the police will not come out all never see them ever out even when they are next door to the town centre. Just please avoid at all costs especially for your children I would class london walthamstow better then here that's how bad it is here.