Moving to Thanet?

[angrywoman]

I am hopefully going to be training in Canterbury next year. I have spoken to someone who lives in Broadstairs. She reckons Ramsgate would be a good place to buy a house/ live. I have also been looking at Margate as there are some bargains house-wise and it is supposed to be on the up! Someone else thought I was insane to consider Ramsgate or Margate...
I haven't actually been down there for years. Any tips on the different areas and what its like? I have 3 children, one at secondary. We like the look of pictures and especially the sea-side cycle track.
What about commuting to Canterbury?
Is there much of an arts / music scene?
Are people friendly?
Any ideas?

Thanet is quite a deprived area, high unemployment, ramsgate is nicer than margate. Canterbury gets v busy with students and tourists.

DH and I used to live in Faversham, which is about 10mins from Canterbury, and DH used to work in Margate. At least once a month, he says "I WISH we'd been smart and bought in Margate instead as we'd be making a killing."

The new Turner Contemporary art gallery is having a tangible, visible regenerative effect on Margate, so if you buy there then you're likely to see you property only go up.

However, it's not going to be an overnight process, and whilst there are massive improvements to it compared to, say, 2 years ago, there are still socio-economic problems.

Between Broadstairs and Ramsgate, I'd be far more inclined to pick Broadstairs. But if you're going to be spending a lot of time in Canterbury, then I would probably lean towards Faversham, Ashford, Whitstable and even Canterbury itself. Faversham very pretty market town, good schools, Ashford much much bigger (3 times as big as Canterbury) and not quite as nice but fast train to London is amazing. Whitstable very quaint and pretty seaside town, but lots of London second homes there which has priced locals out a bit.

HTH!

Also Thanet is a grammar area for secondary school- about 25% of chdn go to grammar schools. Sandwich is nice but probably suffering from the closure of the big Pfizer plant.

There are many nice areas to live in Thanet but as a rule your best choice of area to live is Broadstairs. Anywhere in Broadstairs. Also StPeters, Kingsgate, Palm Bay and Dumpton (Park Drive). Also WestGate and Birchington, but they are a bit further out. But then that would be good for Canterbury.

recently moved here also after living in London - most local people in Thanet are friendly, like all communities there are some places best avoided in Margate and Ramsgate, usually where prices to buy and rent are very low, it's a clue as to why. Westgate an Broadstairs are probably best. fast train link from Margate and regular buses to Canterbury make Westbrook worth a look too.

Hi
I live in Minster in Thanet. Lovely village with a great restaurant, fast train into Canterbury. Worth a look.

Hi, I live in the Dumpton park area of Ramsgate. We moved here from London almost 8 years ago and I have absolutely NO plans to move away. I love it here! Dumpton's great as its within walking distance of both Broadstairs and Margate. We live next to the King George the VII park and its wonderful! Margate is cheaper certainly, but be careful where you choose in Margate. You're welcome to contact me for more information but it kinda gets down to very specific roads within margate - some are gorgeous, some are awful. To be honest the same applies to all 3 areas; Broadstairs, Margate and Ramsgate.

The benefit of thanet over whitstable and the medway towns is that the trains from thanet (as in margate, ramsgate and broadstairs (rather than Westgate and Birchington)) all have access to two routes into London. The slower route takes in the medway towns (and Whitstable) whereas the faster route takes in Canterbury. Given that there are 'promises' that the fast route will get even faster then there is of course the possibility that prices in the previously mentioned thanet towns will go up even further thus making all three a better possibility than Whitstable. However when it came to it the reason we chose Ramsgate rather than whitstable came down, simply, to the state of the beaches. Whitstable has stones and mud, whereas Ramsgate and Broadstairs are a gorgeous mix of sand and rock pools. By the way I have four kids ranging from 3 to 13 and could give you a pocket overview of a lot of the schools around here as well.

As I've said above - please feel free to contact me.

Hope all of that has helped.

Resurrecting this thread if no one minds Moving to the Westcliff side of Ramsgate at the end of the month. Unfortunately my ds is in Reception and it seems unlikely we will get into one of the local schools, so we are looking at Haddon Deane (oops might be wrong name, prospectus is packed!) in Broadstairs, does anyone know it, or can give me any advice.
Thanks, looking forward to joining you all down there!

Hi dreams. How did the move go?

I moved to Broadstairs from Medway this year and am looking to meet people down here. My DD will be 11wo on Tuesday.

Fancy a coffee at Westwood cross in the new year?

Merry Christmas!

Kazzy hi, sorry didnt see your reply! Move went fine, quite stress free and we were unpacked in plenty of time for Christmas. Would love to meet for a coffee in the New Year.

Even after only a month I definately think that we have made the right move Its soooo friendly around here.

Hi Im moving from norwich to kent. Can anyone give me advice where would be the better place to live with my 11 year old son Canterbury or Ramsgate ? My son will be ready to go high school there but not grammer school hopeing someone can give me advice would be real grateful x

Hands down Canterbury, lovely parks, lots on events wise ( lovely new Curzon cinema) great for Saturday jobs, and if you need a beach broadstairs/whitstable, Ramsgate and deal/Dover/Folkestone are a stone's throw!

And Herne/botany bay too!

I live in Westbrook just outside Margate and I love it, wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Yes there are still rundown parts of Margate but the good parts are really good great art scene lots of fabulous restaurants and a real buzz here. Come for a weekend look around. I have lived all over the country and this place has my heart.