Moving to Hastings...

[surreymumwithone]

Hello - I hope some of you Hastings Mum's out there can help me. We (me, DH and DD) are planning a move to Hastings from Surrey/West London and while I know that most people look on here for info on schools, my request is more for areas we can register an interest in with the estate agents as we've just come back from 10 days in Hastings and are a bit lost about where to avoid. A bit of background, DH will be commuting to London and has all of that sorted and I am a SAHM. Our Daughter is 4 and will be home educated due to disability and ongoing health issues. So we aren't looking at Hastings for work or schools, just for a lifestyle change and a better way of life for my Daughter who needs fresh air and all of the sensory wonders that come along with being so near to the sea. We love Hastings Old Town and had found a wonderful house, however as with most properties in the Old Town, it was next door but one to a pub and I'm just not sure we are ready for that with a little one. I don't know if it helps but we love the feel of the Old Town and Fishing Quarter, along with all of the roads at the top of West Hill. Obviously, sea views would be wonderful but more importantly is a nice area and parking as my Daughter is physically disabled and it would be great to not have to use a chair to get from home to the car. We are open to any area as we have no real restrictions and have a good budget for each month but we've found some conflicting information online about Hastings in general (from DO NOT MOVE THERE to best decision we ever made) so finding info on which areas to look at or better yet, which areas to avoid, has been impossible. I know that each town has good and bad and we aren't stuck up at all, its just worrying being blind and moving there with a child. If it was just the two of us, we would have loved the house next a pub and all that went along with that. I might be barking up the wrong tree by posting this here so if I am, I apologise. I'm just stumped. Thanks in advance :)

Hastings and St Leonards is a lovely area to live. My DH is from Hastings, all his family and friends are there and we will be moving back in the next 3 years (we're in Eastbourne at the moment but both work in Hastings/Bexhill).

How much are you looking to spend, are you buying or renting ? The area near Alexandra Park is really nice as is St Leonards around the Silverhill area where you get a lot of property for your money. As with any large town there are pockets of dodgy areas, definitely avoid the Warrior Square area and the town centre of Hastings. Ore village is nice, as is the area directly behind the Old Town. We have looked at several properties in that area.

this house is in a nice area of Silverhill, within an easy walk of a new ASDA and a really good Chinese takeaway, buses and some small shops.

And John Bray estate agency specialises in property in the Old Town.

mmm this also ticks your boxes www.johnbrayea.co.uk/property-detail.php?id=1546

Hello I've lived in Hastings most of my life and know the area very well.

PersonallyI would tell you to avoid the Silverhill area and all of central St Leonards.

The Westhill is ok but not somewhere I would ever choose to live.

I have lived in the Old Town and in the winter it is very quite but in the summer it is always noisy and busy and parking at all times of year is a nightmare.

The area behind the old town (going up the hill towards the Westhill) is Clive Vale and is a very nice area with easy access to the Old Town, beach and the East Hill and country park - I have also lived here.

I would avoid Ore village it is an awful place to live.

The area near Alexander Park in known as the Blacklands area and is again a very nice area (I have lived here as well) but it is very popular and so prices and availability reflect this.

If you were able to look slightly further along the coast I would suggest you do as I feel Bexhill and Eastbourne (and places inbetween) are far superior places to live but obviously this is a personal choice.

Having spent nearly 30 years in the area I can confidently say I know it very, very well. I have lived in the worst places in Hastings and the best places. I will be happy to offer you advice on any areas or specific roads etc etc just give me a shout.

Just to highlight if parking is a major point for you I would never, ever pick the Old Town.

Also when I said area behind the Old Town I meant heading towards the EastHill not the WestHill.

@JaquelineHyde, what exactly do you mean by "central St Leonards"? And why is it so bad? I don't know if you know London at all, but is that part of St Leonards "bad" like Hackney or like Peckham or Clapton?

We are also looking to move, but have different requirements than OP. Maybe I should start a new thread? Is it ok to start threads like this asking about areas of a town?

Also, from what I have heard from others: avoid Hollington.

And West St Leonards looked good if you have a car and want a nice quiet time. I'm hesitant because we don't drive but the gardens out that way are lovely.

Central St Leonards is in my mind is anywhere from Warrior Square up to Silverhill. Hollington then leads off that.

Yes it is as bad as the places you mentioned (obviously all areas have some good streets but they are massively outweighed by the bad areas)

West St Leonrads has some lovely areas, feel free to run them by me so I can give you a better idea as it is all very hit and miss Transport shouldn't be an issue as there are plenty of regular buses that wizz through and west st leonards has its own train station. Again this could all change depending on where exactly you choose so just run it by me.

Southwater Road. Woodland vale road - just up the from Southwater road but suddenly looks very leafy and suburban on street view.

The thing about street view is that a lot places look nice. Unless there is a housing estate. There is only one house we cancelled the viewing because I looked at street view and saw it was too near a massive block. I've lived on 3 estates in London but especially with the way they've been sold off, the one where I live now is actually very nice. A good mixture of private leaseholders and tenants, people who have been here for decades, and families with young children. I am sure in Hastings estates are not going to be nice like that. So I will avoid those areas near estates for sure.

Ok people say warrior square is bad but I lived there admitttedly 5yrs ago and never had any problems I think once somewhere has a bad rep it cannot shake it so peoples opinions would always differ. Old town next to a pub with a child I would say no way as it can get very roudy with drunks around old town at night especially around certain times of year such as may day. I live a 10 min walk from twon centre in the braybrooke area which is far enough away from town for the drunks not be a problem but close enough that I can walk to town. Tho dunno about a wheelchair because as with most places in hastings it is up a big hill. And its permit parking but visitors can park for 2hrs so you would want somewhere with off road parking. Just avoid the big housing association estates and you will be ok I reckon and right in the town/old town centre as night life big events and parking could be a problem with a yòung child but as I said its all opinion and unless someone lives there now I don't think they can comment.

To OP - I liked the look of West St Leonards a lot. The hills seem to be more gentle than the steep hills that are in Hastings/Warrior square. And there is plenty of parking in West St Leonards.

I personally don't want to be near a pub so that is a factor for us when looking. Too near the sea front and there is bound to be rowdiness at night.

Southwater Road and Woodland Vale Road I would say no to.

I have lived in most of the worst places in Hastings and have friends that still live in these areas. They hate it and if they could move they would.

If I was a young, single person again then I would possibly chance the area again as there is so much more you can cope with and ignore as not important. However, with a family to consider, schools to pick and remembering my children will be socialising within the area it all gets a lot more tricky. If I had to live in Hastngs again the areas I would pick would be hugely limited and very selective.

Oh and street view lies

So what areas would you choose? West Hill? Alexander Park? That park area is nice but above our budget. Same with Marina. My friend told me to look West of London Road and on Marina sea front, but we could only afford flats in that area and the point of moving is to have more space :(

Old Town, Clive Vale and Blacklands (Alexander Park) There are other pockets of areas in parts of west st leonards and between The Ridge and William Parker School.

If I had the choice I would pick Bexhill (again being careful with area) or even better Eastbourne.

Jaqueline - there are some very dodgy areas in Eastbourne, just as there are in Hastings. There are plenty of areas of Eastbourne that are just as rough, if not rougher as Warrior Square.
Put it this way, we are looking at moving in a couple of years time from a nice area of Eastbourne to St Leonards/Bexhill/Hastings. We both work for the police, DH has policed in Hastings for most of his service, we are looking at WSL and Silverhill being pretty decent areas to live where you get a lot of property for your money.

I've lived in Eastbourne for 36 years. It's alright but it's not exactly some sort of wonderful mecca.

I would agree with Jaqueline to avoid those streets you have listed. The area around de Cham is not really very nice.

MaryKat, would this place float your boat ? It's in Blacklands and near a good primary school (Blacklands) - which is where DH and his sister went to primary

or this ?

OhDearSpareHeadTwo, which would you say are the dodgy bits of Eastbourne?

Or you could also buy this one.

I know that's a nice area cos it's right opposite PIL's house

aufaniae variously:

Anything off Central Avenue, Royal Sussex Crescent
Milfoil drive and surrounding streets
Area around Langney shopping centre esp Faversham Road, Sevenoaks and Pembury
Poets Estate in Langney (in fact much of Langney) especially including Pensford Drive
Kingsmere
Pockets of the town centre
Most of Hampden Park

I would not live in those areas if they paid me to live in them in a beautiful, original Art Deco house fully furnished with period pieces...

In fact, there is a lot of Eastbourne I wouldn't touch with a bargepole

Oh bum. We're considering moving to a house which is just off Central Avenue! Sad to see it first on your list!

Why would you avoid the area? (Please be honest, I can take it!)

How lovely to wake to all the house suggestions this morning. thank you OhDearSpareHeadTwo. One was on our list already but Blacklands is full in DD's year (still, it seems like a big school so that could change..?). One I have no idea how I missed because I'm on RightMove every day. And the one near the hospital, I know that's far from stations and we don't drive. Thank you for suggestions.

(though we might have to consider driving in the future if we want to live in a decent area with a good size garden...)