moving to enfield

[northlasslondoner]

Hi everyone hoping for some help and advice! Im looking to move to Enfield with my two year old son. I saw a property on Croyland Road is that a good area? I have heard catchment areas for schools are small and some areas are not good. Anyone have any recommendations of where is good and not good in Enfield??

I wouldn't even walk around that area in the daytime, let alone buy a house there. There was a stabbing at 2pm in broad daylight just last week in Edmonton Green. N9 can be ok but you are looking at another £100k for a house in a "good" area of Enfield to be honest. That part is cheap for a reason.

I think you'd be better off looking the other side of the a10... We are not far from the a10 but towards Bush hill park and it's nice. Becoming nicer too.

Safer to stick to EN1, EN2 or N21 postcodes if you can afford it, or at least stay N of the A406 and W of the A10. Parts of N9 are ok, but they tend to be those in the Bush Hill Park direction. I certainly wouldn’t choose to live in N9 or N18 if I could help it, but if needs must....
However, as far as schools are concerned, the vast majority of primary schools in the London Borough of Enfield are either Good or Outstanding so read up before you sign up and you should be fine on that score. Secondary schools are a little more patchy.

I personally wouldn't pick an EN3 primary school, not because of the standard of teaching but because of the demographic. That sounds awful but a lot of kids get in to gangs through older siblings here.

Gosh “mymycherrypie* that makes Enfield sound awful :-(
It’s not a side of Enfield that I recognise, but I live on the other side of the borough.

I've lived all over Enfield in my 35 years and EN3 was horrific to grow up in, even in the 80s. And that was before all the stabbings. Happiest in EN2 but the price difference is quite something. If I still lived in EN3 or certain parts of EN1 with my boys, I wouldn't let them get on a bus or walk, I'd have to drive them.

Gangs are a growing issue here now. Since the riot, things have changed (I lived in Enfield town then and it was a scary night)

I have lived and worked in Enfield for years and although I accept that there is a gang culture in some parts (it is the biggest London borough i think) mostly it is just another North London suburb. I like Enfield Town shopping centre and I have not noticed a change since the riots.

I always thought that Enfield was the largest borough too - I am sure they told us at school but I checked that fact recently and I don't think we are the biggest anymore.

Enfield town has definitely changed, macdonalds is a no go after school, there are teenagers on bikes smoking weed by tescos, that area behind Starbucks where the old bingo hall was and is now flats... I wouldn't walk down there even in the day. Town looks shabby now with all the closed shops, losing mothercare was a real shame. The annual fireworks are also cancelled because they need additional security these days. I grew up on the Hertford road and it was never "nice" but it is entirely changed.

To be fair, there are no-go corners, empty shops and teenagers smoking weed in most areas of London these days!
I’ve lived here all my life and feel little fear anywhere in the borough but perhaps I’m being naive?
To go back to the OP’s question, is N9 any worse than other gritty and deprived London areas? I suspect not.

Op I live in N9 and have had 3 children go to enfield secondary schools, the youngest is at one now

It's not the most fantastic place to live but saying you wouldn't even walk in that area is ridiculous

I have lived in a few places in Enfield. Yes, it's not a great area, but I would say if your budget doesnt stretch to EN2 or the nicer parts of EN1, then N9 is better than anywhere in EN3 imo, mainly because its easier to get the hell out of there ( public transport) so its a bit more mixed. Iampicklerick are you talking about the McDonalds on the A10?

Either. My little boy (7) was pushed over in Enfield town by the school kids but I have heard some bad stories about muggings at the A10 one but never seen it myself. I know the car park can be dodgy at weekends but I've not had problems there (although we mainly go in Krispy Kreme!) I make the statements about not getting out of my car in N9 because of the poor little girl who was raped off Galliard Road in Jubilee park , the man who beheaded that lovely Italian lady who ran the cafe in Edmonton green, and the recent spate of stabbings. I wouldn't say it's comparable to most London boroughs, only other London boroughs who also have high crime like Croydon.

You can find a very nice road here or there in EN3 but it's usually surrounded by rough roads. It's very hit and miss. N9 is only nice on the west of the A10.

Yes I have family who live near Croydon and I would agree. I dont know what it is about the slightly outer London boroughs like Enfield and Croydon. I'd rather live in a rough area in an inner London borough than either of those two again sadly . My friend teaches at one of the schools on the A10 and the kids have been banned form the A10 trading estate because so many were being mugged. Shame. We had some good times in Enfield. Both our kids were born there and lots of our friends are there. It used to have a real sense of communiity and that was only 10 or so years ago.

You mean the kids were mugging each other? There's always going to be a few bully kids in schools. I don't want to look like I'm wearing rose tinted glasses but I have always found Enfield, around the A10 trading estate and the Town, completely fine. Every borough has its rough parts, this is true, and I honestly don't see Enfield as any different. There's also really nice parts. Same as Barnet, same as anywhere.

The town is more residential now than before, that's the main change. So where it was a destination before, for shopping or for getting a nice coffee with friends, it's now where lots of people live due to the houses on the park/above polashi/behind the old bingo hall. And they have teenagers, and the town has fewer shops, so it's slowly becoming less of a destination and more somewhere to hang about. It hasn't happened overnight but it's been 5 years since the riots and it's gradually going downhill. I've seen people almost having sex at the bus stop outside news and chews. Quite recently too. With all those homes being built on Chase Farm, we will only have even more people with fewer facilities.

I also have friends working at a school on the A10 too and they agree, there wasn't this atmosphere around the place just a few years ago. We are moving because I want the kids to be able to get around on their own as teenagers (my BIL is a bus driver) and buses in Enfield are not savoury places.

The community feel is still there at times but only in pockets and in the nicer parts. The Town show is this weekend and I love that because I remember when we had big bands playing that! It used to be so good!

www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/enfield-murder-boy-18-knifed-to-death-in-triple-stabbing-during-mass-brawl-a3538646.html

I used to be in the panto in this hall. Now it's the scene of a double stabbing. Tell me again that it hasn't changed 😂

I moved here 17 years ago from NW London. Where I grew up even Edmonton now couldn't compete with the level of violence. So a lot of these comments about Edmonton 🤔 I moved to EN3 which wasn't great. I can't think of anywhere in EN3 that is nice. If I was moving here now Bush Hill Park has great links and borders Winchmore hill that is nice. That side of the A10 is also N9 and because of the Edmonton infamous links, houses are slightly cheaper. EN2 is pricey and nowhere near a station (I'm thinking about commuting. We moved to Bush Hill Park 6 years ago and oh boy the difference e from EN3. if you can afford it, go there. As someone upthread said. Avoid N9 and N18 especially N18. En1 is a lovely place to raise children. High schools are hard with catchment areas getting smaller year on year. Try to be strategic with the mo even if they are in nappies now.

Imo Enfield Town is a little samey. Not enough independents or a chair a session that I I want to I go to. I tend to go to Winchmore or into town for a drink.

That's it I think.

Independents or a chain I want to go to.

I agree with buck. We really enjoy living im bush hill park, close to stations, plenty of green spaces, and we even finally have a good independent cafe now which is busy and full of nice people, so I don't agree with everything changing for the worse. Not the Enfield I know anyway, and we live near te a10 (though we are on the west side).

OMG I forgot the new coffee shop. I haven't been yet but my husband (who drinks coffee) thinks it's fab.

Using an old nc for this. I live in EN3, I wouldn't recommend it for families, sadly. Have called the police more times in the few years living here than in the rest of my life combined, mainly for antisocial behaviour, mass fights in the street, witnessing drug dealing etc. Saw a gang member stashing a large knife across the road from me once. I came home the other night to find some random in the lane behind my house smoking weed. He tried to claim he'd just moved in next door - no he hasn't, I know my neighbours!

That said, I like living here as an adult, I don't feel unsafe walking here even at night. Gangs tend to stab each other not passers-by. I have got to know people through having a dog and walking in the park, and through having an allotment, talking to my neighbours and shopkeepers and I do feel a sense of community, often have people to say hello to when walking down the street etc. It's very multicultural, lots of different languages spoken, lots of different ethnic grocers etc, I like that. I enjoy walking at Forty Hall, I love the gardens at Capel Manor and Myddleton House, we're close enough to big green spaces like Gunpowder Park, Lee Valley and Epping Forest. Getting into central London is reasonable, can generally do it in 45mins-1hr day or night. I'm not a shopper so rarely head into Enfield town, but there is a Champneys City Spa that's not bad . We're also very close to M25 for getting away for the weekend etc as well!

But probably wouldn't stay if we have children, sadly.

The other side of the A10 - different story completely. It seems really lovely over there!

Hello, we are planning to buy our first property in between Enfield Town and Enfield Chase station on the Cecil road. Does anyone know that area? Is it a safe and OK place to live? I’m not familiar with the area and I would really appreciate it your honest advice. Many thanks!

@Mal08 - absolutely fine I would say. Do get your solicitor to look carefully at plans for the bike lanes though, if you’re actually on Cecil Rd, as at one point they were looking at rerouting all the traffic from Church St down Cecil Rd (making it 2-way) so they could pedestrianise the town centre.

I had the misfortune to live for 2 years in Green Street en3 and fortunately was abroad for a good 8 months of this period. Do not move to this en3 crap house at any costs......the people are the worst feature who are ld Ill educated and attempt to be ' cockney '......it gives the impression of inbreeding just try some of the pubs Sport on The Green and you will see what I mean ..and golden hind in Green Street ........it was a few years ago but the only part of London that I a timely hated.....really are backward and u can see the offspring of the local scummiest......

scumbag

Hi i need some advice. I just moved back to london after living abroad for 14 years. I used to live in south london years ago. Im due to move into a property in E1 maltby drive. Im would like to know if that area is pretty safe or not. Im shocked to see how london has changed for the worse. Can someone please assist me?