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Original poster

Moving to London - where should we go?

96 replies

Sorryforthechange123 · 14/09/2017 21:09

Hi everyone,

I was hoping you would be able to help as I am about to go crazy.

My partner and I start new jobs in London in October. We will be moving from Scotland. We are now down here viewing flats (we've had 13 viewings just today!!!) and we narrowed our choices down to:

Greenwich Penninsula/North Greenwich
Royal Docks (Royal Victoria station/Emirates Airline)
Limehouse (nice part next to the Narrow)

I will be working in Canary Wharf and my partner in London Bridge area. We are wondering if these areas are fairly safe and what would you say about each of them? We don't want to spend too much time commuting, we want to feel safe walking home at night as well as have some amenities/restaurants/pubs within a walking distance. We don't have kids at the moment.

Would you be able to give me some insights/advice?

OP posts:

LaurieFairyCake · 01/10/2017 21:02

Westcombe Park goes into Cannon Street very regular grains, every 8 minutes in the morning. 2 brilliant curry restaurants next to the station

LaurieFairyCake · 01/10/2017 21:03

the restaurants on the Blackheath triangle are very good, there’s an Ivy cafe opening next month too. It is lovely to walk over the Heath to the pubs. Market on a Sunday in Blackheath station car park good too.

Original poster

Sorryforthechange123 · 01/10/2017 21:04

Oh also a thought just crossed my mind. Does a house with a garden means massive London spiders?...
I'm absolutely terrified of them!

OP posts:

LaurieFairyCake · 01/10/2017 21:05

The big spiders are house ones, not outdoor ones.

I’ve not seen any this year inside apart from a small one that scared the shit out of me in bed

TeachesOfPeaches · 01/10/2017 21:09

Hi OP, I live in Blackheath Standard near Westcombe Park station and love living here. I don't drive and I'm a single parent to a toddler with no family nearby and have no problem getting around. Easily get into the centre of london in around 15-20 minutes on a glorious overground train rather than hellish tube

WiseDad · 01/10/2017 21:15

Sorry to hear things have fallen through. Agents can be useless and want huge fees as well.

We have a two double/1single bed terraced house on a quiet street that will need tenants soon. It is in Poplar and a five min walk from DLR so not as nice as the best bits of Limehouse but is only a ten min walk from almost any part of Canary Wharf, has parking, a garden, wooden floors, modern kitchen, three mins from the local park etc. Rent is £2k a month roughly. PM me if you want to view for comparisons and a chat about the area.

itshappening · 01/10/2017 22:05

Hi OP

I know that area really well, you will,be ok for connections I think. It is well connected. Basically given where you work the Jubilee line is perfect for you so it has to be said you won't have that right on your doorstep, but you do have a bus ride to North Greenwich tube for wither commute as a possibility though a bit more hassle, or for Canary Wharf you could walk through the park and get the DLR or boat to work which would be lovely. For london bridge I would walk to Blackheath and get the train direct from there.

SE3 is the nicer area if you like green spaces, character etc.

I have lived in both places and have just rented again so familiar with the current market. If you pm me the flats I will give you any insight I have.

itshappening · 01/10/2017 22:07

Sorry, in my haste I forget to say I was talking about SE3 for transport options, and I meant either commute, not wither....although wither possibly better describes my state on emerging from the rush hour tube!

From Crossharbour your partner could use DLR to link up with Northern line for London Bridge.

NoSquirrels · 02/10/2017 07:36

Can't comment on Crossharbour, but I think you'd struggle not to love London if you lived in Blackheath.

Only word of caution is that Westcombe Park/Maze Hill train lines get very busy rush hour, but I think you both have short commutes so would be OK. And remember south of the river = taxis home are expensive when trains stop running. But you have loads of transport options - Jubilee line at North Greenwich is useful late night.

Original poster

Sorryforthechange123 · 02/10/2017 07:41

Is Westcombe Park/Blackheath safe to walk at night? I understand at night you would take the tube + a night bus?..

Also, this may sound ridiculous, but it is a ground floor flat. Is the area safe enough so no one would break into the flat/garden? (Including spiders... - absolutely terrified)

OP posts:

NoSquirrels · 02/10/2017 11:41

Yes, it's pretty safe - certainly I've never felt unsafe walking late/in the dark. Usual precautions apply etc, but it's definitely more of a middle class aspirational area than anywhere you need to worry about.

Ground floor wouldn't worry me much - access to a garden is brilliant but check your responsibilities towards it (who mows the lawn, trims the hedges etc). Not sure I can tell you anything about spiders!

Parking space is a real plus in that area.

NoSquirrels · 02/10/2017 11:45

Also - if you want to PM me I'm very happy to tell you specifics on flat if I know them.

Original poster

Sorryforthechange123 · 02/10/2017 14:37

I am having a nightmare as we must be the most indecisive people on the world!

Now we've also seen a nice flat in Wapping/St Katherine's docks and I absolutely love the area but the flat wasn't as nice as the ones in Blackheath and Crossharbour. Although, it had a garden!

I think I also have some unexplained reservations about living in a ground floor flat, as in what if someone breaks in ( and spiders of course)...

So stressful!

OP posts:

itshappening · 02/10/2017 15:46

Did the ground floor flat have any nighttime lighting on the drive, or a burglar alarm? There are steps you could take if not. I would not worry about spiders, they are mostly just at a certain time of year (admittedly now , and you can spray round. They are not that bad in London.

If all the flats are basically ok, and all the areas are basically ok, then maybe don't overthink it too much. I tend to but better to go with intuition if they all meet requirements. Ask yourself if you had to move into one of them tomorrow just for a month long holiday, which would you be most looking forward to staying in?

LaurieFairyCake · 02/10/2017 16:20

If you want a garden they generally come with a ground floor flat

ALL of these areas are lovely honestly. St Katherine’s dock has loads going on. And all around Blackheath is gorgeous - I love living here.

NoSquirrels · 02/10/2017 17:40

Yes, agree with others - all the areas you're talking about are lovely, and you'll enjoy living in London.

Do you want:

a) to live more centrally to town, so that exploring central London is easiest, and you can have a brilliant nightlife/spend lots of time out and about?

b) to have a "neighbourhood" to escape to, with work and central London close enough but not too close?

c) to be very close to work and live in a nice flat with gym, so day to day is easy, but in a less exciting area?

NoSquirrels · 02/10/2017 17:42

itshappening has a good way of choosing too. Which one would be great for an extended city break if you were travelling for work?

I think you're thinking "it's our HOME, we have to get it RIGHT." But you need to be thinking "it's all going to be different and new - let's just go with it and we can move again if we decide to."

holdthewine · 07/10/2017 23:36

Bit off topic but as a fellow arachnophobic can I recommend spidatrap.com. They’re brilliant. Buy from Amazon. Hate to tell you but the big black ones live in the fabric of buildings, they don’t “come in”. The
males come out of their hiding places in the autumn looking for a mate. Do you not have house spiders in Scotland?

Hope you found somewhere nice to live!

Original poster

Sorryforthechange123 · 08/10/2017 09:57

Hi everyone,

Sorry for not replying for quite a long time, but we went through this whole very stressful process of trying to secure a place and I had to go and visit family in various countries as well (I am actually on the plane right now...).

We decided to compromise on the Isle of Dogs flat and try the "big city" living for a bit, before we settle down and maybe even buy a house at some point on the outskirts of London. We give ourselves 12 months to see how we like it and we will make a decision then.

I have to say, I am very worried and my heart partially belongs to the house in Westcombe/Blackheath but since it's not only me who is making the decision, you sometimes have to compromise.

The flat is nice and modern with a large terrace and I am trying to be really positive that we will enjoy living there.

With regards to spiders, we get house spiders in Scotland but for some reason in our building there are only tiny ones and maybe 1-2 a year. We leave on a very high 1st floor so maybe that's why?...

OP posts:

LaurieFairyCake · 09/10/2017 07:49

Fantastic you’ve chosen somewhere! You will love St Katherine’s dock area. I went past it yesterday on the boat from Greenwich to the Globe to watch a play. Hope you love it

WiseDad · 09/10/2017 13:01

Yeah! St Kat is waking to city distance and near a Waitrose, some semi- decent eating places and as a Tower Hamlets resident you can get into the Tower Of London for £1.

Enjoy it.

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