Moving to Canary Wharf

[MovingCW]

DS has a place at a London senior school and we are now looking to move from a village on the outskirts of London to Canary Wharf. I lived in CW many years ago, but I was wondering how families with pre-teens/teens find living there?

I am excited about moving back, but also worried about making friends in the area and not having a small community feel. I know all the shop owners and neighbours personally where I live, and worry I will miss having these random conversations when I move to CW!

Actually IN canary wharf? All I can say is your budget must be pretty awesome.

It's not really a residential area is it?

No, definitely not, and certainly not for families, it’s flats costing millions or converted warehouse apartments round the other side of the quay. You sure on the area OP? It’s not a borough.

In canary wharf itself? Why there, where is the school?

How about Lewisham or Greenwich, they are on the DLR line so pretty quick to get to Canary Wharf.

Apologies, CW is the nearest station but the flat is in the Isle of Dogs. It's a flat we own and was rented out, so thought it might be easier to just move back in.

I am so over London...but I'd still live there!

re community feel, I have lived in 5 different London boroughs and often been told "there's no community" but there usually is if you look for it. If you are buying a flat, there will be a group of friendly residents and a lot of blocks have a social space now.

Oh yes and the shop workers etc always know me as well. It's all good!

Least you have the benefit of owning a flat in the right area already. That's half the battle of moving sorted. Do you own your current property on edge of London? If so you could leave it vacant for a few months as a backup if you're not ready to let it go completely yet.

That's good to know @EmmaEmerald, I didn't know a single neighbour when I was living in London, but I think I have become more socially adept now so hopefully that's fine! My impression of the area was that it was full of single people and young families, so am hoping someone will come along to say it's fine for teenagers.

@Bananalanacake I would LOVE to live in Greenwich, but sadly can't afford anything there (or anywhere in London now if I were looking to buy!)

Isle of dogs is full of families. Lots of activities at mudchute park, walk through the tunnel to greenwich etc. i think you’ll be fine!

We moved to London from the West Country last year with two teenagers (now living in Limehouse) and both of them love hanging out at Canary Wharf, they go to the cinema, cafes, art walks, ice skating. It feels very safe for them and they would both love to live there! It’s also so easy to zip into town via the Elizabeth line, or hop over to Greenwich for the market etc as well as the Uber boat down to Bankside or the Wapping market on Saturday. Hope your DS also loves it- we are also thinking of moving to Isle of Dogs as easier for school link, I like the history and walks along the river…..

@Dantessinferno that's great to hear. CW certainly has a lot of entertainment, and much quieter/nicer on weekends! I am hoping to also start cycling into the City. I think I will find enough things to keep me busy! And fingers crossed, will make some new friends in the area..

Op I work in CW and have noticed loads more families around since Covid. Not really sure but you see a much wider mix of people including lots of older and younger people whereas before it used to be very much office workers. There is lots more to do in the wharf now for kids and the new wood wharf area is lovely.

Not sure of your son's age but there is always good social calendar on at the Museum of London Docklands just next to Canary Wharf station. There are also less corporate places to eat along the quay and climbing walls, soft play, city farms all close by. It is mainly geared towards young professionals but there will be other families with children living there. .

I love cycling into the city-the CS3 cycle super highway goes right by the top end of Canary Wharf and is really safe and flat and goes all the way to Hyde park, I also cycle to Canary Wharf. Good luck with the move back in, I think its a great place to live!

I'm expecting my first DC and live in South Quay, which is basically the nearest set of residential flats to all the big offices in Canary Wharf - perhaps an 8min walk to Canary Wharf station.

As a newly married couple I absolutely loved Canary Wharf - it has a fab selection of restaurants, nice shops in the shopping centre by the station. HOWEVER, I'm not a fan of the local, non-professional (the people that aren't working in the city/CW) community. I've had to become more plugged in to this community as I'm increasingly using community services during my pregnancy. I cannot wait leave the area and hate the idea of raising a little baby in these surroundings. You have teens scooting around on their bikes, you can smell cannabis a lot, young boy racers in their cars doing dangerous things, there's police and ambulances on my road fortnightly... And I would say we live in one of the nicer block of flats/roads. Just wouldn't be a fan and I feel teens are a bit easily influenced and I would like my kid hanging out with the local ones.

Why not look at Greenwich or Blackheath, they're fairly nearby and much much nicer for family life.

EDIT: That's meant to say WOULDN'T like my teen to be hanging out with the local teens.

There are many family houses in the lower half of Isle of Dogs, towards Cutty Sark. Low traffic. Low crime rate. Relatively better air quality. Safe for kids to walk to school themselves. I see many kids going to school themselves in the morning.

I have volunteered in schools there teaching financial literacy and maths.

Even the kids who come from underprivileged family do as well, if not better, than your average kid in a Greenwich state school, from the Ofsted report. I think the teaching is great considering the intake is more diverse.

The local school is a mix of professional families and the long term Tower Hamlets residents.

Students in Isle of Dogs have (walking distance) access to great facilities that many schools in the UK don't: indoor and outdoor swimming pool, cricket ground, football, basketball, Mudchute farm, sailing and watersports centre. The holiday camp in the watersports centre is popular with teenagers. The local library is inside the CW shopping mall. You can't get anything better than that. The borough is well funded thanks to CW. It is safe enough for kids to walk home alone after school. You don't need to rush back from work to give them a lift to places.

You can smell weed in Richmond and Greenwich too. Weed is now very common in London.
1 in 5 teenager in the UK use e- cigarette. I don't smoke but can smell it everywhere I go now
www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-62807001

I am not worried about schools in the area as he will be going to an independent school a little further away. But I am concerned about his peers/friends in the area, which is the reason we moved out in the first place. I do think it’s a problem in Greenwich or any other part of London as well, to be fair, with most teens doing weed/laughing gas and swearing heavily. I don’t know how to tackle that problem yet!

I do think this teen behaviour goes on everywhere in England- including the rural south west where it may actually be worse as there is so little for teenagers to do there and public transport is completely dire!

My DB lives in Rotherhithe & it seems a nice area, just across from Canary Wharf. We often go across to CW when visiting them & the facilities available are amazing. We did ice skating at Feb half term.
Not sure about the teenagers though as DN is only 7.

Plus you gave the redevelopment & gentrification of Canada Water happening too.