Living opposite or next to an urban park- pros and cons please!

[ParkView]

We are seriously considering a house that ticks a reasonable number of boxes for us, and one of the appeals (for me) is the views across the park opposite.

Obviously no-one overlooks you from the front, and the vista during the changing seasons could be magnificent... but I am worried about crime- it is an informal park, no formal beds or buildings or anything, and we currently live pretty locally to it, so we know there's not a reputation for muggings or anything... but there is an issue with cottaging (though the bit of the park near the house is open heathland, without trees, so presumably sex-free...) and just this week 2 roadworks vehicles that were parked in the park (they are redoing the driveway from the road to the carpark) were torched at 5:30 am!

This is unheard of in our area btw- vehicle arson just doesn't happen here, honestly, we're in a city but it's a nicer part of the city or so I thought.

Does anyone else have experience of living by parks? Should we just forget it and look elsewhere?

I just want somewhere a little more rural-feeling, but we are tied to urban-life for a number of reasons. The house felt good too- enough living space for us, and enough bedrooms.

[mrsmandm]

We live on a park in the centre of a city, and I had all the same concerns as you, but been here 7 years now and love it - can't imagine living on a street again. There are drunken teens in the park sometimes but they're far enough away from the house not to bother us - and seem to have a midnight curfew!

[ParkView]

Thank you all!

fapl yes- that is what I'm looking for, to be uplifted by the views, as sadly we live in possibly the ugliest city in Britain!

We have spent a fair amount in this park as we already live within walking distance, and in the main it is quiet, with people enjoying their walks/runs etc. No football/cricket etc as the ground is too sloped and uneven for that. I just keep thinking how fabulous it will be for the DCs - the youngest in particular loves this park, always chooses it if given a choice.

I think I will have to visit after dark though, just to check it out...

[survivingwinter]

It does sound nice and lovely to have views. Living by a park is so very dependent on the area and agree with pp to go and have a look at all times of day and night (where possible!) to reassure yourself you know what it is likely to be like living there.

I used to live in a house that backed onto a park in an urban area. We were woken a few times by some bored teenagers in the play area of the park setting fire to things and throwing bottles around. Otherwise it was pretty much ok and great for kids having a huge extra garden!

[fapl]

We have a park behind our house, it is separated by a little stream though. I live in London and it lifts my heart to look out my bedroom window and see all the trees. The changing seasons are beautiful, especially when the snow comes.

Major downside is dog shit all over the pavements as people come to take their dogs for a walk.

[south345]

We live next to a park but on a rural estate and it's great, our kids use it like an extension of our garden. It's not a big park but there are no noise issues really other than one little girl who shouts her dog over and over again at 6.30am!

[Theas18]

Go along at various times of day/week and hav a look?

[chezchaos]

I lived next to a park for 6 years, the park adjoined the side and back of our house. The views were great but the disadvantaged included people staring into my garden as they walked past, really noisy swearing from footballing teams at the weekend, and noise from teens during evenings and weekends, plus stuff being set on fire directly off the end of my garden. It was one of the reasons we moved.

[Fizzylemonade]

We live in front of a park, so open green fields etc, the view is therefore fab, no one to the front of us.

Our park gets used mainly by dog walkers, we originally discounted this house purely on the park reason. We have lived here 2 years now.

Children play football on it, so there is a noise element but it never goes on too late, plus our lounge is at the back of our house so we honestly don't hear much at night. Teenagers do congregate on it but they do so much further into the park and nowhere near the houses that face it.

This was our forever house and so it was a big deal to get it right, so far, so good.

Like I said, we discounted the house but then when the urban estate we were living on had an ASBO order put on it and teenagers were hanging around anywhere they could just sitting down on the curb drinking, we thought, well it can happen anywhere!

Plus the area we lived in also had car wing mirrors broken off and the wing mirrors put on the owners doorsteps, there were break ins and footsteps left in the snow where houses had been checked out in the middle of the night.