What's it really like to live in walthamstow?

[MrsN11]

Hi,

I'm looking for some advice from fellow 'stow MNers who live in the area.

I put up a post ages ago asking for suggestions about where DH and I should live. We currently live in Stokey and have approx 450k to spend on our next property. I work east & DH works west! We love Stokey, but realise that Walthamstow would offer us more space for our budget.

So what is 'stow really like to live in? Dodgy? Safe? Fun etc? We've visited the area & the "village" is pretty but also tiny - does it feel claustrophobic being there? Queen's park is another option (need to be close to tube) but some parts look tired. But first impressions can be wrong!

Everyone says it's up-and-coming, but has much changed there in the last 5 years?

Be great to hear your thoughts! Thank you.

[freeas]

I have lived in upper walthamstow for 20 years. I like it. This area is in the catchment for Latymer, Woodford county and Woodbridge . The latter is in woodford green and gets good OFSTED. You can get easily to village, market, highams park, and south woodford which has nice pub, restaurant, cafe scene. Good mix of people here.

[Sunglassesevenintherain]

Hello Mumsnet. I am looking to buy a house in Walthomstow. I?m a first time buyer and I?m leaving Hackney after 8 years because however hard I try I can?t scrape together the vast amounts of money it cost to buy anything livable in the area. I don?t want to leave Hackney but I am really encouraged by Walthomstows community, the rows of beautiful Warner flats and from what I can see there is a good buzz about the place ? not to mention transport links. Most people on this thread have been saying great things about Upper Walthomstow/ The Village/Lloyd Park but having looked at a few places I?m coming to terms with the fact that I have mostly been priced out of those places (my budget is small). Instead I?m focusing towards Markhouse Road and Lea Bridge Road. Does anyone have any advice on this area or the around the Cemetery? Also I want to ask advise on crime rates, I know it?s stupid seeing as I?m coming from Hackney but where I live is now wall to wall hipsters and trendy kids which, can be annoying but they mean that late at night there is always people on the streets and I don?t feel its unsafe to walk around after dark as a single female. How busy is Walthomstow at night, particularly in the areas I mentioned and has anyone had problems wondering round as a woman on their own.

[millimax]

Hi. We moved to walthamstow last year and bought around blackhorse road - there were so few properties on the market we really had little choice after loosing out on a couple of other places around Lydia park ( so competitive between buyers) The area is definitely a mixed bag. Our neighbours are all great and there is a sense of community for sure. The arts trail is fantastic as well as this year food trail. The tube is so close to us I can be in town in 20 min - important for dh as he commutes in. I have NEVER felt unsafe even on the odd stumble home late from the tube , I have not heard of any local violent horror stories. Matresses do pop up out front on occasion but the council are great at clearing away once reported. The local art gallery Tokarska is great ( kids classes and life drawing plus great exhibitions ) as is oregano cafe. The bad is that not much is happening round here though that really is changing. Yes please to a new deli/bakery round here! New development is underway on blackhorse lane and the area round the tube is all poised for big investment that actually is happening rather than just being talked about. Very excited about the rumered opening of a comminity art space and cafe in Gnome house. I'm delighted the willowfield secondary school is being rebuilt as ds will go there in a couple of years. Currently at barncroft near st James park which is a lovely school. Lloyd park ( and the fab bell pub) are a 15 min stroll away and the house prices are still better value than in other walthamstow corners ( but only just - I'd estimate our place is up 50k in 6 months and rising). Hope this helps.

[greenbrazil]

Hi millimax - we had the same experience in Wood Street area. We wanted to move to the Village but the prices have just gone crazy there, and really it's only a couple of streets (personally I don't get it) - anyway, we then started looking a little bit north in Wood Street. The mainline train goes straight into Liverpool Street, and for hubby it's under 20 mins straight into the City. There's a real sense of community here - we've been geniunely surprised. Wood Street is a mile long street which seems to have every kind of shop you can imagine - we were renovating and there's DIY shops, timber merchants, roofing merchants, curtain and blind shop, kitchen shop - plumbers and bathroom gallery - seriously - I'm not kidding- it was all on our doorstep!! We also found that because we shopped locally we were soon familiar faces on the street. There's an indoor market which is packed with Vintage, Retro and Antiques and a few holistic/beauty places. Don't get me wrong, it's still a bit rough around the edges, by this I mean there's a few too many fried chicken shops, and you'll see a few kids hanging around - but we have never had any trouble at all and we've been there a year now. What else? Woodside school is pretty good - but is going through a period of expansion and change, there's a great childrens softplay centre on Wood Street called Tumble in the Jungle and The Soul Project, and what we've really really loved is that it's right on the edge of Epping Forest, so lots of long walks in the Forest- it's literally 5 minutes up the road from us - so I would encourage you to look there. I hope this helps, you're welcome to message us for more info. Oh and roads to look for - look in Upper Walthamstow, Turner Road, and the area has a community website which might help: //www.e17woodstreet.co.uk

[Ruprecht]

hello Sunglassesevenintherain,
I have lived in Walthamstow for 14 years after moving here from Balham. It is quiet at night but I have so far never have had any trouble walking alone in Central Walthamstow even after a skinful very late at night. I used to have more trouble in Balham late at night. If you're thinking about the Markhouse / Lea Bridge end, I have two friends who live on St Barnabas Road, they are both very happy there and have no complaints. The houses are lovely. I have another who lives closer to Whipps Cross in Upper Walthamstow on West End Avenue and he also is very happy there, all are 'professionals' if it helps give you a profile. I found Walthamstow by accident after leaving Balham and I have fallen in love with the quick transport, art trail and food festival, the fact there's always something happening. Sure our local authority could do with a kick up the backside but come live here and help kick them.
I moved to the Village 12 years ago when there was nothing on Orford Road apart from a hairdressers with a cheese plant in the window and an offy where the owner's children served you, and over the years it's become more gentrified. I remember house hunting in Hackney and being too scared to move there, now they've opened a Burberry store on the same street ha ha. Anyway my point is just because the immediate area's not hip now doesn't mean it never will be. Happy house hunting and good luck.

[HugellaSlime]

Its totes amazing. I moved frm Westie, and haven't looked back, apart from when I am walking down pooh alley. There are great shops, I bought a lovely pair of Earth Shoes from the indoor market. The Mall is a bit dated, but there is a great range of designer shops, in Westfield. Food choices are amazing, you cant go wrong if you like chicken. We have from A to Z FC baby. Plus there is going to be a cinema, and we boast the most expensive Spar supermarket in THE WORLD.

[valiumredhead]

I'm with willyou,I have family there and lived in London for 20 years and really didn't like the place.

[MummytoMog]

Come live in South Woodford - it's not too far from Walthamstow, has a lovely community feel and is MUCH nicer. I go shopping in Walthamstow but I wouldn't live in any bits of it I could afford iykwim.

[Jessica13]

I have read lots of the comments, and would like to ask, re the community atmosphere of Walthamstowe, whether my foster son who is Chinese would be able to fit in? He is 18 and about to go to architectural college in London, he is quiet, friendly and polite, and a really lovely young man. Could you please tell me if you think he would fit into Walthamstowe, living on his own there? I have seen a little house in Blackhorse Road, but as I moved out of London many years ago, I don't know the different areas any more. His parents want to buy something small he can live in, and also where they can stay too when they come to visit. I would appreciate any comments :)

[Rubyrubyruby5]

I love living in Waltham-stow , good weather usually sunny
If you like shops there is a big market and lovely things for kids
Nice, cheap houses here and it's worth it

[Nickname1980]

MrsN11 - I would love to know, did you end up moving to Walthamstow? And what do you think of it?

[MrsN11s]

Hi Nickname
So funny to see my old thread resurrected and to see how much has changed. Sadly £450K no longer goes very far in E17.
We ended up in E18 in the end. We tried buying in Walthamstow, but both offers fell through and then the market went crazy. We looked briefly at Leytonstone but were unlucky here also....we didn't want the sale of our flat to fall through so we had to buy somewhere fast. Bought in South Woodford where there was no competition and the buying process was very easy and stress free.

[Nickname1980]

Thank you so much for replying, MrsN11s! I spent an entertaining lunch-hour reading this thread - loved it!

I am going to look at South Woodford. Need to get to know some more neighbourhoods so I can figure out where to move to!

[MrsN11s]

You're welcome! Your money will go further in E18. Do you have kids? E18 is good for schools and offers a good mix of state and private. But, it does feel more suburban here and I don't really feel like I'm in London anymore. Some people may view that as a positive though! Leytonstone has a bit more of an "edge" to it which I miss.

[knitknit00]

Thinking of moving to Walthamstow, too, due to expanding family and lack of affordable homes in our current area.
This thread is old but it would be interesting to resume it and see what people think about it after 4 years. Primary schools seem fine (good to outstanding) and we went for a walk in the area and lliked it. The village is really small though.
Any thoughts/ideas/comments?

[loresho]

knitknit, Walthamstow is massive and has quite distinct areas (a fact I didn't truly appreciate until we moved here!), but still has a nice community feel. The Village is small and v expensive (property wise). Near Lloyd Park is nice - lots of new independent businesses springing up all the time, and the park itself is lovely. The bit near St James St Park is also improving - the shops are still a bit grotty, but it's smartening up gradually. Upper Walthamstow is v nice - closer to Wood St station than Walthamstow Central, but seems more spacious (wider roads, lots of trees, close to forest). We're in the Upper Walthamstow bit and I like that it's a bit quieter and suburban, though appreciate that's not everyone's preference! Have you looked at Higham's Park - even more space, and nice houses - and less expensive than Walthamstow.

Lots of young families, which means that childcare is really oversubscribed at the moment. Not sure if that's a factor?

[amwz]

Hi, does anyone lives around Queens Road (not the station, the actual road itself) we are moving there and we are a bit worried of the temple at the end of the road. Thanks!!

[mayhew]

What temple? Do you mean the mosque?

It's a mosque! People go there (mainly men) to pray and socialise. It's busier at the moment because it's Ramadan.

Err , that's it.

[FiddleFigs]

Would you feel the same if it was a church?

Walthamstow is really multicultural and we all get along fine.

[NotYoda]

I'm just thinking that Walthamstow will, inevitably, become like Stokey.

Stokey wasn't like Stokey 5 years ago, and it definitely wasn't 15 years ago.

It will happen


And every generation thinks the last lot of incomers are cupcake and bunting wankers

[NotYoda]

Hattie

'Ston

'Xston

'Pton

'Fordhill

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

I lived in London for over 20 years, the only hassle I ever got into was in Walthamstow , it felt like it was going to kick off any minute. I have family there who had lived there for 40 years. Wouldn't be my first choice though at all. This wasn't recently so perhaps things have changed.

[TheCyclist]

It definitely has changed. As have Leyton & Leytonstone. Not long ago it would have been bargepole territory for many of those who've recently bought properties there.

[NotYoda]

TheCyclist

Yes, just as Stokey would have been 20 years ago for people who lived in Islington (My dad was really really worried about me renting in Islington as that was a shithole when he was young - and he grew up in Kilburn. Funny to hear Queens Park being mooted too)