Turnpike Lane/Seven Sisters/South Tottenham vs Stratford/West Ham/Plaistow?

[YoungBritishPissArtist]

I'm looking for views on these areas, do any of you live(d) there or have any experiences you'd like to share?

I'll be a first time buyer, looking for a 1 bed, possibly a studio if it was something special. I'm 34, single, work in Holborn, no DC so no need to worry about catchment areas.

My budget is 130-140k, so I'm realistic about what I can afford. I'm quite happy to buy a fixer-upper. I'm currently renting in Peckham so don't mind living in a sketchy area

I've picked the above places as I've found properties within my price range that are near public transport (I don't drive).

I'm looking for somewhere with good tube/bus links, near supermarkets and cafes (ideally indie, not chain). I'm not too fussed about nightlife but a few pubs would be nice.

TIA, if you can recommend any other areas, that'd be great :)

We lived around Turnpike Lane and South Tottenham for about 15 years, and found most of the areas were fine (low point was living on a quite nice street but next to a not very nice person - neighbours seemed to matter more than the actual area).

I'd say Turnpike Lane tube takes longer into Central London, but the area is a bit more laid back and less 'edgy' than N15 due to having Crouch End and Muswell Hill not too far away. The Sports Center/Arts Center/Library in N15 is a massive plus though, lots of stuff goes on there.

We eventually moved to get the kids into better schools though - some of the schools around N15/N17 had good results, but security was so tight that they seemed more like prisons. We were not impressed.

For the record - we were MC white people. We were never robbed or assaulted, and we found lots of friendly people. I never felt scared walking home at night. My DH would often finish work late and only once had any trouble (at 1am with a laptop on his back - he managed to chase them off though!).

A good friend lives in Leytonstone too by the way, and loves it there!

I'm another Leytonstoner - and I love it too. Great place to live.

Resurrecting this thread to ask about South Tottenham. Is there a good sense of community?

Oh God, it's all so depressing.