Where in London to definitely avoid (no judgement)

[PenisesAreNotPink]

I've been researching areas, every time I find a property in a road I like I do a google search on crime - and obviously lots of areas that come up are rife with crimes I'm particularly nervous of owning teenagers, knife crime.

So what areas/roads are particularly challenging?

My current favourite areas are kilburn, cricklewood, kennington, borough, Greenwich, Westminster (westminsters my favourite but only get 300 square feet max for my money and I really need a 2 bed)

'Tomblike' sounds fab for weekends - love it

true, but I would actually be more wary of crime in an area that's dead at night/weekends. Unless you're happy to pay for a 24 hour porter/concierge?

Didn't spot the lease thing, for some reason I thought it said 120 years, sorry!

Bloomsbury/Marylebone are lovely. Sooo hot and stuffy in the summer though.

Well maybe in a flat that's only 300 square feet I can buy an air conditioning unit

Most of the blocks come with heating and hot water in the service charge. Not to mention incredibly low council tax of only about 600 a year.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-45939497.html

This has also been my favourite for over 3 months - lovely roof terrace

OP. But seriously, I find areas that are deserted at weekends very dispiriting. I hate going to Tate Britain because the surrounding streets are so quiet and empty, like a model town. The few cafes etc are nearly all shut. It's like a Sunday back in the 70s and 80s.

I'd be very wary of something that's been advertised for three months! Either the estate agent is leaving it up, having sold it, simply to tempt you in or there's something hideously wrong with it.

Yes, I am a cynical Londoner

Stop it! You're making it sound blissful

I'm a 70's child.

I saw that one, OP - really? I mean really? You'd want to live in a flat that tiny? It's depressingly small. And for 2 people, am I right in thinking that?

Quite quite mad.

3 people, to halve the living room for a bedroom - or maybe add a room to the roof terrace?

Peckham

Elephant and Castle

There are loads of people who live in flats and houses that 'small' though.

Lewisham
Catford
New Cross Gate

Gosh, yes harlsden! Grim.

a lot of them won't choose to, though, and I can't imagine their quality of life is all that. 3 people in a one bedroom flat that has no separate kitchen/living space??? Do your co-habitees regard these properties with the same glee that you do?

Holy - don't you go dissing my manor, we're uber-trendy these days over in SE15!

Soz, rivertam

OP. I can see I won't persuade you. I loathe quiet suburbs and small towns but clearly you love the idea of living in one. Albeit a hugely expensive version of one. With all of London's delights on the doorstep.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-29662893.html

This is the closest I can find to my preferred area at a size I think we could actually live in. The bedroom is big enough for dd and for dh and I to have a wardrobe or 2 in.

Then I could divide the living room and make another bedroom for our bed and still have enough room to have a couch and tv or table and tv.

The patio is lovely too.

My main worry though is why I started this thread - it's at the edge of a not so nice road according to crime figures - black prince road?

Anyone have any personal knowledge of that area?

no worries , I get fed up of it a lot, it is certainly what the OP would call challenging, and has no 'off' switch that I can see, can't remember the last time I ventured onto Rye Lane. But the OP would get a hell of a lot more bang for her buck in SE London.

I'd avoid Wilsden, Harlesden, Edmonton, Tottenham, some parts of Clapton and Catford/ Lea Green. Some parts of Lewisham. Also not a fan of Wembley. All of the above is personal - someone's going to come along and tell me it's all lovely.

I am planning to go out rather a lot. And I'm giving up cooking and eating out.

When I'm home I'm mostly knitting and watching tv

• I don't need a lot of space for that

honestly, OP, I would stop worrying about that's going on outside your front door and start thinking about life inside it. You don't say how old your DD is, but these flats have so little living space and you seem to be in la-la land about it. If you have £400k to spend on a home, then buy a home. Not a rabbit hutch.

And whilst Westminster may be bottom of your crime list, I can guarantee it's top of any terrorist hit list.

Where do you live now OP? And in a flat there too?