Is Leyton/Leytonstone a good area to buy?

[HexagonAlley]

We need to move house. We're not close enough any schools for DS where we are and it's a very over subscribed area. The LA often mad up placing kids miles away or in religious schools.

We're in South Woodford in London/Resbridge.

Ideally we would have liked to be near either of our parents but 1 live in Hackney and the others in Walthamstow. Both totally ou of budget.

We are thinking Leyton/Leytonstone. There are 2 outstanding schools. 1 again has a tiny catchment of 0.3 miles though, the other much bigger and lots of good schools. It's on he central line like south woodford which is ideal and houses are a decent price (4-5 bed for between 500-600...good for London anyway!).

I'm not sure about the area though. Leyton/leytonestone has always been a bit scummy and rough. Much like Walthamstow was before it's quite spectacular makeover as a 'village' .

Is it up and coming? There's a couple of hipster/yummy mummy cafes that have opened which suggest so! But I honestly have no idea...

Is there anywhere else in East London that's a viable option?

Thanks

I moved to a 3 bed house in Leyton 5 years ago after renting a place in Fulham. It was certainly rough around the edges then with absolutely no pubs/shops worth going to at all - At a stretch there was the Birkbeck tavern. The attraction was that you could buy a 3 bed house for under 250k, bang on the central line and the prospect of the Olympic park being built.

The biggest change has been the Olympic park which is amazing. There are fantastic playgrounds, Westfield shopping centre, the velodrome, pool and masses of open space. Stratford international can get you into King Cross in under 10 mins! There are masses of flats being built and a whole new community but my only concern is that they lack design flair and look identical to 1960s tower blocks and will age quickly. Leyton does not need to worry with its pretty victorian terraces!

Over time, Leyton has changed with new surprises popping up all the time. The Leyton Technical, Petite robe rose, drapers field park, olympic park to name a few. Oh and make a trip for breakfast at Mrs G's kitchen on Langthorne Road - the food and service is amazing!

The council have also done a really great job of revamping the high street shop fronts and has been featured in many articles on regeneration - what a difference putting the metal shutters on the inside makes. Alas the shops themselves have not changed much - Chicken shops, betting shops and other tat.

In my opinion the best roads are the ones south of the station. They are only 5 min walk to the central line and very close to the Olympic park, Westfield and Stratford international. You can even walk to some of the places in Hackney Wick (Counter cafe & Crate).

The area still has a way to go but is going in the right direction, so any purchase would be a wise mid/long term investment in my opinion. It is still rough around the edges, still has people chiselling off original stonework to make way for hideous double glazed front porches, still has landlords cramming as many people into illegal extensions as possible and still has people fly tipping in the street.

Having said that. prices have more than doubled in the past 4-5 years. People buying in the area are mainly the ones cashing in on expensive 2 bed flats in Hackney/Stoke Newington and want a 3 bed house within proximity of the east end vibe. The 'Leyton Village' twitter feed is blasting out propaganda about anything to do with 'gentrification' in Leyton and is a catalyst for change.

As far as schools go, they do have a very high %age of children with English as an additional language and %age on free school meals, this reflects the demographic. The teaching standards in some schools are very high.

All in all, I would recommend the place (if you want to stay in London) as both an investment and place to live where you get a whole lot more for your money in a well connected area that is moving slowly in the right direction.

Thanks for that eticols. Really interesting stuff

Have you considered Higham's Park? Great family houses, good primary schools and secondary. Obviously Higham's Park and lake and the forest for open spaces and a really thriving community. There is a monthly farmers market if that is your thing, only 25 mins on the train to Liverpool Street or access to the Central line. Locally seems to be more going on recently in terms of local pubs, places to eat. Have a look at some Facebook pages like Higham's Park Babies and Toddlers or Lets inject some life into Higham's Park to see what is going on.

Regarding Leytonstone, It certainly has larger houses but the area and community feel has been ruined by the A12 splitting the place in two and causing painfully slow traffic congestion.

Upper Leytonstone and Bushwood get all the press but they are still not fantastic. South Leytonstone, heading towards Maryland is rough although will become close to Crossrail in 2017 - but will still be rough then..

Leyton always used to be looked down on and considered the pits compared to Leytonstone however Leyton is changing at a much faster pace and is geographically much better positioned & connected (if you buy south of the station and can walk to Stratford i.e Leslie Road). In terms of gentrification and improvements to the area, Leyton is making faster gains than Leytonstone.

I can't really comment on the Schools in Leytonstone though. I have heard good things about Highams Park, but never been there so can't comment.

If you want bigger houses than the typical Leyton 3 bedder, my hot tip would be the Aldersbrook estate (South of Wanstead). What it lacks for in tube station proximity, it more than makes up for with beautiful Edwardian houses in a conservation area, proximity to the vast Wanstead flats, proximity to the new Manor Park crossrail station and has a wonderful Primary school. Houses get snapped up pretty quickly there, I lost out on 4 sealed bids!

This thread is a bit old but I guess it would be interesting to hear opinions after a year. I checked out Leytonstone, apparently so up and coming, but I have to say that I don't see much of the gentrification that everyone is talking about. There's literally one single nice pub (the Red Lion), one single but tiny bakery (the wild goose) and apparently there's a good bookshop and a good vintage store that i didn't see. The rest is quite dingy and the huge poundland quite sad. Please help me understand.

Leytonstone is not gentrified. It has a grand total of 3 pound shops and sadly neither a waitrose nor an m&s. It's a great place to live though, with a great mix of people and there are definitely a few local spots that you've missed.

The North star pub on browning road is a proper local pub & holds events like board game nights and Street parties,
Luna lounge has fun live music on weekends and a film club, All You Read is Love is a book shop/café/cocktail bar and holds "make and do" nights, supper clubs etc (as does the wild goose). There are also lots of local arts events and a gazzilion excellent restaurants and cafes up and down the high street which are less "trendy" including singburi which grace dent (ES restaurant critic no less) says serves the best Thai food in London!

The vintage shop was shit and overpriced but has now closed down

I guess it's horses for courses really.. We love it here and tbh are quite happy that's its still rough around the edges. It's great being so close to Bushwood and Hollow Ponds for walks, there's a great community spirit ( I'd recommend joining the Leytonstone life fb group) but it's certainly not Hampstead and no one is ever going g to refer to it as "Leytonstone village"!

Hope that helps..

We moved to the area last summer, encouraged by threads like this to give it a look. The main draws for us were good transport connections (city and canary wharf), relative affordability, good primary schools and access to green spaces. I am near hollow ponds and think it is a great place for kids to grow up.

The high street was secondary concern, but we have been impressed by the range of cafes and restaurants. Sure it's not as posh as neighbouring Wanstead (a brisk walk, tube or bus hop away) but like Ellen I like the grittiness. We looked at places like Wanstead (where we could get a house half the size of what we could get in Leytonstone) and South Woodford as well as further up the central line, but found the vibe too suburban for us.

It is horses for courses.

I have found the place really friendly, I know my neighbours and have met plenty of other mums through various local baby groups. Mainly ex Hackney or Stoke Newington. There are plenty of families moving in and HMOs moving out so the vibe is changing. We still have 3 pound shops, and don't believe the 95p one, it charged me a pound!

I'm thinking of moving to Leytonstone and this thread has been very helpful. My concerns are that the positive comments refer more to north west Leytonstone. Can anyone offer any opinions on the area around Leytonstone High Road overground? Is it safe?

Sorry I meant I'm concerned the positive comments only refer to north Leytonstone, not 'northwest'.

My brother lives next to Leytonstone HR overground. The lights and signage and shelters have been improved and there's now more and longer trains, so it's quite civilised - as safe as any London station. Handy for buses to Stratford or Leytonstone tube, near leisure centre, excellent Turkish supermarket. Not posh but certainly practical.

Only problem is it's one of the last areas of London where professionals can afford houses, so he and partner spent 6 months looking to buy and got outbid about 20 times, most places not even getting onto websites. He's given up.

It's OK round by the station. No worse than any other areas of London. I live a 5 minute walk away towards Cann Hall road. Really like it. Leytonstone spent years in the doldrums and it really is improving.

Just noticed Eticol's comment about South Leytonstone being 'rough'. It really isn't. Quiet streets full of houses being rescued from the rental sector and done up by families. It's where I live - almost all my newest neighbours are families or couples priced out of the usual areas or upsizing.
The Rookwood Tavern is getting a gastro makeover and there are a couple of new cafes. It's a great place to live. The only remotely 'rough' areas are the Cathall, Avenue and Acacia estates - and they seem much, much better than they were.

That's great to hear. I'm only looking to rent for now so thankfully will be avoiding the bidding wars.

Hey I am also relatively new to this area - near the High St station, down towards Cann Hall.

I think it's a great place to live, I rarely both going any further west than Liverpool St station these days - and even that's only because I work in the city. There is lots going on, cafes opening all the time and quite a community feel. I see people around I know from various things and say hi!! This never happened when I lived more centrally

I struggled initially, and still occasionally when it's cold! - with the 15m walk to the stations, having been used to living practically on top of a tube station. However now I like being able to choose between the tube and the 'real train' from Forest Gate in the morning - and the walk is probably good for me!

the school is newport

Properties going for crazy prices there. Get in while you can. Proximity to Liverpool Street means it's a winner. It will continue its upward trajectory.

Is Leytonstone cheaper than Walthamstow? I'd have thought probably not.

So what about cathall road leytonstonewhat are views about living on an estate it seems to be on the up! have three teenage girls and a toddler any views welcome have so muchbto
consider schools etc thanks?

Too many people here. I have lived here since 1986 and its gone downhill. Also the pollution here due to the M11 Link Road is one of the highest in the country. I can't breathe properly due to the pollution, according to my consultant I should move. Would if I could. Also the local council don't listen to the residents. Walthamstow High St is a dump, which is ok as you actually can't get to W'stow by either car or bus easily. Takes ages.Not everyone is capable of cycling for health reasons. None of the local stations have pick up or drop off points. There are newer residents who think it's somehow 'cool' to live in EAST London, although we are really north east and it used to Essex. The streets are very dirty, and always have been despite many initiatives, it has got worse. There are a lot of gang issues & my dd witnessed a gang stabbing right in front of her in year 7. Interviewed by police and had to make a statement. Lots of (good ie not in gangs) kids that my dc knew have been killed and one they were at primary school with is serving a double life sentence for murder. We had a brick through our window when I reported one of my dds being assaulted . Its all EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES.

Cathall No way

OVienna,

that's if you can get on a train , since Westfield opened they are packed all the time. Both ways and its no better coming home late at night.
At least when they are not running you can walk to Stratford I suppose.

South Leytonstone? think that's another estate agent term. Let me assure you that families have always lived here. I have a family as do all my friends and we have lived here for years. Many moved out when they had kids as well. The whole area has always been mixed, with a lot of people working in the public sector. Teachers, nurses , social workers, doctors etc. We also have barristers & emeritus professors ,as well as the less well educated and gangs. Many years ago it used to be a lovely area, all of it. The M11 Link didn't help. When I moved here we had a Russell & Bromley for instance. The local shops are awful and our row which used to have a haberdashery, a tool shop, hairdresser , florist, butcher etc is now nearly all rented flats. There are is still a transient population. There are some nice enclaves , but that's what they are, BUBBLES. People moving here has pushed prices up and many took the opportunity to move to better areas as people seem willing to pay the inflated prices. I have noticed, however that many in that first wave are moving out now. Perhaps to Frome, or Margate. Thats up and coming very arty.

I've lived just off Cann Hall road since 2002. I absolutely love it here. No worse than anywhere else in London and a lot better than many areas.