Ramsgate knowledge? Grateful for info.

[Alwaysonarecce]

Hello there!
Interested in whether Ramsgate really is on the up on not. Just your opinions really, good or bad. So, two years after leaving London for the country (Kent) - in a tiny two up two down in a village near Tunbridge Wells, we chanced upon Ramsgate after a day trip to the seaside. Anyway, houses are cheap for a reason, but there is little way we can afford a reasonably bigger house near where we live, and it would be so nice to have a bit of a garden and more rooms for our toddler and maybe another baby. We’ve seen a 4 bed house with big garden, period, needs a lot of work, for the same price as our crazy small terraced cottage. We are so tempted and are getting estate agents round to value our house next week. Are there any Mumsnetters who can reassure me about my niggles? I got a great feel Ramsgate, had a coffee opposite the Marina on two different days, walked around, saw a lot of the grot spots and erm, locals (I don’t want to seem a snob but it’s obviously a different mix to the samey sameness of Tunbridge Wells...) but equally felt excited by the prospect of getting in early on the gentrification of it. I’ve heard lots of negatives, spoken to shop owners, estate agents, but good stuff too. The state schools aren’t as good as there, at least that’s how it seems, but the grammar is very near the house (assuming our toddler gets in) and there’s a chance we could go private if the schools don’t measure up. Prefer not to though. Anyway, Just interested if anyone’s out there! We’re a creative couple with steady jobs, husband not put off by the commute to London as it’s the same journey time as he does now. I stopped doing the commute 3 months ago. Sorry long post!

I went to the Grammar there many years ago, and strangely we went for a walk around Ramsgate a few weeks ago. God the high street is depressing but the harbour was lovely. The way that it used to be is that the wealthy people lived in Cliffsend, Broadstairs, Kinsgate, and the not so well off lived in the towns. FWIW there was a story in the Gruniad the other day about a London woman being racially abused in Ramsgate, and you have probably noticed the UKIP office there? There is a LOT of poverty, and not much employment. I still have friends that stll live there, they own their own businesses, and live in Minster and Kingsgate respectively. TBH OP, proceed with caution, don't rush into anything, and maybe check out Broadstairs. How about this? Near one of the nicest beaches in Kent also a teacher friend of mine recommends Palm Bay primary school. Or you could try Whitstable? I'd move there if I had a massive budget.
Also, post Brexit, they are predicting that most of the lorry traffic will be milling around Kent, so bear that in mind too.
Sorry to be doom and gloom, but be really careful where you go, and check the crime stats for the areas too.

I know Ramsgate well and I'd do it in your situation. Yes it's grotty in parts but then that's the case for many market towns but unlike other market towns it's got the Regency bone structure, the harbour, sandy beach, trendy cafes/restaurants/shops.

A lot is made of the Thanet/island mentality which is definitely a thing but I think the key is that it's an open place, it's not resistant to change or new people. The harbour and beach bring enough people in and out for it not to feel stagnant and claustrophobic.

And realistically, given your circumstances (London links, creative, willing to go down the grammar or private school route) you can take the good bits and skim over the rest. My advice may be different if you were more reliant on local community and services for your lifeline.

I think you could draw a parallel with places in London like Peckham that have become gentrified - it's becoming gentrified and has most of your middle class/creative credentials but there's always going to be poverty etc. There are definitely more and more London creative types moving to Ramsgate.

Any chance of a link to property?!

@Regressionconfession two differing opinions here OP, let us know what you decide.

One of the souviner shops on the beach near the tunnels sells golliwogs as of summer 2018. I’m not sure if that is with racist, or some kind of ironic intent.

Thank you, I read your posts with so much interest, it’s really great to hear your views.

SarfE4sticated - lovely property suggestion but way out of our budget. The property that got us excited is this:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-67599799.html

It has just sold, despite viewing it twice we couldnt be taken seriously anyway as we haven’t even got ours on the market quite yet. Valuations on Friday. But it was enough to get us dreaming/blinkered about the £100k worth of work we’d need to do to get it up to scratch. I do like Broadstairs but DH thinks it’s a seasonal place, he is a Londoner born and bread, isnt put off by ‘rough around the edges’ and feels positive about the regeneration/gentrification in Ramsgate. He feels our move from London to our quaint village was a ‘disaster’! To be fair, we chose a ‘cute’ character cottage with no pavement and a downstairs bathroom, with just a courtyard, because I wanted safe and pretty and Outstanding Ofsted on the doorstep. I’m more open minded now. We just can’t bring ourselves to live in a non descript house. It has to feel good even if it’s in a state! We don’t mind a really long term project.

Regressionconfession - thanks, encouraging. I’m on the same page I think. I think the next step is not to rush in, as Sarf warns. We will see what the agents say about what our cottage is worth and take it from there. Schools are important but so is a happy home life with the ability to have toddler’s eventual school friends round. So long as they’re not the offspring of ASBOs! Jokes aside, getting advice on roads will be invaluable once we start viewings again.

Sushimonster- now I’m just hoping there’s a bearded hipster buyer behind this with lots of coffee snob friends being all ironic and clever.

Thanks so much for your input.

Broadstairs is pretty big, and has an established community, so not as holiday makerish as the high street might suggest. I think the reason that parts of Ramsgate and Margate are quite cheap is that local people don't want to live there. SO saying I don't have any up-to-date knowledge of the area. Maybe go to the local primary school at pick up time and see whether you see any kindred spirits in the playground. Check the crime stats - I found this. I assume you'll wait until you know what Brexit is going to do, especially in case it all goes sour and all of the leavers who voted for it in Thanet start getting a bit pissed off.
I'm sure you've had all of these thoughts already, but just wanted to put it out there. Good luck with everything!

So we went back to Ramsgate, and then Margate, and then we saw Deal...

My sister moved from London to Folkestone and loves it there. Possible more diverse, open, London vibe than Ramsgate and similar properties.

I prefer Folkestone to Ramsgate, because there seems to be quite a lot of arty stuff going on there, and investment in the area, but am sure a lot of poverty exists there too. If you want nice property and what seems like a nice quiet area, I would think about buying in Bexhill, but the commute would be pretty hard. How about Canterbury?

Thanks, haven’t been to Bexhill, or Folkestone, but we really were taken with Deal. Interesting, how you think you want arty (euphemism for gritty/rough), on-the-up and bargain period houses, then you research the hell out of somewhere (Ramsgate) and the problems with the council and antisocial behaviour really puts you off. Deal, on the other hand, means we could buy a marginally bigger house and do work, but have an already established scene. Who am I kidding, it was pretty and foodie and it felt safe, and I must be more middle class than I thought. So Ramsgate is off... I just couldn’t ignore the niggle. We are going to keep an eye on property there and put our on the market possibly after Brexit, perhaps before (that’s another quandary hey.) any info about Deal would be useful. Anything really. Spoke to the locals about schools. Seems to be a nice community there and not so much DFL antagonism.

I think you have to be sensible when you have children tho, you can be as edgy as you like when you’re single, but when you’re a parent you have to be more circumspect. Schools, neighbors etc become really important, nothing wrong with that!
Good luck!

Another vote for Folkestone here, but Deal is also quite nice.

Ramsgate is a poo hole

I used to live not far from Deal, I liked it. Have a look at Hythe, it has a Waitrose! Ramsgate at night is not a nice place.

I like Hythe too mctweedie but not as cheap as Ramsgate. I’ve seen nice/cheap houses in Sandgate but no gardens. It’s really hard to find nice areas with affordable houses on good trainlines. Good luck op!

We've moved from Kent to Hastings, love it here! So much cheaper and there's a real sense of community. Rye and Bexhill areas are lovely too.

Thanks all!

spicylolly - yes we love Rye too, however the school aren’t that great apparently (though I know very little) - also a bit longer on the train for DH. Love it though. That’s very much the vibe we like, hence why Deal appeals.

Autumnleaf- hmmm we are hearing quite a bit about Folkestone. Are the schools ok (state and independent?) Husband has literally just texted me to suggest we go and look.

McWeedie - got to love a Waitrose and what it represents! Hythe sounds interesting. That said, and yes this is very snobby and unreasonable, the Ramsgate Waitrose was a bit smeggy I thought!

Husband’s back on Ramsgate and the allure of a big house. Some friends of friends have moved there and thus it feels people are holding on to each other in the home that more mates will come and the prices will go up for them. Oh - to have a big house though... We looked into St Lawrence school and it’s art links with the Turner in Margate which was enticing. Also reading about Roger Manwood near Deal/in Sandwich and finding out about Deal primaries and potentially Northbourne Park to harness DS’s opportunity to get in (if it feels right at the time of course). Suspect we might be the family in the glorified 2 up 2 down with child in private school (better not have more!).

Sarf- exactly, and thanks! Definitely going to do our homework rigorously first now we have DS. Finding that with Deal too, no gardens unless new build house. And being the arty farts we are we would want a period house to do up. Feel like it would be a nice life there.

Anyway sorry for the endless thread!

My son goes to school in Rye, it's great, he loves it and is doing really well there and it also has just had a whopping 4 million to invest in it 😊👍

Massive Folkestone advocate here! Moved here a year ago (after looking all over Kent, inc Tunbridge Wells funnily enough) and absolutely love it. Local grammars are outstanding and most primaries are good or better. Totally won over by the stunning architecture and the amount there is to do for families. Know most of the South coast fairly well (though not Folkestone strangely as we never visited as it was always pretty grotty until recently - wasn’t even considerin* it until an Estate Agent showed us the sort of properties our money would buy here) and I think it is easily the best coastal area in Kent to live. Only regret is not doing it sooner!

BTW we used to live in Crouch End pre children and Folkestone for us feels pretty similar in terms of lots of lovely artsy cafes and quirky boutiques and bars 😁

I agree with the poster above who said the reasons there are cheap places in Ramsgate is because locals don't want to live there! I will also point out that Ramsgate has a Waitrose which Broadstairs and Deal don't!

We live in Margate, child is at the grammar in Ramsgate and is thriving. The problem here is that the grammar schools are really the only good ones, so if your child didn't pass the 11+ you'd struggle.

Deal has its difficulties, same as Ramsgate tbh. It doesn't look as run down but there are still areas to avoid.

Lurks - great to hear, thanks. We also used to live in Crouch End how funny. Love the architecture round there too. Husband is back on a Ramsgate and after such grotty weather and being a bit confined to our small cottage I’ve been listing after having a big house again, which we prob couldn’t achieve in Deal. So I’m exploring Ramsgate and Folkestone again. Going to spend a weekend there. We walked to Chatham and Clarendon grammar and liked the vibe, felt normal, reminded me of my school. Want to visit St Lawrence prep in Ramsgate at some point. Yeah we are clearly all over the place, switching all the time!

Kitty - also good to hear the positivity! How are you finding it in Margate? We went to a cafe there and definitely felt the London scene thrivingand loved Dreamland but it felt a few streets away was a bit run down (but on the up?).

Spicylolly - ooh that’s good to read. Love the Mermaid and Kino. I think if we put Rye in the mix now we’d have a breakdown!

To be honest thinking sod it and go for size of house and pray not a mistake. Sometime
You have to take a leap of faith.

We were the same! Chased the house rather than the location, but fortunately has all worked out amazingly as Folkestone is everything I hoped for and a whole lot more. Was actually only on the property pages of mumsnet as we are starting a massive project on a home we could only have dreamed of in London so was gathering intel on lofts conversions and kitchens 😁. The property (in general, not just mine!) here is so lovely and we have a huge wrap around garden that our children get lost in, when we barely had a postage stamp in the smoke! It really has been life altering in an extremely positive way...

I've been in Margate all my life so have nowhere to compare to, but I'm happy enough. The point you made about Dreamland and surrounding areas is one that occurs all over this sort of area really, you have a part that looks on the up, you can see there's been money invested and it's working, but then two or three streets away it's unloved and depressing. Lots of lovely quirky hipster shops/cafes pop up, filling the same units and then are gone again in a few months, meanwhile the High Street is full of buildings that have been continuously empty for years.
I do think in general it's on the way up but it will be slow.

CCGS really is a lovely school, as is Roger Manwood's.

Just to add another possibility into the mix (sorry!) have you considered Canterbury? It isn't on the coast (but only about half an hour away) but has a nicer vibe to it. It's quite studenty but there are great schools and the city centre is markedly better than anywhere in Thanet.