Young family areas in london - Bush Hill Park?

[zzar45]

Does anyone live in Bush Hill Park and can offer some input into the area?

We are looking to move from a flat in Leytonstone in the next year and we have been looking at BHP as an area to buy a house in. BHP seems to offer the most for what we can afford, although it does seem quite quiet compared to what we are used to.
I've seen there is a nice looking coffee shop right beside the station, is there anything else like that going on?

What are your thoughts on Enfield town?

I think I contributed to a thread about this before so worth a search back through the mumsnet archives.
The eastern side of the railway track is much less desirable than the western side, but also has a much better choice of cheaper houses. The estate around Hadrian's Ride is pretty dodgy (in Enfield terms, so probably not that dodgy!) so best to avoid that, or having to walk through it. Also, I would say you're better to veer in the direction of Enfield Town as opposed to towards the A10 in terms of house location. Do not buy east of the A10 unless you really can't afford anywhere else. Trust me on that.
The best BHP streets are around Dryden Rd, Wellington Rd, Queen Anne's G etc.
The trains through Enfield Town and Bush Hill Park are now run by TFL and pretty reliable but if you end up buying close to Bush Hill station be aware that the area is not well served by buses so it's a bit of a trek home though dark streets if you find yourself coming home any other way.
There are a handful of quirky shops near BHP station - the trendy coffee shop and a fashion boutique.... but it is, as you say, hardly the centre of the universe, because it's not well connected other than by the train. Still, it has a nice laid back, hidden gem kind of vibe!
People knock Enfield Town itself but I think it has a fairly good range of shops for day to day needs (chainstores, not so good on independents) including a biggish M&S, a large Boots, Top Shop, Monsoon, H&M and a decent Waitrose. There's a thriving department store too which is a rarity. Yes there are also a lot of empty shops but show me a high street that's not struggling these days?
Enfield as a borough has a reputation of not being very trendy but I think as more people move here in search of affordable homes, gardens and decent schools, it is becoming a bit hipper!
As an alternative to BHP, have a look at houses in EN2... if you are looking in the £400-£500k bracket there won't be as much choice, but it's a good area (slightly less mixed than EN1) with generally good schools.
Your choice of location will also depend where you need to commute too of course. As well as the Enfield Town line which goes through BHP and trendy east London to Liverpool St, there is another line which runs between Stevenage, Hertford, Harringay and Moorgate, stopping at Enfield Chase station. You can get a bus to Oakwood for the Piccadilly line too, but not from Bush Hill Park which is only served by a couple of small and irregular local buses.
Happy to answer any other questions if you want to PM me. I've lived here all my life and know this area like the back of my hand! I also think it's underrated and a pretty good place to bring up a family with easy access to London and to open countryside.

@Enfieldlady I have read the threads and your helpful comments and was wondering if I could ask a few more questions about BHP. We’re really close to going through with purchasing a property on Third Avenue which looks really quiet and like it’s very family friendly, calm at various times of the day, close to BHP station though I didn’t get a very reassuring feeling whilst in the park itself recently. Saying that, I know there’s a strong residents association and Friends of BHP seem to be doing great things to benefit the area. I guess my concern is safety: stabbing last year on Third Avenue itself, stabbing in Southbury Rd/BHP near George Spicer 2 years ago... is the area getting worse in terms of safety? Any thoughts on that at all? School-wise, I worry we’ll be confined to BH school as opposed to the better regarded George Spicer and I think Raglan is already out of reach for us... do you know why BHP school is so undesired when Ofsted rates it “good”? Thank you for any insight at all.

Hello again OP.
Third Ave - as with most of that side of BHP - is a bit mixed - but it is reasonably tucked away and quiet.
It is nearish to Ponders End / EN3 area across the A10, where there is an ongoing turf war - I think that's why you felt uneasy. The park is not somewhere I'd go at night, but fine in the daytime.
I think the stabbing in the road itself was a domestic incident so in a sense, that could happen anywhere.
If you can afford it I'd consider buying in much nicer EN2 instead. If you can't, Third Ave is fine.
As far as schools are concerned, I suspect that Bush Hill Park School is simply the poor relation of the three you mention, drawing its pupils from the more deprived section of the area. Raglan to the south is situated in a much wealthier area with a catchment towards Winchmore Hill, and GS slightly more north, covering Enfield town. Bush Hill School was in special measures for a long time about a decade ago and it takes schools a while to shed their reputation.

What is your budget / requirements?

Much nicer area:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-85470596.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-72151600.html

www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/school/102024/bush-hill-park-primary-school/primary

I don't know the area but can see why the school is very undesirable.

@Enfieldlady thank you so much for the response and your views, very helpful! I’m ideally looking for a 2-bed house with a reasonably sized garden and potential to extend/grow into. Budget is up to £410 so I know we’re asking for quite a bit. I’ll check out EN2 and the links you sent. I currently take the Great Northern trains into Moorgate further south in Finsbury Park and have noticed how it’s often late or cancelled for the most ridiculous of reasons (shortage of trains or drivers?! 🙄) so I’m a little concerned about relying on that line for my daily commute