What's Wanstead like? Family friendly?

[goteam]

We are in a constant state of trying to work out where to move to from our 2 bed zone 2 flat. Still need to be in London and have been thinking about Harringay Ladders or Walthamstow but neither seem that safe, main streets a bit sketchy although residential streets seem fine.

Need a good co-ed secondary option (so Walthamstow not ideal) preferably with lots of space for cricket and running (so many zone 2 / 3 schools don't have enough space and don't offer DS's favourite sport. Want an academic but not too pushy state school.

Does Wanstead have what we are looking for? We like cafe culture and parks, swimming, outdoor activities etc. Work is north London and home based.

We considered Southgate but not sold on it and Ally Pally is nice but feels quite busy and decent 4 bed houses dont come onto the market much.

Budget is up to £1 million.

We love some of the commuter towns like Hitchin and Bishops Stortford but need to stay in London for work. We would like that kind of community vibe though. Where we are (Hackney) often feels transient and unsettled and so many friends kids are getting their bikes and phones stolen I'm not sure I want my kids to be teenagers here.

Also £1million doesnt actually get toy much house.

Thanks

I lived in wanstead for nearly 10 years. Its extremely family friendly with a pretty high St, loads of cafes and beautiful green spaces. Consequently prices have shot up (although still cheaper than North London) and houses in Wanstead proper don't come up for sale all that often.

It's definitely a family friendly area. Brilliant for nurseries, primaries, baby/toddler groups etc (not sure if you're past that stage yet?) It also has loads of cafes and a very nice small park in the centre, plus a larger one on the outskirts. No swimming pool though - there was talk of building one at the high school but I'm not sure what is happening with that.

The secondary school had a bad reputation a few years ago but it's good now, or so I hear. Results are above average but it isn't known for being pushy. I'm not sure how good it is for outside space though.

I used to live there. The High Street is certainly cafe culture now. Quite a lot of big and expensive houses, but packed very tightly together, either by extensions, or by gap-filling, or by demolishing and squeezing in blocks. A few of the roads have big gardens.

Big houses are often owned by older people, IMO there is not much family vibe now.

Some parks and greens; from the Snaresbrook end you can walk up to the Hollow Ponds area of the forest. Wanstead Flats is not really in Wanstead.

You can take a horse all the way to Epping by little cut-throughs and fingers of old forest, including a bridleway under the Green Man roundabout. I have not done it recently.

Surrounding "villages" are less posh, but mostly gentrified.

Two tube station make it possible to work in town, but you will be lucky to get a seat (or even to squeeze on sometimes).

You can hear the traffic.

We have lived in Wanstead for a few years so I am biased, but I think it’s perfect.

Go for a walk in Wanstead on a sunny day and you’ll fall in love.

Start by taking in the high street between Wanstead and Snaresbrook stations (both central line).

Get a coffee from Bare Brew, The Larder, La Bakerie, Gails or Barrel Boulangerie. There are lots of other cafes and restaurants along here as well, and the Cuckfield and The Bull pubs.

Walk around Christchurch green. The church grounds within are lovely and there is also a playground and a library.

Then branch out in different directions, e.g walk down to Nightingale Green and The Duke, or walk around Tarzy Wood/Memorial Green, or along Cambridge Park Road which has a Tapas restaurant and Belgique opposite George Green. (You will note the A12 is there on the map but is underground).

For slightly longer walks it’s 20 mins from Wanstead Station to Wanstead Park, and the walk takes in St Mary’s Ave and some other roads of lovely housing. Or it’s about a 10 min walk from Snaresbrook to Leyton Flats/Hollow Ponds.

In terms of housing, it’s hard to narrow it down. The counties estate (the roads near the cricket club in Nutter Lane) and also the roads off Chaucer Road have smart Victorian terraces. If you want a wider house with garage / bigger garden that’s probably possible but a slight compromise on maybe a busier road or slightly further from high st. But there is nowhere to avoid and lots of lovely quiet tree-lined roads all around, see what’s available on Rightmove.

I have friends at all the primaries and only hear good things. Many do go private for secondary, in Snaresbrook or Woodford, but these schools are all academically selective. I know a few parents using Wanstead High or planning to, and they rate it well.

You can't go wrong in Wanstead IMO it's lovely, can't comment on the schools now as I moved a long time ago although DM is still there, at the time Wanstead wasn't a great school but that could well have changed.

Im near Upminster now, still just in London, but has excellent state schools, lots of coffee shops/restaurants, a beautiful park with a cricket field as well as so many other outside spaces within easy distance. Plus C2C is a fab line for commuting with the bonus that you are still on the tube line too.

I can't get that website to work @Alwaysmoving2
We are flexible on location but definitely need to be in London for my job.

Disappointed to hear there isn't a swimming pool as I am a daily swimmer. Might need to rethink!

Wanstead High appears to be a decent school though and I noted the above average results.

Thanks everyone.

We may have to visit and get a feel for the place.

I think you're wrong to dismiss Walthamstow so readily due to unsafe sketchy streets, especially coming from Hackney!

Co-ed secondaries Leytonstone, Frederick Bremer and Willowfield are all rated good and friends' kids are very happy at all of those. And if you're feeling flush, you could consider Forest.

It depends what you're after, but we looked at both Wanstead and Walthamstow and opted for the latter as it has a more London vibe and better transport links. Wanstead has a lovely park and some nice cafes but feels very suburban to me. Also a lot of the nice houses (Aldersbrook estate etc) are a trek from the tube.

wansteadvillagedirectory.com/2020/03/25/wanstead-swimming-pool-remains-on-track-for-opening-in-2021/?no_cache=1

Not sure if this is still on track beyond COVID but if so, this will be a pool in Wanstead High open to the public.

There is a swimming pool in Forest School, and the Olympic pool is less than a 10 minute drive away from the Green Man roundabout and has parking. They are not pools that you just turn up to, I have only used them both for baby swim classes, so not sure how accessible they are for adult swimming.

There is a council pool in Leytonstone (Cathall) that has a direct bus route although would be as quick to walk usually (maybe half an hour either way).

I can't comment on the swimming pool aspect but we were in Wanstead till a few years ago and still have friends there. I would call it family friendly.

How many bedrooms are you after? Wanstead is much nicer and greener than Walthamstow. I often use Walthamstow to connect to buses and it can be quite intimidating late evening so is there much difference re teens for there or Hackney? Your budget is excellent, I think you can get somewhere lovely in Wanstead.

We need 4 bedrooms. We havent completely dismissed walthamstow. I just feel we would be getting more of the same coming from Hackney. We think maybe what we actually want is suburban but still have all the amenities on our doorstep which is probably unrealistic!

Good news about the pool @BlanketyBlanky I'll see if I can look into whether it is going ahead

I let a house there...big 4 bed [inherited]...I did consider living in it myself but found wantead a bit too quiet really....lots of cafes etc but not a lot else to do..few nice restaurants....will be selling it next year...I am in grove road walthamstow so village borders...much more lively....no issues...a lot of walthamstow is now very nice...just avoid st james st area and parts of wood st...hoodies and dealers still roaming around at night etc...schools are mostly very good.

What sort of amenities do your family need? I agree that Hackney and Walthamstow have similarities. I tend to think you can get quite deep into the suburbs and still have the amenities you want. It sounds as if your commute might be a bigger issue?

You might like Repton Park in Woodford Green where there is a stunning private pool and gym in the grounds and amazing surroundings. Good schools nearby and walking distance to Woodford Central Line, 30 mins to the city.

Loughton might suit you too - still very commutable to London and great area where you could get a decent house for your money.

@Gemma2019

You might like Repton Park in Woodford Green where there is a stunning private pool and gym in the grounds and amazing surroundings. Good schools nearby and walking distance to Woodford Central Line, 30 mins to the city.

Loughton might suit you too - still very commutable to London and great area where you could get a decent house for your money.

Isn't it a really long walk to a Tube from Repton Park?

Loughton is great, we would move there if we could afford it.

Yes I suppose it could be if you lived down the far end. It says 20 mins here. I would probably end up on the 275 bus every day!

www.huntpropertyservices.co.uk/Repton-Park

[quote Gemma2019]Yes I suppose it could be if you lived down the far end. It says 20 mins here. I would probably end up on the 275 bus every day!

www.huntpropertyservices.co.uk/Repton-Park[/quote]
Does it? I grew up near there, it was a hospital. From my recollection, it's a couple of miles to the station. In fact I thought Chigwell might be closer.

I've fallen in a property hole now. We saw a house advertised there and I thought it looked brilliant but we didn't have 800k anyway!

Repton Park did used to be a hospital. Woodford station is a trek from there, Chigwell or even Hainault or Fairlop would be closer and if you are at the front,Grange Hill, walking back up Manor Road.

When I was in Wanstead we swam at Cathall Road, Loughton or my school lessons were at Fullwell Cross.

Have you considered Leytonstone? Lovely houses here for up to £1m. London vibe and good choice of cafes/pubs. I hear leytonstone high school is good (but my children are younger)

Leytonstone school doesn't look as good on paper academically, but I know lots of kids who are very happy there. From our primary school in Walthamstow, about half the children go there. It had a new head in 2019 and I hear she's doing a great job.

Useful to know about Leytonstone and Woodford, thanks.

@CarmelBeach I am home based for work but do often need to travel around London for meetings so need to be near-ish a station.

I like Wanstead - nice area.
I have recently moved to Loughton - superb area (Zone 6 on the Central Line.) Loughton has a lovely feel to it.
We are walking distance to Epping Forest where we often see lovely wildlife, including birds and deer. We also are close to the tube an lovely High St. The Local Authority gym is superb and has been given a multi-million pound facelift. I use the gym and pool there regularly. Superb value.

I'd say check both out thoroughly and see what you think.

I used to like walking visitors to the Nightingale, and pointing out the plague pit as we passed it.

Work has already started on the swimming pool at Wanstead High. I live in Wanstead. It's nice, I feel safe. Loads of families. Good schools. Very little housing stock though and I find that many roads are noisy in terms of traffic noise. That's my biggest gripe about the place.

Wanstead is great. South Woodford and Woodford also great places. It's easier to get a primary school place in South Woodford than Wanstead. The high street in South Woodford is less pretty than Wanstead because Wanstead has the green but it's still a pretty decent high street.

Main secondary school in South Woodford is Woodbridge High which has a good reputation.

Woodford also has great primary schools and is more leafy but has a smaller high street. For secondary it's Woodbridge again unless you are Catholic.