Leytonstone

[Runninghorse]

What is Leytonstone like re safety, diversity, things to do for a couple in their early 20s?

Depends what a 'couple in their early 20s' like doing. There are a load of new bars, taprooms, little foodie shops and restaurants that have opened in the last 5 or so years. It's also very handy for Hackney Wick and all the groovy stuff that's going on down there - it's like a 10 minute bike ride, depending where you are in Leytonstone. It's also only about 20 minutes on the Tube to Tottenham Court Road. If you like travel it's a doddle to get to Stansted or Eurostar via HS1 at Stratford.

We've always found it a safe place to live - certainly no worse than anywhere else in London. It's a place with a big heart in many ways. We know all our neighbours. There's a definite sense of community here. It's very diverse - although it's becoming a bit of a 'Hackney lite' with young couples priced out of other, more central areas, especially at the south end of Leytonstone where it shades into Forest Gate North/Cann Hall Road/Harrow Road.

Bushwood and 'Upper Leytonstone' has some lovely streets and some very expensive houses. The Leyton end (near St Patrick's cemetery) is quite a bit scruffier.

You've also got the vast, open spaces of Wanstead Flats - which were an absolute godsend during the lockdowns. A bit further away is the Olympic Park and just beyond that Victoria Park.

@chipsarnie Thanks - it sounds ideal. DS does shift work in East London so they have been looking along the Central line but neither of them are familiar with any of the areas in their price range. They want to be somewhere as safe as possible with a diverse community feel.

What is their budget? I’m in Leytonstone too and love it, but I’m in my forties. There are a lot more young people here now, and lots of pubs, very diverse… but it might be a bit boring for them. Leyton seems to be more popular with 20somethings but I have never been able to work out why, Leytonstone is much nicer IMO.

My only gripe with Leytonstone is that there is no bus directly into central London, which really, really annoys me.

@Usernamenotavailabletryanother around £425k - ideally 2 bedrooms and some outside space - they are not into clubbing - more nice coffee shops, vegan friendly restaurants etc

Something near Francis Road might suit them:

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/117982982#/?channel=RES_BUY

Between Leyton and Leytonstone, some nice vegan friendly coffee shops & restaurants

Hi Username - the lack of a bus to central annoys me too! Why don't they just extend the 8 route like they do at night? Grr. But yes, Francis Road area a good bet.

Fairly safe, or at least not unsafe

Hi I moved to just off Francis Road in March after 15 years in Brixton.
I love it! Friendly neighbours, community feel on Francis Road, love all the shops there.
Would really recommend - go have brunch at Yardarm at the weekend to make up your mind and check on Morny bakery too!

leytonstone is nice but be careful....down the high road towards stratford can be depressing in parts....run down, crap shops etc....upper leytonstone is nice, big houses etc....professionals live there....leyton around francis road is also ok....but lots of silly snobbery among those who moved in from hackney etc...a lot of over priced shops....one sells socks at £65 a pair....macrame planters at £55..bar of soap at £22....lots of bleating in loud voices about nanny and associated nonsense....avoid those people....we lived here since the 60's and me and all our neighbours laugh at them !!

@Nicola1717

Hi I moved to just off Francis Road in March after 15 years in Brixton. I love it! Friendly neighbours, community feel on Francis Road, love all the shops there. Would really recommend - go have brunch at Yardarm at the weekend to make up your mind and check on Morny bakery too!

we nick name it ' Yaaaaaa arm '....owner is dim, wife is the brains...he fires staff for not having the correct accent but is clueless about the products he sells...hysterical !!

It's changed loads in the 20yrs since I lived there, and is ideal for a couple in their 20s. Francis Road in Leyton is lovely but bordering on th wanky side of trendy

@dittheringdoldrums

It's changed loads in the 20yrs since I lived there, and is ideal for a couple in their 20s. Francis Road in Leyton is lovely but bordering on th wanky side of trendy

totally agree....when we moved to that area in the late 60's...there were lovely shops, bakers, butchers, 2 fab italian cafes, post office, dry cleaners, electrical etc....now the new ones think they have done us a favour and brought us shops...!!!...yes it was rundown like any minor shopping street but the self importance and entitlement of some of the new owners is staggering...love it...!!!...leytonstone is less pretentious so i prefer going there and not the local places 5 mins from our house.

I live in Upper Leytonstone / Bushwood area and feel mega safe around the residential areas. Late at night, I suppose the high street, like any in London, can have some homeless or dodgy type characters hanging around but I've never been harassed by anybody in the slightest. Best part of living here for me is the close access to green areas (Hollows pond, Wanstead flats, Wanstead park)

A few good little bits for vegans in Leytonstone, Spice Box is fully vegan Indian, and lots of vegan bits at Stone Mini Market and Wild Goose Bakery. Pretty sure most pubs even have vegan options around here. The high street is a mix of high street chains and more independent shops. There are quite a few cheaper places for shopping ie Iceland, Poundland and a fair share of gambling places and chicken shops, the nicer part of the high street is definitely at the top, but don't expect Wanstead. / Hampstead. /Primrose Hill levels of nice boutiques or hipster shops

Also pretty fast to shoot into central on the tube or change to overground from Stratford, so feels like everything is at your fingertips.

Also seconding around Francis Road in Leyton may suit for somebody a bit younger.

I lived in a student house in Leytonstone in the late 80s ( that house would probably fail various safety inspections these days). It felt quite down at heel and not at all gentrified. Sounds like it’s changed a lot. Remember the Saucy Kipper earsup?

Have a look on StreetView for what Francis Road was like until recently, Basically a grim strip of run-down shops with the odd useful gem and a race track up the middle.

I've lived here nearly 30 years and E11 is better than ever - and a big part of that is down to the recent newcomers and the shops they've opened. Not once have I found any of them self-important or entitled.

Plenty of moaning from other camps, unfortunately. Especially prevalent on local Facebook Groups, sadly. Inverted snobbery is a thing.

Leytonstone is pretty great, and their budget might just about stretch.

It’s not really any more or less safe than anywhere in East London - there will be pockets of gang violence, car thefts, drug dealing and the odd burglary anywhere you go, but people tend to feel safe going about their neighbourhood. A 20-something year old vegan carrying a Wild Goose Bakery tote bag is of little to no interest to most local criminals.

Diversity is pretty good, although there’s a natural tension between the Hackney refugees and those who have lived in the area forever and resent the pace of change (but perhaps not the soaring house prices).

Thanks for all the input. They are going to look at some properties in the NY

we are not resentful of the newcomers...but its not the paradise that some think it is, francis road is a ghost town most of the time...the shops open maybe 4 days a week and there is a hardcore of hoody drug dealers always hanging out there on the corners....prices coming down now so maybe you can find a deal...good luck.

Are prices going down?

No.

No...dipped a tiny bit but now so little on market they are up again....the hoody gangs around francis road are now a real problem....we think there was a shooting on sat night...car window with bullet holes...they also buy huge rockets and fire them off at night....now there can be 20 hoodies all smoking weed and sitting about....nothing is open past 7pm really so its desolate up there...unless you fancy a smoke...!!..my agent friend says prices will dip a little as the interest rates go up etc....he said its bank of mum and dad fuelling the bidding wars for the kids etc.