Positive experiences of Blackheath SE London?

[DollsHouse83]

We are imminently moving to Blackheath (me, DH, toddler and TTC) in South east london. We are excited because we will have moved from a high rise in East London (Poplar area) which is really built up and with limited parks etc, and so we are really looking forward to utilising the green spaces etc.

However, I've heard lots of negativity about Blackheath which is getting me down, so I'm looking for some positive experiences from people about the area, family life there, and especially with young kids.

The negative stuff I keep being told is always the same - the village doesn't have any useful shops and the secondary schools are awful. We aren't worried about the shops as we do online delivery and so we will just be grateful to have so many lovely cafes on our doorstep. As for schools, we felt the local schools could be fine, (I'm aware that John Roan was closed down and re-opened) and in any case my DC won't be applying for another 8/9 years which gives the schools (and us) loads of time.

So I'd love to hear any positive experiences of living there from anyone? Thank you!

Oh I’ve never heard any negatives about blackheath, it’s a lovely place to live and right next to Greenwich for shopping and Greenwich park! (I live further out but pass through often) it’s a great place for families.

Have a friend who lives there, loves it. I only know it from visiting but
from a high rise in Poplar I’d be very surprised if you weren’t much happier.

Not much negative about Blackheath. Good rail link to central London, great open spaces & a nice walk into Greenwich. It's a win I'd say.

We’re also SE London and I’ve never heard any negativity about Blackheath, literally the opposite. I’m sure you’ll love your new home

I think it's great! Many London areas seem to have a lot of stress around secondary schools, but I think most people get through all right?

I’ve no idea why anyone is telling you it’s a rubbish place to live. It’s amazing with small children. The primary schools are good. You’ve got years before you need to worry about secondary.

The traffic can be crap across the Heath, and the village isn’t chocked with high-street chain shops (has great restaurants and cafes, tho!) but you’re so close to Lewisham, Canary Wharf or travel into Central that it’s no problem at all to get what you need.

Loads of good baby & toddler groups and activities around, close to Greenwich and the museums and park, Manor House Gardens has a great cafe and playground too…

Enjoy!

I would love to live in blackheath I’ve honestly never heard anything negative about it, it’s got so much lovely green open space, and good transport links.

John Ball is a particularly lovely school if you can get in.

Blackheath is lovely, was just up there today and got an iced coffee in Gail's!

If I'm reeeeally trying to find fault then I don't think there's any really good playgrounds unless you head down into Greenwich Park, and the traffic isn't great, but it's a brilliant area with small children! Particularly at this time of year. Book in for a Sunday lunch at the Hare and Billet when you can, it's a great spot.

It's a world away from Poplar, enjoy your new home 😊

a great place to live! the walk from Blackheath to Greenwich for the view of London has to be one of the best things to do in the whole city.
secondary schools in London consistently outperform the rest of the country so wouldn't worry about that, especially in a more affluent area. enjoy.

Blackheath is lovely! Is it people where you're moving from telling you it isn't? Plenty of good secondaries too.

What?! Blackheath is an amazing to live! I live in nearby Lee, and would love to be in Blackheath. Lovely local shops, cafes and restaurants. My sons went to Thomas Tallis. It's a good school!

Blackheath is a lovely relaxing area.

Negatives about it, what you've been told about the local shops is right, they aren't useful and very high priced.

Also phone signal there is terrible.

I live there, it's fantastic.

Useful shops in Blackheath itself are: Cook/Gail's/2 bookshops (ones a Waterstones)/Holland and Barrett (having a refit at the moment)/ pharmacy/Rymans/ posh deli/good appliance shop

Less useful ? - clothes shops like jigsaw/Oska/whistles/childs shoe shop

What people means is there isn't a supermarket - there's an M and S at Blackheath Standard just a few minutes drive/10 minutes walk away - there is a farmers market on Sundays behind Blackheath station

There's good restaurants and cafes - and it's a 15 minute walk through the park to Greenwich market with shops and cafes

This is the BEST place to live, I don't know anyone who doesn't love it

This is bizarre as I'd class blackheath as somewhere I'd love to live but am priced out of, it's true there's no supermarket in the village but there are lots within a ten minute drive and there's a good greengrocers and general store? Lots of nice pubs, restaurants, the heath and the park with Greenwich waterfront walkable, it's a fabulous location. And so quick into central London.

It’s much, much better than Poplar partly because it’s more accessible to green spaces. It’s also safer for your kids, or as safe as central london can be, so I wouldn’t worry too much.

I've never heard any negatives, when I lived in the SE it's where everyone wanted to live and those who couldn't find properties there or whose budget didn't stretch to there lived in Lee which is also a lovely area.

If you're lucky enough to be able to live in Blackheath - the Chelsea of SE London - I would move there ASAP and not give it a second thought. The people telling you negative stuff are probably jealous.

I used to live in Eltham with my ex partner as his aunt had a house there she rented to us cheaply and I always wanted to be in blackheads it's lovely 🥰

I live in Charlton now (and used to live in East Greenwich) and would love to live in Blackheath if there were large enough houses we could afford!

If you haven't bought already, you could look more towards Westcombe Park (Sainsburys and Iceland on Trafalgar Road) and Blackheath Standard (M&S) as these are closer to grocery stores while still being an easy walk to Blackheath Village. The retail park in Charlton has SO many large grocery stores and is an easy drive (huge Sainsbury's, M&S, Asda, Aldi and Lidl).

Don't know much about secondary schools as we don't have kids yet and don't plan to still live here by the time we have secondary school-age kids.

The only negative I have ever heard about Blackheath is the secondary school situation. It's a lovely place to live.

Blackheath is lovely. In all honesty, I find the village doesn't have a huge number of useful shops...it's mainly restaurants, nice bakeries and niche, posh shops that you pop in for a look... rather than shops which you go to because you actually need shit! However, there's loads of nearby places where you can shop... Lewisham, Eltham, Bromley, Charlton...

Secondary schools....hmmm, I personally think some have a bad rep quite unfairly.