MOVING TO KENT , RAMSGATE OR MARGATE ??

[reddevilchris2018]

Hi there everyone,

Im looking to move to down to Kent, yes a dfl as were called
for me this is a relocation not 2nd home or holiday home.

Due to the shocking increase in prices along the coast,priced outof Birchington so im looking at either Margate or Ramsgate...

what does everyone think of either , please be honest this is a huge move for me.

hope to hear from some of you...

I personally wouldn't want to live by the English coast unless it was very rural. Where do you need to commute to work?

Are schools important to you? Assuming you know its a grammar school county.

Rough budget?

What sort of budget do you have?

Well my DH recently went to Margate for the first time and said it was a shithole. Hope that helps!

I think Ramsgate is much nicer. But have never lived in either so can't comment on schools etc. Someone I know (who grew up in Margate) moved back after years away but they hated it and said it wasn't very nice place anymore. Northdown Road is now a bit of a dump and the traffic in the town is horrendous.

We relocated to Kent (not north/west) and It's fine, I don't think I'd choose to be here at all if it weren't for the fact that it was one of the only places we could buy a house in the SE rather than a flat.

Margate and Ramsgate are both pretty ropey in parts and the seafronts are a bit dystopian looking which is a matter of taste but there are increasing amounts of hipster/arty shops/galleries/eateries/general gentrification, Margate has the Tate, Ramsgate has an out of town shopping park. Beaches in that part of the coast are nice. Neither would be my choice.

What's your rough budget OP? There might be better options. Do you want to be directly on the coast?

Why either of those? They are possibly/probably the two least desirable towns on the Kent coast…They havebeen being ‘gentrified’ for at least the past two decades and it hasn’t worked to any discernible extent. Have had cause to go to both in past couple of months, but really won’t be rushing back. At a push…if I had to chose I’d plump for Margate, because at least you have the Tate and a decent music venue for entertainment. But I would seriously be looking elsewhere if you can.

They’re both a bit rough TBH. A lot of drugs & antisocial behaviour. I wouldn’t want to live in either.

Margate is fab, when I was there recently I was struck by how friendly it is. It has a great community, it’s quirky and has lots of nice new bars, cafes, shops and restaurants. Plus the sea and those amazing sun sets. If you are buying I think it is a very smart move, property is still on the cheap side at mo but I think it's highly likely the prices will rise. I left thinking I could definitely live there. I have been to Ramsgate too, nice houses but felt quieter. Yes there deprivation, but that is the case for many coastal towns. No idea about schools etc.

We're moving to Margate from London OP. We were looking at Ramsgate for a while but find Margate more lively.

We were there this weekend scoping out the local area we have picked (for the fourth time) and there are some lovely roads. Pristine streets and well kept gardens. Like anywhere it has good and bad areas so do your research.

Schools are improving there, most primary's are good and there's one outstanding in Cliftonville.

The main beach is nice although a little rough but there are some quieter beaches that probably don't see the mass crowds in the summer. Palm Bay is lovely.

We like it and can't wait to move but definitely do your research. If I'd based my opinion solely on what I'd read on the internet I would have never have considered it.

Margate I'd steer clear of Cliftonville, Garlinge which is just outside is ok, King Ethelbert school.is good avoid Hartsdown Academy. Westwood Cross round that area is ok. Ramsgate St Lawrence is nice. Westgate is really nice as Birchington, Westbrook possibly. Palm Bay is nice but expensive, the other side of Margate. Depends what you think of as rough. I vote from Essex originally, moved down to Kent coast almost 20 years ago it's not rough compared to where I come from. Beaches, Margate beach is nice as is Minnis Bay Birchington. Have you considered Broadstairs?

I come from Essex not sure where the vote came from..

Forgot to say Margate is disposed to be in and coming a lot of the last series of Killing Eve was filmed there. Sam Mendes is filming there currently. Really as I said depends what you think rough is

Jeeze......supposed not disposed 🙄

My husband always said if he was moving back to Thanet he would choose Broadstairs. He grew up in St Peter's. Not sure what they are like now though.

Margate is a complete shithole. All the talk about gentrification hasn't really happened.

Can’t see the attraction of Margate, a few (very few) nice little shops & that’s it. We used to go a lot as kids, I was surprised when I went recently just how bad it is.

I'd choose Ramsgate over Margate, purely based on aesthetics. No idea what either are like school-wise, sorry.

What about Folkestone or Leigh on Sea/Shoeburyness instead?

I’d be looking more at Folkestone if I were you unless you really love Margate or ramsgate

I live about half an hour away from both. I went to margate recently and its still as awful as ever. Some of the properties are lovely and I've looked round them (the old bath house and the nurses station next door for example) but my god, its so rough and crime is rife. Cliftonville is horrible too. I like ramsgate, the beach is far nicer and it doesn't seem as run down.

You said you were priced out of Birchington, have you tried Westgate on sea? Thats my favourite place in thanet if I had to live there and 5 ish years ago was always cheaper than Birchington etc.

Whats your budget and what are you looking for?

I know of a 4 floor house, whole house, not split, blank canvas do-er upper, 2 mins from margate main sands that's about to go on the market.

Im popiing in to suggest Westgate-on-sea too.

There are nice and rough bits everywhere. I actually like margate and have family in the area so visit a lot but admit i was surprised by the sharps boxes in all the toilets, which I dont have where I live.

Neither are naice but both are great places to live. The walk between them around the coast has stunning rock formations.
Margate has the better beaches, beautiful sunsets, Westbrook promenade that's good for cycling, a small but lovely old town.
Ramsgate has beautiful gothic architecture, a high street with lots of small businesses.
Both areas are fun and have lots going on, pop up events etc.
Downsides not great if shopping is your hobby and not many parks or green spaces.
Proportion of racist and xenophobic people higher than average, the way people talk about Cliftonville an example.
(not saying that's the reason people on this thread don't like Cliftonville, I mean the way it's talked about in the rest of Thanet)

@A8888 is that why people hate Cliftonville? I had no idea. Agree though people are generally racist in parts of Thanet, Brexit votes were huge purely because they thought it would stop 'immigrants'. But Cliftonville I never feel safe there, and I've lived in some really rough/dangerous parts of London! It feels like every other shop is a takeaway or boarded up and it's the only place I feel really on edge, wouldn't walk at night, personally nothing to do with the racial demographic of the population as I live in a very diverse city and happily walk alone at night.

My understanding is that a lot of the problems with cliftonville are that it is where a lot of released prisoners are sent from a nearby jail and also a lot of asylum seekers are housed there. They are out in high density poorly maintained hmos. And unsurprisingly there are a lot of social problems.

every local I’ve ever spoken to in Margate has said it is a dangerous area…

thst said the houses there are lovely and I think in 15 years it will be delightful there. But I do think that a lot of down from Londons are a bit naive about what it’s like there.