Best place to live in Medway

[MsRo]

Hi

I have a young family (2 under 5yrs) and we are moving to Medway from London for more space and cheaper rent. I just need to know the best and safest areas in Strood, Rochester, Chatham and Gillingham.

I know a lot of people will advise against moving to Medway but due to the distance from London and cultural diversity, I’m not willing to live anywhere else in Kent. I need to be in a culturally diverse area, that’s a must.

For those who live in Medway, where would you advise we move to and what areas should be avoided?

Thank you.

i wouldn’t go anywhere near Chatham . Rochester is the better option . Gillingham isn’t good either I heard walderslade is suppose to be nice tho

A lot of people are saying Medway isn’t culturally diverse so now I’m rethinking everything.
Rainham and faversham are too far.

dartford and greenhithe are too expensive
gravesend seems like my only option?

Rainham is part of Gillingham so how can it be too far? It's all Medway.

My FIL lives in the area ,moved there for his partner who sadly died a few yearsago- he is in his 80s.now and I'm not sure he can be bothered to move but hates it and thinks it's illiberal and unpleasant and bloody boring

Does it have to be that side of London OP? If I'm being honest and you want somewhere multi cultural and a bit cheaper than London I would honestly prefer Reading

Look at Crayford and Bexleyheath (not Bexley Village, too expensive).

I’ve lived in the Medway towns for years. Currently in Gillingham. You get good and bad in all areas. I live in an area considered to be socially deprived, but I have lovely neighbours, can walk to 3 supermarkets, the high street and the train station.
Rochester has character and the high street is lovely, but at night there are issues with behaviour….
Rainham is nice, but there is lots of building going on, so that may change.
Hempstead is very nice and slightly distanced from the town centres.
Chatham and Strood both have very nice and very bad areas…
There are lots of different cultures around here but I would still say it’s a bit right wing…

Chatham is awful. Rochester is much nicer.

Racially diverse they are not.

I don't understand your comment. When I gave birth to my eldest 50 years ago in Chatham, I was on a huge maternity ward. I was the only white woman on there, slavering while all the others were brought in gorgeous, homemade Indian food.

Look at the smaller areas. Hempstead is good with good schools. Wigmore, walderslade woods are good. Parts of rainham. Stay away from the main parts of town.

Rainham is Medway. Have you been to Medway? Why does it have to be Medway? Loads of great parts of Kent!

The idea too that somewhere diverse can't be right wing is also far from the truth- we lived in Windsor for a bit- full of well off Asians, Indians in particular , but more the government cabinet kind of Tory's. It was diverse(ish) but still very Tory

Rochester has a nice high street and has lots of good events -Dicken festival, Sweeps etc. Rochester Maths school is a good grammar school .

Another vote for Maidstone and the villages around. Good schools and good links to London.(you’ll find mumsnet is anti-Maidstone, but it’s actually not bad)