Westcliff: which areas...? Or Rayleigh?

[Mozziesmum]

Hi! I am thinking of moving the family closer to nature (either the sea or woodland) and Westcliff sounds like a good idea, but I have heard mixed opinions. If you know the area, which are would you move to in Westcliff, which would you avoid? Safety is my main interest. On the other hand I heard that Rayleigh is very lovely, safe and friendly. And not too far from the sea, as well as having plenty of woodland nearby. If you know the area, what do you like about it and why? Thanks in advance, it's such a big commitment! I am travelling there to get to know both areas but nothing beats the honest opinion of residents. Many thanks.

Westcliff is in the middle of the very large Southend-On-Sea conurbation, which has it's usual share of issues associated with any large conurbation e.g. anti-social behavior, crime, etc. The 'sea' in that area is actually more the Thames estuary, and the sea front is heavily commercialized.

Rayleigh is a nice enough 'high street' type town, with much less in the way of issues. But it's just a commuter town, with pretty bland countryside around it, and the nearest 'sea' is even further into the Thames estuary.

Do you need to be in those particular areas for family or work commute?

I was looking for a place close to Leigh on sea but not as expensive as Leigh, safe and with nature around it... I work mainly from home and only in East London twice a week, by car...