Achway N19 - looks grim but how bad is it really?

[norflondoner]

We always said we would never go near the area, but now we have the option at a very attractive price we are thinking it might not be so bad.

I know it looks grim, but the green fields of Waterlow Park look like a good respite to the awful tower and grim highstreet. However, I am worried about the youths hanging around Junction Road and the risks to DS who is 14 and probably a key target these days.

Am I being paranoid? DS is usually pretty confident in himself, but has already had his mobile nicked once and so is a little more wary these days.

Of course I meant aRchway...

Not a good area for young male teenagers. Gangs and drug runners do hang round the dome and tufnell park tube esp. on weekends, as well as on Holloway road.
Up the hill towards Highgate is better but if your ds uses the tube at night he will run risks.

have to go through it 2-3 times a week. used to work at the whit as well. no disprespect to those who live there but my god it depresses me endlessly. wrt to the spotty youth type thing,it is pretty dodge i think, because the area has had so many troubles in the past, people don't ever seem to get involved in stopping stuff happening.

we lived in tufnell park for a while (bordering archway) which is fine but i would be careful with anywhere around holloway road. waterlow park IS nice. but with a teenage boy i would be careful, there were stabbings along junction road. also have you thought about schools?

Schools are not really an issue for us but I read somewhere about rival school gangs in Tufnell Park and Highgate. My worry there is that as an outsider he could also be a target and get caught up as he does use the tube and buses regularly to meet up with friends.

Question is whether it is the same risk for 14 year old boys all around central London, or whether this area is worse than others?

Honestly - I think it's fine. Like most of North London, there are lovely streets/areas bordering less desirable bits. We live in Stoke Newington, which is uber family tastic and des -res ish but bordering Murder Mile and less salubrious Dalston. Archway is great for the Heath, cafes and posh shops in Highgate and Hampstead, just up the road from Islington and Kentish Town etc.

Think it depends on exactly which part of Archway. A lot of that area is a bit dodgy, but turn a corner and you can be in a lovely bit of London...