London E17 - Word on the street
Word on the street:London E17
02 February 2010
Lived here since 1997, having moved from Camden for same reasons as most people, cheaper housing, more bricks for your money, good transport links into town etc.
Lived here since 1997, having moved from Camden for same reasons as most people, cheaper housing, more bricks for your money, good transport links into town etc. However beware: cheaper housing although great means that house prices here are always last to rise but first to fall There's still no decent pubs or restaurants apart from a few in the village, the Tapas bar and Trattoria la Ruga in Orford Rd being the best of the lot. The Shopping centre recently acquired some new main chain store names (including the first ever Costa Coffee last year!!!WOW!!!!) so finally it feels like a decent place to shop, if you can bear the crowds on a saturday. The market used to be great for bargains, now just seems full of junk and rude people... must be getting old! With a council that seems to have no vision for this borough, all talk of regeneration so far has remained just... talk. If you have kids, on a good point there are plenty of facilities/groups for new mums, good affordable nurseries (but beware the 18-month+ waiting lists!), the primary schools are not so bad but there's very little options for secondaries. LLoyd Park is a green urban gem but... there's certainly more to London than Walthamstow. A good point is the fast transport links into west end or city, to escape it all when you've had enough! Don't move here hoping is going to be the next up-and-coming area... i've been hearing and waiting for that for the past 13 years! time to move on... Jo
Word On The Street: London E17
16 May 2007
Moved here 6 months ago, from Finsbury Park ...
... Love the space after urban north London, especially the village area, with its pubs and restaurants. Transport into town is superb. Best value for money on a tube we could find - and we searched really hard.
Move here and save your money for holidays, rather than having a horrendous mortgage!
David
Word On The Street: Walthamstow
04 December 2006
I've just bought a small property in this area - very affordable! ...
... Even so, if I had bought a year ago I could have saved myself a lot of money. House prices are getting silly and are generally set to rise here above the £250,000 mark.
Take my advice, there are some lovely areas in Walthamstow. Buy now before prices go beyond your reach. This is one of the last areas in London with relatively cheap and affordable housing. Beware! Dagenham may be your next port of call.
S Dawson
Word On The Street: Walthamstow
16 November 2006
We moved to the St. James' Park end of Walthamstow 2 years ago after selling our one bed flat in Stoke Newington and buying a lovely 2-bed house in the Stow for the same price! ...
... I have also previously lived in Islington, and although Walthamstow does not have the same variety of nightlife, I love it here and honestly cannot think where else compares for quality of life in the same price bracket.
Advantages to Walthamstow:
- Great transport links - Victoria line 20 mins to Oxford Circus or the same to Liverpool St from St James' station (a 3 min walk from my house!)
- Loads of green space - a major bonus for a dog owner such as myself! Epping forest is a 10 minute drive and St James Park is at the bottom of my road. Add that to Coppermill fields and the canal, and you have all the advantages of much dearer parts of London without the prices!
- As a woman, I have never felt threatened at night alone, unlike in Islington and Stoke Newington.
- A real community feel you can actually talk to your neighbours!
- The market - great to wander round on a Saturday morning!
- Walthamstow Dogs are a great night out and they donate heavily to animal welfare charities fun with a conscience!
- The Lock restaurant down by Tottenham Hale tube is run by a former Gordon Ramsey chef and is fabulous just 10 mins from Walthamstow!
Disadvantages to Walthamstow:
- At the moment there is still a lack of decent nightlife. The restaurant scene is pretty uninspiring (with some notable exceptions!) and the only decent pubs are in the Village. And dont even get me started on Charlie Chans! The lack of cinema still!
I feel that these issues are likely to be addressed as more people cotton on to the advantages of Walthamstow, though.
Kate
Word On The Street: Walthamstow
16 November 2006
The lure of value for money was the main reason for buying in Walthamstow ...
... I now am the proud owner of a huge 3 bedroom house and massive garden. I would never have had the chance to buy a property of this quality where I was living in Islington.
My only problem is, short of the Village (as usual), where else can we eat/drink? Please help!
Tony
Word On The Street: London E17
30 October 2006
The lure of value for money was the main reason for buying in Walhamstow...
I now am the proud owner of a huge 3 bedroom house and massive garden. I would never have had the chance to buy a property of this quality where I was living in Islington.
Tony
Word On The Street: Walthamstow
04 July 2006
Walthamstow's great, so affordable, and great transport links to central London.
... Nothing comes close when I compared prices and location. We just need a few more bars!
Word On The Street: London E17
23 May 2006
Walthamstow's not that bad ...
... Not as rough as Leyton or Tottenham. I've lived here for six years and only been burgled once and mugged twice.
Word On The Street: London E17
12 May 2006
I looked at the whole of London at my price point and considered value for money, proximity to major transport links, future investment potential and proximity to green space and believe me NOTHING came close ...
... I can afford a very spacious house, in a gentrified street, with a large garden next to Epping Forest (the biggest green space in London). I can be in the West End in 20 minutes (Victoria Line), or be in the financial hub via rail in 20 minutes for the price of a two bed flat anywhere else.
Buy now before the 12 billion pounds Olympic money, the Stratford Eurostar and the re-instatement of the direct Stratford-Walthamstow rail link happens.
Word On The Street: Walthamstow
07 November 2005
One of the reasons I chose to buy a flat in Walthamstow was because of the much talked about regeneration of the area...
Well that was two years ago and I've yet to see much evidence of it. There's a severe lack of decent shops and the night life is practically non-existent. Less talk more action!
Word On The Street: London E17
08 July 2005
So now we have the Olympics ...
...I'm looking forward to a stroll down Coppermill Lane, over the Marshes to the Marina and along the Canal to the Olympic Village. Add to this the Daily Street Market, 10 minutes to Epping Forest, 12 minutes to Liverpool Street & 20 minutes to Oxford Circus - who'd want to live in Walthamstow??!!
Word On The Street: London E17
10 June 2005
I have just a little house and I love it here...
Lots of different types of people and great transport. We could do with some more bars and sexy shops but they are on the way, I promise!
Word On The Street: Walthamstow
07 June 2005
I've lived in the Lloyd Park area of Walthamstow for just over a year and I think it's fantastic...
The park is great, the people are friendly and there's everything you need within easy walking distance. There's even a new deli on the way...
07 April 2004
The open spaces of Epping Forest, Hackney Marshes and along the canal...
...are in direct competition with Hampstead Heath and Primrose Hill and at a fraction of the cost.
I'm a born and bred Brit and the culture differences were a bit of a shock but I've really come to love the multiculturalism. I enjoy the fact that I can ask my neighbour for a decent curry recipe, or ask the other neighbour how to make proper pasta - better still I can always get the ingredients that I need from the all night shops.
I came from the leafy 'burbs and I was worried about crime but in 3 years I've never encountered criminal activity against me or felt threatened.
I can walk my dog and enjoy the birdsong, park my car without paying CPZ fees, I can grow my organic veg at the allotment up the road and I can have my shopping delivered by Ocado - can it get any better?
24 April 2003
I've lived here all my life...
..and wanted always to live by the market, which I managed to do about 3 years ago. It's fantastic for shopping and the tube is really good, and is unaffected by reliablity problems like some of the other routes.
Also, the gaps between stations are bigger than the rest of the network, which means trains run at ful and faster speed! Very quick into Central london
01 October 2002
I've lived in the central area of Walthamstow and really love it...
The general atmosphere is good and transport is excellent. Even though prices have gone silly over the past 2 years it's still really good value, so give it a go!!
15 July 2002
Moved to E17 nearly 4 years ago and love it...
Living on a small road means you get to know of of the shop owners which gives it a nice community feel. Seriously lacking in any decent venues to eat/drink at though. Waiting for the proposed changes that are to be bestowed on Walthamstow with interest.
05 July 2002
Moved to Walthamstow 8 months ago and love it...
...fantastic market, affordable (and good) housing, friendly neighbours and Lloyds park is excellent. There are some lovely restaurants in the village, lots of redevelopment planned for this summer and only 20 minutes into town!
20 May 2002
Have lived in Walthamstow for just over 4 years (couldn't afford Shepherds Bush)...
...and am loving every minute of it. Live on a small road with the most important shops as my neighbours (Chinese, drycleaners, corner shop, barbers and an offie! what more do you need! with the market 60 seconds away.) No way am I leaving. My sister and mother love the market as well! Lovely community feel where everyone looks out for each other.
30 April 2002
My partner is almost fanatical about Walthamstow and I must admit I've fallen in love with the place too...
It is great to find a period property in such a quiet tree-lined street for such an affordable price and to find life we just need to go to Hoe Street or The Village. Excellent parks, market, great neighbours and a handful of decent retsaurants. Come to Walthamstow.
05 April 2002
I moved 7 years ago from St.Johns wood where I was renting a room for £400 a month...
Then I decided to move out to cheaper place. I bought a house with 3 bedrooms, 2 receptions, and an 85 feet garden and I am now paying half what I paid to rent a single room. The value of the house has at least tripled.
I like Walthamstow very and my wife does not want to move to another area.
It has a lot of nice parks for the children, is very close to Epping Forest, and has so many shopping centres. I should also mention the market, which is very very cheap compared to any supermarkets!
03 April 2002
I moved to E17 (village) 3 years ago after living in West Hampstead and Islington in search of more space and a garden...
The area has a rich and prestigious past and is currently experiencing a 'revival'. The reasons for this are: excellent transport (City and West End in 15/20 mins through Victoria and rail), excellent period property especially in the village and Upper Walthamstow, fabulous street market, proximity to Epping Forest, good road links to the country and airports and overall a quiet and friendly environment.
This is now being enhanced by investment in the central area to provide more variety of shops, wine bars, cafés and restaurants (badly needed!), new arts centre and library, new cinema and general improvements to the streets.
An added bonus is that even before this is completed, my house has already more than doubled in value!! But I have no intention of moving and continue to enjoy the area and my 30 minute door-to-door journey to work in the city whilst waiting for the planned improvements to take place.
27 March 2002
Lived here for 7 years various addresses, great transport links, good facilities, feel safe, and lots of redevelopment planned.
18 February 2002
I just moved into the area in Sept 2001 and have to say I love it...
...although the Chingford WAGN train service leaves something to be desired.
The Market is great and I love to have a potter about on Saturday morning - fantastic fresh fruit and veg for half the price of Sainsburys.
It's such a shame that there aren't that many restaurants & decent pubs in the area - apart from the Village Inn and the Village Kitchen. When are landlords going to realise that the recent influx of people to the area are just crying out to spend their hard earned pennies close to home, rather than having to trudge in and out of the West End/Islington/Camden.
If you're looking to buy I'd say go for it now, before the area sky-rockets in price.
18 February 2002
Walthamstow is fantasic. I've lived here for 3 years...
...initially pulled by the relatively low property prices. I'd hardly heard of it when I bought here, but now have no desire to leave. The market is great, the food shops are better than anywhere I have ever seen in the UK, the people are an interesting and friendly mix and the transport is good and quick for both the City and the West End.
The only danger of getting more pubs for the "younger crowd" is an influx of All Bar One-type places - at the moment I think W'stow's beauty is in its distinctiveness. There are some really good pubs as it is, you just have to try a few.
And there are some incredible restaurants - been to the Sri Lankan on Hoe Street yet? But if you haven't been before, definitely check it out. It's well worth it.
24 January 2002
I have lived in Walthamstow for around a year and a half now and...
...even in this short period of time I have watched more and more young professionals move into the area. The prices continue to go up too but are still very affordable. The market is great and the community feel is very nice too. Great transport links by tube and train.
22 January 2002
I moved here 4 months ago as you can get a good sized one bedroomed conversion with a garden relatively cheaply...
The people are lovely and transport is excellent but it needs more pubs/bars that cater for the young professional crowd who are ever increasingly moving to Walthamstow. Everything seems to cater for the older generation and there are plenty of missed opportunities for the younger crowd.
10 January 2002
Walthamstow is lovely and affordable and the people are nice and friendly...
It is let down by the very scruffy shop fronts lining the streets that make it look very cheap and nasty and also the lack of decent bars, pubs and restaurants. The Village Kitchen is nice as are the 2 Italian places in the Village, but they are over-rated and not 'that' nice - they need some competition! Come on business owners - invest in the area and not just the village area either - what about the Lloyd Park area too!!
06 November 2001
I have lived in Fulham, Islington, Muswell Hill, Putney and Hackney...
...and I like Walthamstow best of all. It has a great community feel, loads of services, is unpretentious, fabulous green spaces and it's easy to access. It is quicker for me to get to Oxford Circus from here than when I was in Fulham. The best kept secret!
27 July 2001
1. There's a whole lot more to the place than just the dog track and market (which are both worth seeing)...
2. Victoria Line's big advantages are the limited number of stations and easy interchanges @ Euston/Finsbury Park/Oxford Circus/Highbury.
3. So when it runs smoothly, the tube's a breeze and you can't understand why people pay double to live in the tubeless bits of Hackney.
4. And even if it isn't, by living at the end of the line, you're always guaranteed a seat.
5. Frequent overground link to Liverpool St. means fast link to the City
6. Waltham Forest covers a wide area from inner city Leyton to deeply middle class bits of Chingford and Epping Forest/Essex - Walthamstow is physically and psychologically somewhere in the middle. (24hr corner shops, yet safe to walk around and not all the local schools are war zones).
7. A little bit East End (E17 market is the model for Walford E20), a little bit North London (easy drive into Angel and Camden) and a little bit Essex.
8. Great sense of history (the William Morris gallery and the village museum are highlights - but you also have Prof. Peter Hennessy as a resident).
9. Sound central library, refuse service, and local sports centres.
10. Genuinely multicultural. (White English majority and Pakistani-Kashmiri are the best known communities - but a short stroll reveals many other groups).
11. Don't be put off by the fact that Norman Tebbitt was MP for Chingford. Remember:
a) Attlee and Churchill were neighbouring MPs in the 1950s.
b) Walthamstow itself has an independent minded left wing Labour MP in Neil Gerrard - not nationally known like Corbyn or Abbott, but decent and effective.
12. Highly strategic location on Isle of Dogs-Stansted-Cambridge Corridor.
13. Hoe Street cinema is a well preserved 1930s gem, with an active local campaign group on hand to keep it going after multiplex is built near the station in a couple of years time.
14. Lots of interesting people in the area (Hornbeam cafe, growing numbers of artists and filmakers).
Best of all, it will still be a great place to buy for a couple more years at least
-as there's loads of developments coming to put Walthamstow on the map.
a) Average price still below London average, yet quality of life on par with far trendier areas.
b) Lee Valley development partnerships generating investment.
c) Overground rail link with Stratford/Jubilee line on the cards.
e) Loads of room for more restaurants/wine bars and chain stores.
Cameron Colley,
Milton Road.
26 July 2001
Good choice of very affordable housing...
...and good transport; it feels very non-intimidating for a single woman walking home late at night from the tube, which is more than can be said of many 'smart' areas; but will someone please open some decent bars & restaurants!
12 March 2001
A hidden gem...
...I have lived in Walthamstow for 12 years - easy access to City (17 minutes) and West End, a real community feel. Good value for money as far as property is concerned. A couple of good restaurants in the Village, particularly Trattoria La Ruga, a fantastic little place offering a wide range of fresh fish dishes.
07 February 2001
I've lived here for over a year...
It has a great combination of affordable housing and lovely flats with red bricks, gardens and two bedrooms for a reasonable price.
The area offers easy access to Stoke Newington and Shoreditch areas if you're trendy and has that old chestnut "great community" feel about it with old people saying hello on the streets.
The area is getting younger and is ripe for development, with grants being given for many new projects.
03 November 2000
Amazing bargains considering transport times into central London....
I work in Victoria and get into the office by 9am if I leave the house by 8:15. This is a stress-free place to live, offering East End charm without the grot (on the most part). I have owned two houses in the area and loved them both.
Friends are always amazed by the quality of life here. Downsides are that there is no real nightlife as yet, although the Village bar and grill opens soon and promises to be lovely if it's predecessor, the tiny 'Village Kitchen' is anything to go by.
11 July 2000
Walthamstow has a lot to offer....
There are plenty of really nice properties - both traditional and modern. Transport links are fantastic - with both tube and British Rail - 15 mins to LIverpool Street.
There are also lots of green areas where you can wind down after a hard day at the office.
Now is the time to come and live in Walthamstow before prices rocket.
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