Docklands living

[knelly555]

Hi All...my wife and I are thinking of buying a small (studio/1/2 bdrm) flat in London. I lived in London in the 70's and 80's so things have changed a lot since I was there. I can't afford to live in NW1 where I grew up, but there seem to be some good alternatives still in reach of the tube. The Docklands area (actually I'm thinking of everything in and around the Thames in the east/south east/south west) seems to be less expensive and sort of up and coming. We'd be living there only four months or so a year - buying there instead of buying a home here in California, so we're looking for something nice, safe, but still city. Anyone have any thoughts on this area?

[jlms]

I live in North Greenwich, it is just south of the river but very well connected to Central London, it is safe and some people refer to it as "Yuppie Greenwich". The cheapest one bedroom flat will fetch you £210000 ($420000) or thereabouts, mine is 2 bedroom and was bought for £265000. Given the current property price crisis I would expect price to be now similar (it would have been close to £280000 6 months ago).

Some parts in Woolwhich, South of the river, are good (the closer to the River the better), the DLR is extending there.

The East of London is in general less safe, I would avoid places like Thamesmead Sidcup and Lewisham like the plague, places around Withechapel are also difficult, places around Limehouse can be very nice but amenities are not very good. The Isle of Dogs, south of Canary Wharf, may be getting better. With all the construction going on in recent years in close proximity to Canary Wharf other businesses have sprout up under the sky scrappers shadows, but keep in mind that all the Tower Hamlets borough is considered the most deprived are in the UK!

[Ogri750]

How the blazes can you link Sidcup with Thamesmead and Lewisham.

I have lived in Lewisham, Sidcup and Abbey Wood (next door to Thamesmead) and there is no comparison. I would choose Sidcup every time

[jlms]

Originally Posted by Ogri750

How the blazes can you link Sidcup with Thamesmead and Lewisham.

I have lived in Lewisham, Sidcup and Abbey Wood (next door to Thamesmead) and there is no comparison. I would choose Sidcup every time

Your opinion mate, in any case my comment was comparing East and South London in general with other areas in town, the general gist of my previous post is still accurate I think.

[Ogri750]

Opinions are what make the world go round.

Personally, I wouldn't live in either South-East or East London. I moved out into Kent 8 yrs ago, and would never move back into London. Mind you, will have to move back to the UK from the Middle East first

[knelly555]

Thanks folks...all very instructive. I had the sinking feeling that there was a reason the areas were less expensive.

[jlms]

Originally Posted by Ogri750

Opinions are what make the world go round.

Personally, I wouldn't live in either South-East or East London. I moved out into Kent 8 yrs ago, and would never move back into London. Mind you, will have to move back to the UK from the Middle East first

I love London, I would never ever again live in the suburbs :-)

Variety makes the world interesting I suppose.

[Ogri750]

Suburb ?

Suburb?

Surely the definition of a London suburb would "London Borough of ........."

Sevenoaks council would certainly take a dim view of someone intimating they were a suburb. ;-)

Horses for courses mate. I loved living in London when I was there, had my kids and moved out to the countryside, love it there. Now at the moment living in the UAE and enjoying that.

It wouldn't be any good if we all wanted and enjoyed the same things.