Dodgy endz in London

We're fortunate to live in a city where we can visit any place we like and the 'no-go zones' are pretty much non existent. London has improved drastically with regards to street mugging, gang crime etc. over the last decade+, but without doubt there are still little pockets of the city here and there which offer a notably higher level of risk. I'm sure that some of you riding visibly expen$ive bikes will have a few streets you might avoid at midnight heading homeward... No?

I thought it could be really interesting to get a discussion going on this forum about these places given that many of you will know your streets really well.

Where do you avoid? Where have you been robbed, chased or shouted at?

Kensington, Knightsbridge, City of London, Whitehall, Westminster are all full of thieving, shouting scumbags.

#onepoundplease

Where the Tavistock bike track crosses Grays Inn heading East there are often a bunch of kids hanging around on the boris bikes on the corner. I get the impression they are waiting for the right solo biker to turn up and rumble them.

Best to be wary through there after dark.

canals around victoria park after dark are dodgy as are parts of viccy park itself
de beauvoir estate is not the place to lock your bike outside
most parts of inner east london hoxton bethnal green brick lane are bike theft hotspots, although anywhere is liable to bike theft in reality

Finsbury Park is pretty ghetto on a dark evening.

De beauvoir estate has had a spate of muggings, especially with cyclists. A mate had the utter shit kicked out of him there last summer, just riding along.

They're always there. I've never seen any incident. Maybe they just hang around the shop because that's where the candy is.

But were they wearing a helmet?

Twice have left the mcdonalds in Croydon to see three or four hoodlums "looking" closely at my locked bike

"Fam that bike is fressssssh"

"yeah fam, unlike your mums feet" or similar mum joke will have them LOLing and endear you to them.

........... dont try it though.

The actual park? It's OK, it's just annoying when you get to the other side and the gate's locked and you have to turn back.

I lolled, would rep

The Greenway - One of my tutors was punched off his bike by a gang of youths and had his bike nicked one dark evening. I wouldn't ride through there in the dark since.

Hackney Marsh - I cycled through on the path which runs up the River Lea in the dark and late evening once, nothing happened but it was definitely a bad idea. Not doing again.

Two examples of badly lit spaces and I'm sure that is a key factor in an unsafe area.

good point ... anywhere dark ( not racist )

Coldharbour lane has got sketchy recently some brixton village shit opened and so people now look at you weird as you cycle past, not decided if they are rapists or muggers the posh facade is confusing but defo wronguns.

anywhere dark

...

Two examples of badly lit spaces and I'm sure that is a key factor in an unsafe area.

That reminds me, now that the evenings are drawing in I fancy finding an alternative route home to avoid Viccy Park.

• Gang stabbed cyclist for his bike in Victoria Park, south Hackney - hackneygazette.co.uk, September 5, 2012
  

Can't say that I have noticed much change on Coldharbour Lane recently. It's always been a little bit lively and if anything not so much action since the bookies by Gresham Rd has been closed.

The actual park? It's OK, it's just annoying when you get to the other side and the gate's locked and you have to turn back.

I usually cycle up the very west side, skatepark on the right, then take a left over the bridge; the yoofs were a bit shouty last night.

Is SketchFactor live in the UK yet ? It's built for just this purpose.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28712227

Who was your tutor?

Can't say that I have noticed much change on Coldharbour Lane recently. It's always been a little bit lively and if anything not so much action since the bookies by Gresham Rd has been closed.

Pretty much this, the days of Murder Mile are long gone... Thank fuck...

From degree Architecture at UEL, first name Jake. Riding a Dolan roadie with panniers from uni to Hackney.

Occasional groups of blokes with dogs in years gone by. I've not gone through recently in the dark so not sure how it is nowadays.

Hairnetnic's observation is interesting. I've seen those lads. Definitely something going on there. But it's in a really quite busy place, or just off it. On a popular cycle-only route. Another good example might be the little park in between Hackney Road/city farm and Columbia Road.

I think it shows us that this thread is missing the point: although some places can def be described as sketchy, it's really all about spotting people who are behaving sketchily. They tend to go to secluded / dark / easily dissappeared-from spots. They're not always there. But they are attracted to places where middle class people are riding £1000+ bikes, in massive numbers.

As soon as you get passed grays Inn going East you're suddenly in a quiet back street with no passing traffic. I've never witnessed anything but it's worth keeping your eyes open around there.