Buying/Renting property in London: Where would you live?

How long have you been living in Hackney mikec?

Still, skinny, don't come to Hackney it's way overpriced.
I wouldn't live anywhere else in London though.
Maybe Stoke Newington.

Thanks littleheather good advice there. How far south of brixton is it okay to go? Or have you not ventured down that way? Is Streatham Hill/Balham, south of brixton okay?

Streatham Hill is ok - one of our friends recently moved that way and Balham is nice, although not as 'groovy' as it once was, but prices are still pretty high that way. Another one of my friends has just moved (literally picked up keys yesterday) to Thornton Health, although we keep teasing her that sh no longer lives in proper London as it's a CR postcode. That's about as far south as I think I'd go though. You're in proper Croydon land any further and that's only asking for trouble!
Streatham Hill is supposed to be having quite a lot of regeneration work going on, so it may be a good bet to buy in that area as prices may go up - although I'm no expert in this area.

I've also lived in Forest Hill (loved it there) Crystal Place (again, loved it there, but never had the money to enjoy all it had to offer with regards to eating out and bars, although the views were fantastic) and Catford (don't go there, it's a shithole, although the roads off Bromley Road - A21 - were ok).

How long have you been living in Hackney mikec?

Lived in Hackney for 3 years and had the worst time of my life. Shit was kicking off every week without fail. But like Hippy said, it is all about personal experience. I am sure people have lived there for years without grief. But for me, I won't even go through it now if I can avoid it, I hate it so much

Okay cool. Thanks for the info.

I've heard lfgss is big on honor oak park, brockley area(are there nice pubs and cafes here, some life?), but the connections into town just arn't as good and sadly not everyone cycles!

I have seen this place, obviously dubios location on a prison, but the price is thus great for what it is! http://www.foxtons.co.uk/property-for-sale-in-brixton/chpk2589800
Aside from this place directly, is this 'section' of brixton, south wise going to be okay? It's just, don't go north up from the tube really...

Ahhhh Foxtons!!

That is a fail right there. Take 20% of that price before you do anything

3 bed flats are always pokey. You may be better trying to buy a 2 bed terrace/cottage with a view to extending later on.

For £320k you can get something period in SE London, think Brockley, Nunhead and Catford areas

Completely, putting it nicely under stamp duty, my limit. Just wondering what that section of brixton is like..?

Senor Bear, pokey is fine. It's just a city house, to see me and my brothers through getting into london and setting ourselves up. It's not a full long term thing. Would rather better connections/smaller place, than something more lavish/further out. If i wanted that i'd stay living outside london.

Okay cool.
I have seen this place, obviously dubios location on a prison, but the price is thus great for what it is! http://www.foxtons.co.uk/property-for-sale-in-brixton/chpk2589800
Aside from this place directly, is this 'section' of brixton, south wise going to be okay? It's just, don't go north up from the tube really...

We live just behind the prison - safest place to be! Nice community round here.

Lived in Hackney for 3 years and had the worst time of my life. Shit was kicking off every week without fail. But like Hippy said, it is all about personal experience. I am sure people have lived there for years without grief. But for me, I won't even go through it now if I can avoid it, I hate it so much

Fair enough, you did live here. My point is not even to defend Hackney since I feel the same 'problems' affect most of London Boroughs. Hackney was way worse a few years back, proper crime borough, but with the major efforts made to improve the Councils reputation and general living quality i'd be crazy and totally unfair to put Hackney in the same shelf as before.
LONDON IS FUCKED UP period. To say that (i.e.) Brixton is safer than Hackney is total jokes. IMO. And yes, I know Brixton all too well. Personal experience.

The only place in 6 years of living here, I felt seriously scared was Peckham.
I never felt that way here.

We live just behind the prison - safest place to be! Nice community round here.

Is it noisy or anything? Can't work out why it's so cheap, but the prison is noisy... Or people must be really put off by living near a prison!

So that sort of area is okay then, down brixton hill?

Is it noisy or anything? Can't work out why it's so cheap, but the prison is noisy... Or people must be really put off by living near a prison!

So that sort of area is okay then, down brixton hill?

it's cheap because its in a council block.

and yes the area is ok.

Yeah, absolutely fine. I think that the flat in question is literally on the side of the prison and it can tend to be a bit 'council' round there. Sorry if I sound snobby there.
I hardly ever notice any noise fromthe prison. I think maybe onece or twice when I was off work during the week and they were playing footie outside, but that was about it. They are generally a pretty well behaved bunch (it's a remand prison - it used to be a Cat A prison, but not for a few years now).
The way we look at it is that if anyone was going to do a bunk from the prison, then they're not likely to hang around the immediate area.
I think, honestly, people are put off by living near to a prison so you can get some really good deals. You might want to try searching 'Clapham Park' area. It's strictly Brixton still, but it's right on the Streatham/Brixton/Clapham borders and this is what the area around Kings Avenue to Lyham Road (back of the Prison) is called, and goes up to Christchurch Road. All in about a 1mile radius of the prison.

@ skinny

have you been to brixton for a walk about?

@ skinny

have you been to brixton for a walk about?

Defo worth it! I do that with everywhere I'm thinking of moving to, to get a good feel for the place.

Only on the sauce up town. Back in london this evening so it's on my things to do, hence the questions galore; so i can work out where to have a wander.

Nothing too wrong with a council block, as long as it's not dilapidated. You don't exactly set the deck chairs up outside and admire the place. Inside is what counts 95% really.

come to brixton.

have a pint outside the rizty, walk up the hill for a quick jar at the white horse and then have chicken at negril, head to mango landin for a cocktail, then hootanany for some music.

oh and the maccas is open 24 hours.

Brixton is fine. nice community feel.

I'm in Stoke Newington. It's also nice, church street can make you believe, if its quiet, that you are in a village. Good parks, cemetery.

But if you have the cash - a house in Canonbury would suffice.

Only people who have never actually been to a village; there's about 20 restaurants/bars, a whole food shop and some chi-chi clothes shops. It's also full of young couples with children called Noah and Fred. Nothing wrong with all that maybe but it's nothing like a village.
Also, Sainsbury's want to build a big new store down at the bottom, behind the whole food shop so Church St is going to become a traffic nightmare.

Thanks a lot L.H. and skive, really appreciate the words :)

No worries, best of luck with it! And maybe see you around the prison in the future!

Only people who have never actually been to a village; there's about 20 restaurants/bars, a whole food shop and some chi-chi clothes shops. It's also full of young couples with children called Noah and Fred. Nothing wrong with all that maybe but it's nothing like a village.
Also, Sainsbury's want to build a big new store down at the bottom, behind the whole food shop so Church St is going to become a traffic nightmare.

I'm pretty sure i've been to villages before. ;)

but yes, fair point.

I really notice it though by the fact that the roads are smaller, quieter, 3 flower shops and it has that whole 'community' thing going on.

Having said that - its all bulshit middle-class aspirational twads anyway. 'Alfie Loves Olive' or whatever its called - do us a favour - adopt.

I lived in Brixton for 12yrs, piss easy. Only had a knife pulled out on me once but the twats bottled using it so I legged it! Anyway, south Brixton is sound. I lived Dalberg Rd, Josephine Ave and Kingswood Rd, two streets from the prison; all good locations, easy to get into town/the tube, loads of decent pubs, food establishments and also easy to get to leafy Herne Hill(Brockwell Park is the most underrated park in London), Dulwich.

Also lived in Streatham Hill for 3yrs, nice enough but fuck all going on. Best thing in Streatham is 'Kennedy's' chippy - FACT!

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