Best/worst things about Stroud Green

Jackson

<p>Hello everyone</p><p>Me and the missus are thinking about buying our first house. And maybe in Stroud Green. But we need some inside info from you local types to help us make the decision.</p><p>So, what are your top five things about living there?</p><p>And what are your bottom five?</p><p> </p><p>Cheers</p><p> </p><p>Jack</p>

gardener-joe

See also 'Moving to Stroud Green' thread: http://stroudgreen.org/discussion/3745#Item_8

chrisst

We moved to Stroud Green about 12 years ago, buying a house on MPC. Our personal views are:<div><br></div><div>Best</div><div><br></div><div>1. People - I guess this will vary but most people in our street know each other and look out for each other. At xmas, halloween, birthdays etc people meet up for a drink. Everyone takes pride in their gardens and the surrounding area. Great community!</div><div>2. Location - you can get into the west end or city quickly from FP or just stroll to Crouch End or even Highgate if you're prepared to do a little bit more walking or a short bus ride. Also Crouch Hill station runs to Gospel Oak/Hampstead Heath/Richmond or Southend in the other direction. </div><div>3. Lots of green spaces - not just FP but Stationers Pk, Priory Pk, Ally Pally, parkland walk etc. Great for all but especially good if you have a young family like us.</div><div>4. Variety of shops - good selection of shops. Tescos is rubbish but the local shops are friendly, helpful and sell good variety of useful goods as well as having some family friendly restaurants too.</div><div>5. Crime (reduction) - seems to be lower than when we first moved into the area - maybe point 1 and the local neighborhood watch has helped. Obviously crime still happens but, from our perspective, it does seem to have reduced over the years.</div><div>6. Could go on...</div><div><br></div><div>Worst</div><div><br></div><div>1. Planning - we're in a 'conservation area' which sounds good however, if there's an opportunity to squeeze a block of flats (i.e. extra council tax payers) in somewhere, it counts for little. It is up to the local community to fight the plans each step of the way!</div><div>2. Rubbish collection - more unsightly rubbish bins dumped on our front gardens by council this summer (along with fortnightly collections of the smelly stuff). Real shame as people put in so much effort to make the area look nice.</div><div>3. CPZs - forced on our road by the council taking ages to move dumped cars. Now we are CPZ'd it's a licence to print money: the council increase the cost by whatever they like each year.</div><div><span style="font-size: 10pt; ">4. Noise - but this will be the same (or worse) elsewhere in London, especially in summer. London has it's fair share of would-be-drummers & guitarists! </span></div><div>5. Ok, I'm struggling to think of a 5th... </div><div><br></div><div>Clearly the good points totally out way the bad otherwise we wouldn't have been here so long.</div><div><br></div><div>Hope this helps.</div>

ChangN4N6

Good 1 transport is generally good and the Crouch Hill line a very good new discovery (for me) 2. It's not gentrified but not scuzzy . House prices reflect this and the bonus of transport connections. Fewer nail bars, betting shops and kebab centres would be good but it ain't ever going to be like Muswell Hill with cheese shops, decent florists, M&S and The Best Chip Shop In London - but you can get there in 25 mins on W7 bus. 3. The Dairy is a great local pub and I like the Fonthill but it is demonised by certain snobby cliques (see Bad Things, below). Again not on the Stoke Newington level of nightlife, sexual licence and restaurant variety, but N16 might as well be in Yorkshire, the transport is so crap. (and housing more expensive unless you live in the Egg Store vicinity). 4. Vitor is a great local barber who deserves a knighthood 5. Park Theatre opening at FP will make a big difference specially with all the musicals and workshops for disadvantaged types. Bad 1. No good Chinese restaurant . ( how difficult can it be?) 2. Lorne Road, though housing the best of local population is beset with hygiene and stench problems. 3. There are a few busybodies who rant about middle class take over and cardigan fascism . They should chill or drill. 4. The recession means the high street has a high failure/naff experiment rate. Footfall in the weekday is not affluent enough to support the nappy valley style knicker boutiques and bum botex parlours of Crouch End. But there is a gay sauna if that blows your whistle. Go figga. 5. Local planning is very badly handled with lots of net misses and lack of enforcement (lack of staff probably, but it wouldn't happen in Highgate,)so we get poor support. Overall it's quite good Chang

rainbow_carnage

We've lived here for 10 years. <br><br>The good:<br><br>Excellent transport links<br>The park<br>Parkland walk<br>Jai Krishna, Petek, Dotori, Dhonia, Hana, Season, Tollington's...<br>The Fullback<br>Green Lanes shops<br>The veg shop<br>There are people around at all times, day and night. It makes it much safer.<br>SG.org<br><br>The bad:<br><br>Flat prices have skyrocketed since we moved here. We can only afford to live in the area if we stay in our current (rented) flat. A two-bed flat on our street just sold for £410k. That's way, way outside my and my friends' budgets. It also reflects the changing demographics.<br><br>The council is pretty useless. Haringey has one of the highest council tax rates in London, but whenever you need anything done, they act like they're doing you a favour.<br><br>It seems like everyone has a dog and lets it shit on the pavement without cleaning it up.<br><br>SGR is filled with chicken/kebab shops, nail salons, wig shops and random places that feel more like fronts than legit businesses.<br><br>Several small, shit supermarkets instead of one proper one.<br><br>We don't have kids, but judging by what I hear from friends, the local schools are pretty bad.<br><br><br>Overall, we love the area. Would like to stay here for another 10 years, but I think we've been priced out of the housing market. <br>

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NorthNineteen

<b>Best:</b><br><br>Rail/Underground - not only quick connections to West End via Victoria Line but also links to City via National Rail and the suprisingly useful Gospel Oak line from Crouch Hill.  Thameslink will be a further plus when it comes to Finsbury Park in a few years.  <br><br>Buses - Stroud Green has such little traffic and very regular buses meaning they are excellent.  They make my location (which although is almost 15 min walk to nearest station) very accessible, could be at my desk in Oxford Circus in 25 mins.  The City in a similar time<br><br>Local pubs - great selection, Old Dairy is an excellent pub as is Fultering Fullback<br><br>Supermarkets - 24 hour Sainsburys at Green Lanes is great especially if you have a car or live near Crouch Hill station (only a 3 min train ride).  Waitrose at Holloway/Crouch End also within easy reach<br><br>Quiet - I've lived all over London and away from Stroud Green Road, Crouch Hill, Ferme Park Road it is very quiet.<br><br><b>Worst:</b><br><br>Lack of nightlife options - while the pubs are good it's lacking more alternative/late night options.  Stroud Green is no Stoke Newington, Peckham, Brixton etc.<br><br>Dog mess<br><br>Food shops on Stroud Green Road, the small Sainsbury and especially the Tesco Metro are very poor quality<br><br>Geology - much of Stroud Green (especially up the hill) is built on clay which can cause susidence which is a shame as lots of nice housing stock up there and less council estates<br><br>Can't think of a fifth one...<br>

NorthNineteen

Reading this thread inspired me to look at property prices in Stroud Green for the first time in a few months.  Wow, they have gone crazy.  Several 2 bedroom properties (often Lower Ground Floor) that are priced at £475,000! Two bed flats with no outside space less than 500 sq ft for £350,000.  Crazy, and markedly higher than when I bought almost exactly a year ago.  Has anyone else noticed the dramatic increase in asking price?  It's interesting as Zoopla suggests that N8 has dropped in the past 12 months, N19 slightly increased and N4 increased by a fair margin though no doubt this is mainly due to nearer to Islington.<br>

miss annie

A lot of N4 is in Islington. There is no tube in Crouch End, and even though it has better shops, schools etc. that does have an effect on prices.

rainbow_carnage

I've been talking to some friends about this. Admittedly, none of us knows a damned thing about the housing market, but there's a consensus that this is a bad time to get on the housing ladder. <br><br>Are these sorts of prices sustainable? To buy your average two-bed flat in SG, you now need a salary in the region of £100k, or £70k+ each for a couple. That's more than twice what the average Londoner earns. It's more than what my boss earns, and she's an MD and a senior lecturer with 25 years of experience. The deposit alone would be over £40k.<br><br>The flats on my street don't stay on the market very long. Who is buying them? Are all of my neighbours working in the City? It's mostly 1-2 bed flats. They're good first-time homes, not the sort of places you buy to move up the housing ladder.<br><br>Any thoughts?<br>

yagamuffin

Just look at the news yesterday about the Jaguar/Land Rover factory in Liverpool going 24 hours for the first time in it's history. Despite the recession, the rich are getting richer and the sale of luxury goods is increasing.<div>No big surprise, this is what we get with Conservative Governments.</div><div><br></div><div>Although this isn't the best time to buy a house in SG there is still value to be had. You just need to find the next 'up and coming' area and be prepared to live in scumsville until it ups and comes.</div>

rainbow_carnage

I get that a lot of people have a lot of money. I'm just surprised that they want to live in SG. We love it, but it's not the obvious choice. I wouldn't move here if I had school-aged children. There are plenty of areas with much better schools. Nor would I buy here if I were a guy working in the City, looking to spend my disposable income. East London has a much better restaurant/bar/club scene and makes for an easy commute.<br><br>The people I know who live around here are in their 30s, with post-grad degrees, working in academia, publishing, design, theatre, education, architecture, etc. They make £25-35k and can barely afford to rent in SG, much less buy.<br>

Jackson

<p>Thanks for all the responses.</p><p>For what it's worth, Stroud Green is attractive to us because at first glance it seems to have a really good row of pubs / shops / cafes, a genuine community feel, is within easy walking distance of the two best tube lines in town, and from looking at a map it would seem you can take a nice stroll across to Highgate in one direction or to Stoke Newington in the other through various nearby parks. Basically it looks like a nice place to live and is also pretty handy for getting to the east end, the rest of north London and the centre of town. </p><p>And although high, the property prices for somewhere in SG within walking distance of the tube are still miles better than in Stokey, Dalston, Highgate, Brixton, Hampstead or anywhere else I can think of with nice pubs and good connections. We don't have kids so I guess we haven't factored the schools in at all.</p><p>I have a few more questions if anyone has the time to comment.</p><p>- Is subsidence really a problem?</p><p>- Are there any areas / streets to avoid? Does Lorne Road really smell?</p><p>- How horrendous is Finsbury Park tube station of a weekday morning?</p><p>- How much of an issue is noise from the two railway lines if you live nearby?</p><p>- Are all the pubs totally dominated by televised sport?</p><p> </p><p>Cheers</p><p> </p><p>Jack</p><p> </p>

rainbow_carnage

I know SG is cheaper than Stokey, Highgate and Hampstead, but are we really cheaper than Dalston?<br><br>The station isn't too bad most mornings. Sometimes they shut it for 10-20 minutes due to overcrowding, but it's rare. Some guy did fall onto the Victoria line track last week and died. I don't know what actually happened, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was accidentally shoved off the platform by the commuter mob. You can avoid the worst of it if you travel a bit earlier or later than everyone else, though what time that is varies. The Piccadilly line is usually better than the Victoria line, though you can sometimes get a half-empty Victoria train that originated at Seven Sisters.<br><br>We live on Woodstock Road. There are railway lines behind our house, between us and the park. You get used to it very quickly. Mostly we don't really notice the trains. Occasionally, there's a heavy freight train in the middle of the night that makes the house shake a little.<br><br>The Fullback is a rugby pub. We avoided it for years because we don't watch sports. But actually, it's fine. You can usually find a quiet table away from the tellies. The beer garden is very nice in the summer, though always packed.<br>

NorthNineteen

<p>- Is subsidence really a problem? Not widespread but obviously a problem if the specific property you are looking at has had problems.  Subsidence is more widespread on hilly areas, just bear it in mind when looking at places especially if there are large trees nearby - just common sense really<br></p> <p>- Are there any areas / streets to avoid? Does Lorne Road really smell? Can't think of any<br></p> <p>- How horrendous is Finsbury Park tube station of a weekday morning? Fine, Pic line you'd be able to occasionally get a seat, Victoria line is busy but on normal days you'd be able to get on the first train.  Obviously when there are issues it gets busier but in 2 years of commuting to Oxford Circus I can count on one hand the number of times FP was horrendous<br></p> <p>- How much of an issue is noise from the two railway lines if you live nearby? I live near the Gospel Oak line (don't back onto it but there are no properties between me and the line, no issues.<br></p> <p>- Are all the pubs totally dominated by televised sport? Nope, not at all.  TVs dominated by televised sport are in the definite minority and even somewhere like the Old Dairy which shows sport, there is always somewhere to escape it!</p><p>I agree with you behind your reasons for looking at SG and if you need to be in North London I think it is an excellent location.  Personally, I think Peckham Rye offers better value.<br></p>

miss annie

A few of my pals earn £50k plus, one chose to live nearby solely because of Pappagone!

unattachedinfant

To be fair, I'd stay purely for Pappagone too.<br><br>One of the things I've been really surprised about living around here is just how quiet it is once you get off SGR. And the pubs (Stapleton in particular) are definitely a huge bonus to living around here.<br>

Arkady

Most people buying property in London are not £100k+ earners looking for a family home. They are people or companies that already own property and are buying additional property to let out. As we have discussed here before we have two choices as a society: 1) accept this and further accept that few of us will ever afford to buy a home, or 2) do not accept this and use the tax system to discourage multiple home ownership.

miss annie

There should also be heavy penalties on people that leave said properties vacant or derelict for long periods. I've probably said that before.

ADGS

Which areas of the Dairy are free from the sporting blight? Last time I was in there it was showing everywhere, even the restaurant bit.

Papa

I think Jackson puts his finger on it here: 'Though high, the property prices for somewhere in SG within walking distance of the tube are still miles better than in Stokey, Dalston, Highgate, Brixton, Hampstead or anywhere else I can think of with nice pubs and good connections.'<br><br>Add to that the bit where once you live here you realise it's the best place in London and that is where the high demand comes from.<br><br>There's a very low turnover of property at the moment and due to a tight mortgage market most people buying tend to be nearer the top end, having larger deposits, bigger salaries, better credit files - or as Arkady points out cash-rich landlords who benefit from offsetting mortgage interest against their income tax liability (but do provide homes for people who rent to live in).<br><br>That low transaction level bumps up the prices of what is selling and being put up for sale. General financial rule is that when trading is at a low volume, it's easier to distort the market.<br><br>@Yagamuffin In this context to say 'No big surprise, this is what we get with Conservative Governments.' is a little off the mark. It was the New Labour government that presided over and encouraged the worst easy credit and house price boom this country has ever seen, that has had such devastating consequences.<br>

Donna

To add my two-penny's worth: Our house had subsidence but the insurance took care of it. As long as there is insurance in place that covers subsidence you will be ok. In our case it was due to a tree, London clay soil used round here is bad for it. Watch out for trees in the front garden and conifers in the back. Always check the property is covered for subsidence before you buy it. I hate pubs with sport but don't have a problem finding one that doesnt play it. I used to commute on the Victoria line in the mornings to oxford circus (at 9am) and I always got a seat if I went to the very back of the train and waited for 1 train. I think it was a good commute. I moved to Stroud green 5 years ago and my life has totally changed in the time I've lived here. I used to work as a journalist every day in central london and live in a 1 bed flat, and the only time i really spent in stroud green was in the pubs and restaurants. the commute mattered a lot to me and the fact that the road was quiet, and we could get milk and a paper delivered but still live near great restaurants and big supermarkets and nice shops in crouch end. Then everything changed. We did an extension and converted our 1 bed into a 3 bed, and last year I got pregnant, now I'm a full time mum and for completely different reasons, I still absolutely love living here. It is fantastic being a mother of a small baby in this community, and it does feel like a community, there is so much to do and so many lovely supportive interesting other mums around. the pubs in the daytime are totally taken over by mums and prams and music classes. The care you get from local shopkeepers eg the pharmacists at Nuchem, is truly wonderful. And the parks are so lovely. I rarely go into London anymore and I don't miss it all because I feel I have so much here to do and explore.

ADGS

Nuchem are ace, aren't they? The main chemist there has often helped me out when the doctor has been tardy filling my repeat prescription.

Mirandola

I moved here because we couldn't afford Kentish Town and am very happy it worked out like that. Houses are stupidly expensive here too, just less so than anywhere comparable in London. Assuming you, like all sensible people, see south of the river as the bridge & tunnel option.

miss annie

South of the river is not London.

Mirandola

@Miss Annie Quite

vetski

@missannie, @Mirandola - seconded.<div><br></div><div><div>Saw this on Twitter today: <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 17.999998092651367px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); ">Ray Davies says living in north London's Crouch End, influenced the songs he wrote. </span><a href="https://twitter.com/search/?src=hash&amp;q=#WaterlooSunset" title="#WaterlooSunset" class="twitter-hashtag pretty-link" data-query-source="hashtag_click" style="color: rgb(0, 132, 180); text-decoration: none; outline: 0px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 17.999998092651367px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); "><s style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 181, 210); ">#</s><b style="font-weight: normal; color: inherit; "><strong>WaterlooSunset</strong></b></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 17.999998092651367px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); "> </span><a href="https://twitter.com/search/?src=hash&amp;q=#bbcsml" title="#bbcsml" class="twitter-hashtag pretty-link" data-query-source="hashtag_click" style="color: rgb(0, 132, 180); text-decoration: none; outline: 0px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 17.999998092651367px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); "><s style="color: rgb(102, 181, 210); text-decoration: none; outline: 0px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 17.999998092651367px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); ">#</s><b style="color: inherit; text-decoration: none; outline: 0px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; line-height: 17.999998092651367px; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); font-weight: normal; ">bbcsml</b></a></div><div><br></div><div>Now, I like a good Waterloo sunset as much as anyone - provided I can watch from the correct side of the river - but I'm struggling to link CE & W'loo!</div><div><br></div></div>

gardener-joe

The Ray Davies studio in Crouch End http://www.konkstudios.com/main.php

miss annie

Was he not still living in Fortis Green when he recorded it?

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Billy Bookcase

I love "the park drumming bastards" and have done for more than two decades.<div><br></div>