Discussion
thebullettrain said:
I am currently looking at some houses in this area. I work in central London and any thoughts on the area and commute etc would be appreciated.
AVOID!It's a s
tpit.As stated above look at Sawbridgeworth or Bishops Stortford. Also there is Epping and Loughton (with their tube links) to consider.
Edited by Teppic on Monday 4th May 13:09
It depends what you are looking for.
I have two places there.
Lived in one for 5 years.
Was a cheap(ish) house on the outskirts of town. On the doorstep to Epping Forest. Nice neighbours and never any trouble.
The town centre is terrible, but there are long standing plans to rip it down and re-build. If you are buying that can only be a good thing for future values.
Church Langley is a world on its own. New houses built on top of each other, but mostly a friendly area - known locally as Copland.
Stick to the outskirts and not at all bad.
As for commuting, Epping Tube was a half hour bike ride with a couple of nice pubs, or a 5 minute drive and there is ample free parking. The main line in from Harlow is OK, but parking is expensive for the distance out.
As for the Chavtastic comments, name me one town in the commuter belt that doesn't have that element? Stortford and Sawbridgeworth are as bad.
I have two places there.
Lived in one for 5 years.
Was a cheap(ish) house on the outskirts of town. On the doorstep to Epping Forest. Nice neighbours and never any trouble.
The town centre is terrible, but there are long standing plans to rip it down and re-build. If you are buying that can only be a good thing for future values.
Church Langley is a world on its own. New houses built on top of each other, but mostly a friendly area - known locally as Copland.
Stick to the outskirts and not at all bad.
As for commuting, Epping Tube was a half hour bike ride with a couple of nice pubs, or a 5 minute drive and there is ample free parking. The main line in from Harlow is OK, but parking is expensive for the distance out.
As for the Chavtastic comments, name me one town in the commuter belt that doesn't have that element? Stortford and Sawbridgeworth are as bad.
davemac250 said:
It depends what you are looking for.
As for the Chavtastic comments, name me one town in the commuter belt that doesn't have that element? Stortford and Sawbridgeworth are as bad.
Got to dissagree I'm afraid, in my view Harlow by and large is a dump, it's one big housing estate (including the estate from hell known as Church Langley) full of aggressive chavs, and the town centre is absolutely minging. Stortford and Sawbo are far, far nicer places, with far fewer estates, and certainly nicer places to shop, eat and drink.As for the Chavtastic comments, name me one town in the commuter belt that doesn't have that element? Stortford and Sawbridgeworth are as bad.
Awful, concrete-filled hell hole. Did my post-grad journalism course there last year, all the newspaper students had a whale of a time covering at least one suicide every week at Harlow Mill train station. Wasn't entirely surprising there were so many suicides: A) Aesthetically and socially, it's enough to make you top yourself, and B) So many genetic abortions live there, they're all probably tired of breathing through their armpits.
Take a drive around all the little villages around Harlow and make up your own mind, people from Bishops Stortford and Sawbridgworth always slag off Harlow and Essex, usually because they are in the bit of Hertfordshire that sticks out, but rumour has it the boundary is about to be moved and they will be in Essex too.
If you can afford it take a look at Matching Green
If you can afford it take a look at Matching Green
Edited by Adrian W on Monday 4th May 20:25
Agree with most things so far - keep well away from Harlow and Church Langley, unless you want more than your fair share of crime.
Sawbridgeworth is a slow commute, but nice place. Bishops Stortford a faster more regular commute, even though it is further away. Much nicer town, but also comes with a handful of chavs these days, which is a shame.
I have also just moved away from Bishops Stortford into the sticks. Only 10 mins away but in a lovely little village with a pub and a shop. I do have to drive to the station for the commute, which is occasionally a pain, but not the end of the world.
Look further north is the key.
Sawbridgeworth is a slow commute, but nice place. Bishops Stortford a faster more regular commute, even though it is further away. Much nicer town, but also comes with a handful of chavs these days, which is a shame.
I have also just moved away from Bishops Stortford into the sticks. Only 10 mins away but in a lovely little village with a pub and a shop. I do have to drive to the station for the commute, which is occasionally a pain, but not the end of the world.
Look further north is the key.
I used to travel to harlow for an old job with a recruitment agency, and we housed the polish workers there as it was cheap housing and minibused em into london for work rather than house em in central london as it was cheaper to rent in harlow and get a bus in the figures than rent a st house in a st part of london, says it all really! I frequently visited harlow from cardiff and out of all the places ive visited to inspect properties in the entire UK,
Harlow takes top spot for number 1 hellhole! dundee 2nd and burnley 3rd.
My advice is AVOID like the plague!
t house in a st part of london, says it all really! I frequently visited harlow from cardiff and out of all the places ive visited to inspect properties in the entire UK, Harlow takes top spot for number 1 hellhole! dundee 2nd and burnley 3rd.
My advice is AVOID like the plague!
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