Find the best place to call home in North East London
Houses for Sale & to Rent brings you an overview of the region to help you find the perfect home
North East London is comprised of three boroughs: Hackney, Redbridge, and Waltham Forest. Recently, terraced properties have been the most commonly sold properties in North East London, with the average house fetching £634,464. The average flat in the area sold for £450,728 and the average semi-detached property sold for £654,797.
These figures mean that the average North East London property sold for £569,372 which was more than £60,000 more than the average in nearby East London. It was significantly less than the average property in both North and Central London, which fetched prices of £781,986 and £1,574,861 respectively.
The average property price in Hackney was £676,699,, making it the priciest borough in North East London. Upper Clapton is the least expensive part of Hackney with the average property selling for £521,434. De Beauvoir Town came in as the most expensive part of Hackney, with house prices fetching an average £796,933. Other areas in Hackney include Dalston, Shoreditch, Hoxton, Stamford Bridge, and Hackney Wick.
Waltham Forest was the least expensive, with an average price of £525,717. Sewardstonebury at the top of the borough was the most expensive area in Waltham Forest with average property prices clocking in at £835,625. Leyton Marches was the least expensive area with the average property costing £467,622. Other notable areas within Waltham Forest include Walthamstow, Chingford, and Leytonstone.
Terraced properties were the most commonly sold in Redbridge, with the average home fetching £538,839. Little Heath was the most inexpensive part of Redbridge, with average prices sitting at £372,250. Conversely, Woodford Wells was the most expensive with property prices reaching an average £825,434. Wanstead, Snaresbrook, Ilford, Hainault, and Goodmayes are also located in the borough of Redbridge.
What is living in North East London like?
One of the city's main arts hubs, North East London has an eclectic feel that has a unique way of drawing people in and making them fall in love with it.
Hackney forms part of Inner London and is situated between Islington, Haringey, Waltham Forest, Newham, Tower Hamlets, and the City of London. Every ward within Hackney is classified as being within the top 10% most deprived wards in the UK. The borough is home to eight public libraries, several nature reserves, and a variety of arts and entertainment venues.
Redbridge is nestled between Waltham Forest, Newham, Havering, and Barking and Dagenham. To its north, it also shares a border with the county of Essex. The borough is home to more than 35 open spaces, playgrounds and parks, comprising meadows, woodlands, and wildlife ponds. Redbridge also benefits from 13 libraries and a variety of sports and leisure facilities, including Redbridge Cycling Centre.
Waltham Forest has borders with Haringey, Hackney, Enfield, Redbridge, and Newham. Like Redbridge, it also has a border with the county of Essex. Epping Forest sits at the top of the borough and the River Lea sits to the west. The borough is also home to Walthamstow marches, the Walthamstow Wetlands, and a variety of parks including the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Notably, the area is known for its connections with William Morris and as the heart of the Arts and Crafts Movement. A number of successful musicians have hailed from the borough, including Lethal Bizzle and East 17. Waltham Forest was also named as the first London Borough of Culture and the arts focused atmosphere remains strong.
Living in North East London Pros and Cons
Pro: Transport
The south of Waltham Forest is served by the Central line and the Victoria line runs through Blackhorse Road and Walthamstow Central. The borough also benefits from good Overground connectivity, with the Gospel Oak to Barking line. The Night Tube also serves the borough alongside six night buses. Although Hackney is only served by one Underground station, it has excellent Overground connectivity including to a variety of locations south of the River Thames.
Con: Affordability
In 2018, median earnings for people living in Hackney were £33,650. To afford the average private rent of £1,712, households would need to have an income of ££51,360. The boroughs of Waltham Forest and Redbridge are somewhat more affordable, however, the median earnings of £33,060 and £33,613 are below the respective £38,850 and £37,500 incomes required to afford the £1,295 and £1,250 average rents.
Pro: Facilities and Amenities
North East London has something for everyone. From excellent restaurants serving every possible cuisine you could imagine to arts and entertainment venues, shopping facilities, and open spaces, it is impossible to get bored in this vibrant part of the city.
Con: Potential to be affected by ULEZ
At least part of every borough in North East London falls with the recently expanded ULEZ zone. Residents with vehicles that don't meet emissions standards will be subject to the £12.50 daily charge.
Pro: Good Schools
Waltham Forest is home to 19 schools and colleges, with the majority achieving either 'good' or 'outstanding' Ofsted ratings. There are more than 40 schools in the borough of Hackney and while some are rated as 'requires improvement', there are many options that have secured 'good' and 'outstanding' ratings. Notably, in both 2011 and 2012, schools in Redbridge sent more young people to university than every other borough in the UK.
Con: Poor air quality
Certain areas of Waltham Forest experience poor air quality that could have long-term health implications. In Walthamstow, for example, exposure sits at more than twice the recommended guidelines set out by the World Health Organisation (WHO). It's a similar picture in Redbridge and exposure is even higher in the borough of Hackney.
Is North East London a safe place to live?
Although the borough has historically had a bit of a reputation for having a high crime rate, in the four years to 2007, Hackney saw a 28% reduction in crime which was the most significant across all London boroughs. Between March 2020 and March 2021, Hackney had a crime rate of 29.5 which places it in the 'reasonably higher than average' category. Between November 2019 and October 2021, there were 61,535 crimes recorded, with theft and violence against the person being the most commonly reported crimes.
With a 25.02 crime rate, Waltham Forest is in the 'lower than average' category. Between November 2019 and October 2021, 46,109 offences were recorded in the borough. Violence against the person accounted for just over 13,000 and just under 10,000 reported crimes fell under the theft category.
Similarly, Redbridge can also be described as having a 'lower than average' crime rate, which came out as 23.4 in the 12 months between March 2020 and March 2021. In the period between November 2019 and October 2021, there were 47,026 offences recorded in Redbridge. Again, violence against the person and theft were the two most commonly reported types of crime, with vehicle offences in third place.
So, although crime rates do vary quite substantially across boroughs, there are plenty of areas that offer lower than average crime rates.
Which celebrities live in North East London?
Despite not being a prime celebrity spotting part of the city, over the years, many famous faces have called the borough of Redbridge their home, including writer and comedian Simon Amstell, singer Jessie J, and the legendary Dame Maggie Smith. Similarly, Waltham Forest has seen some seriously famous faces grace its streets over the years, including footballer David Beckham, musician Damon Albarn, comedian Richard Ayoade, choreographer Matthew Bourne, comedian Alan Davies, and product designer Jonathan Ive who is best known for designing the iPod, iMac and MacBook.
Hackney is arguably the borough in North East London that has been home to the most celebrities. In the 1820s, writer Edgar Allan Poe attended Stoke Newington's Manor School. Dame Barbara Windsor was born in Shoreditch before moving to Stoke Newington where she lived until she was in her early 20s. We can also thank Hackney for developing the creative mind of Noel Fielding, who lived in the borough when attending college. Hackney is also renowned for being the birthplace of star of the silver screen Idris Elba.
Things to consider when moving to North East London
North East London has an incredibly diverse vibe and many areas have a reputation for attracting fashionable young professionals. If you think that North East London can allow you to live your ideal lifestyle, there are a few things to keep in mind when identifying which areas are most likely to suit you.
Although terraced properties have made up most of those sold recently, North East London is home to both sprawling detached properties and modern apartments equipped with the latest mod cons. In addition to cool neighbourhoods filled with bright young things, North East London has a plethora of leafy areas with a quiet suburban feel that is markedly different from inner city life.
When thinking about your ideal neighbourhoods, it is important to think about the area's transport links and whether they will allow you to get to where you need or want to be within a reasonable time. Given the borough's extensive transport networks, however, you are unlikely to run into any major issues on this front.
North East London also has plenty to offer young and growing families, including a selection of good schools and plenty of open spaces prime for exploring. It is always a good idea to spend some time in the areas you are thinking about moving to, as this will give you a much more comprehensive understanding of exactly what it can offer. Visiting will also allow you to get a feel for an area and determine whether it is somewhere that will really feel like home.
