OT Ping - Medway Handyman

[tim.....]

Dave,

I'm considering a move to Medway because it is cheap.

Are there any places that really should be avoided? I want to be in the catchment of one of the 4 (5?) stations.

(NB: I don't just want a list of the parts which are "nice" as they are probably as expensive as moving somewhere else that is uniformly "nice").

thanks

tim

[chas]

of corse itscheap.its the arse end of england it says so on the sing posts when you get there

[Tim Decker]

I was going to say the Allington Drive area of Strood! Dave may disagree cos he lives near here.....but it's miles from the station. To be honest, like many towns there are some dire areas and finding somewhere that is near to the Station and is in the right school catchment area can be challenging. Take a look at these two examples, that are less than 500 metres apart. ME2 4BN This is near to the Station, but the nearby carpark has an alcohol control order in place and there has been a lot of trouble here in the past ME2 3DU This is also near the Station, (about 5 mins walk), but it is a nice quiet close, near to a good school.

The good news for Medway is that the new fast commuter services from Strood are only 35 minutes from London St Pancras. So whilst house prices are cheap now, I would expect that when they start to rise again we could be in for a bit of a property boom. My tips on places to avoid: Anywhere with a large concentration of Social Housing.

for more details. There are actually some really nice properties dotted around, but when they are all in one place.... I think new planning regulations try to avoid this for obvious reasons. Anywhere where you have to drive or catch a bus to get to the station. I lived in Hoo for 7 years and it was real pain, always having to give the kids lifts and paying an arm a leg for a taxi if you have a late night.

[tim.....]

Nah, you've obviously not been to Thanet

tim

[Bob Eager]

In Medway, avoid the Luton area like the plague. Even the 'near' end of Luton Road (where Maplin is) is a bit dodgy. I used to park behind Maplin when I went there, and someone was murdered there...although I think his card had been marked.

Also Parkwood (on the way to Gillingham), as that's Chav central. Also the Brompton area. And nowhere in Strood. And the area around the Delce Road (parallel with the A229 City Way).

(this from SWMBO, who's worked in various parts of Medway for 25 years). And taught kids from these parts...

[tim.....]

No, don't need a school

I can't narrow the search down too much as there is limited property available ATM. This is a "quick" fix rather than a long term plan. There are 16 2 bed properties under 125K within half a mile of that PC and 22 for rent at under 600.

OK thanks for the link

tim

[geoff]

Which translates to

"look elsewhere"

[Steve Firth]

Medway.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Oh I dunno. Was very impressed with the M2 when driving past it the other day...

[dave]

Where is Medway anyway?

[R]

Lived and worked there for 12 years a while back. Still have cause to go there. It's no different from any other "Sub" suburban sprawl that developed after the war . Outskirts of London and spread further as required. Now Gravesend............That's a whole different kettle of Indian. There are a few nice places in Sittingbourne, and if you like the seaside try Sheppey, although beware of being a Grockle

Ya pays yer money and takes yer choice

[Bob Eager]

And avoid Milton Regis.

[Tim S]

Bob Eager coughed up some electrons that declared:

Does it have to be Medway?

The Charing X - Hastings line is pretty civilised and gives you a choice of Sevenoaks, Tonbridge (OK if you don't actually live anywhere near the station) T Wells, and all the random places south of there.

[Tim S]

dave coughed up some electrons that declared:

Mid-East Kent ish.

[The Medway Handyman]

Thank you for that review rom our travel correspondent. I wonder what he would say if he could write?

[The Medway Handyman]

I'd agree with that apart from Strood - where I happen to live! There is 'lower' strood and 'upper' strood.

[The Medway Handyman]

Anywhere but Wotfud.

[The Medway Handyman]

That had never occurred to me. I've never commuted. Handy for the motorway though.

I'd agree with that, part of the regenration area and all.

It can be a bit cut off out on the peninsular, any further out than Hoo & its wise to count peoples fingers :-)

[The Medway Handyman]

Kent, about 35 miles south east of London, on the A2/M2 Dover road. Medway is a Unitary Authority comprising of Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, Rainham.

[Steve Firth]

About where you would put the hose to give England an enema. Or possibly a little lower if we take the Thames as the cloaca then Medway is probably in the position of a peri-anal wart.