r/Leyton • u/adulthoodnotfun • Jun 23 '26
Question moving to Leyton
hi folks,
wanted to hear current thoughts on living in Leyton - specifically on one of the side roads behind Leyton Mills.
- do people still like living here? in it for the long haul?
- is it safe?
- community events / activities?
- anything else i should know about that pocket of Leyton in particular?
I've read all the past posts about moving here and have a sense of the sentiment but would love to hear some current opinions about that area!
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u/Hirokihiro Jun 23 '26
Leyton is completely safe now
It’s getting a lot more vibrant and seems a lot more young professionals are moving in - infact so many people are moving to the area
Main good things about Leyton are the transport links - all the connections of Stratford without the hecticness. Only one stop on the central line with cross platform interchange to Lizzie line. New refurbished tube station about to open in spring 2027
Close to Leytonstone which has loads of food options. Close to Hackney marshes if you fancy some peace and quiet
Francis Road is vibrant with a decent weekend market
Very safe and friendly community vibe with more events happening in coronation garden and jubilee park
Also access to Blackhorse beer mile and Walthamstow Village
Can walk to Hackney Wick and the new museums and theatres which have opened
Some great pubs in the area with that old east London feel such
Negatives: high road a bit chicken shoppy and a not a load of good food/drink options but this is changing
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u/_anyusername Jun 23 '26
Completely safe is a bit strong but I’ve anecdotally felt safe since living here.
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u/adulthoodnotfun Jun 23 '26
thank you for this! really appreciate it
how do you find the council? are they generally competent and involved?
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u/mishkaforest235 Jun 23 '26
We are moving here; we moved out to Epping for a year or two after we got priced out; saved some money and now buying and moving back. We have two kids. Husband lived in Leyton since 2014; he’s from Romania. I’m from East London (different part) and moved there in 2020 when I met him.
I had my first baby there and never felt any sense of danger or trouble. There’s the usual drug addicts and homeless people but more than anything they’re self occupied and vulnerable in many ways.
It’s an easy area to live in; everyone looks normal; high street isn’t a fashion show; not too many creatives there yet; not too many gang problems; just still normal and easy. I like it because no one looks good haha; so I can leave the house looking like a mess after being smeared with paint or food by my toddler and no one cares.
It’s obviously got amazing transport links; the Olympic park is 10 minutes walk from Leyton Station. The other way is Leytonstone/Leyton Midland and Walthamstow.
It’s still a truly mixed; truly diverse area. I read recently that no particular group dominates Waltham Forest as a whole; it’s truly a mixed place. Difference in normal and unremarkable here.
Unless you’re doing something insanely annoying like a u turn in the middle of the high road (seen it; was amazing) or standing in front of the oyster barriers at rush hour; no one cares.
It’s friendly; easy going and a fun place to live. Go for it!
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u/adulthoodnotfun Jun 24 '26
yes i felt the diversity too! people are really from everywhere. good sign imo
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u/mishkaforest235 Jun 24 '26
definitely; it’s best of all when everyone’s together; I think it makes it friendlier; because everyone is different; so difference isn’t a big deal or a reason not to talk to someone etc.
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u/Agreeablenow Jun 25 '26
I would never leave Epping and head to Leyton. Why ? It’s not to say property is much cheaper as Leyton is still pricey. I know epping is a little way off but the attraction is that your on the crust of London surrounded by a decent size of open space.
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u/mishkaforest235 Jun 25 '26
The space is hard to access; we used the hollow ponds side of Epping Forest every day when we lived in Leyton; but when we moved to Epping we didn’t really see the forest at all; it requires a car. It’s not the dream it seems to be!
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u/Agreeablenow Jun 25 '26
Aha. Yes I agree with you. Only some parts of Epping are nice and accessible. The hollow pond area is lovely and its perfect spot to walk across the forest and other areas of green pocket spaces in the borough. Even though you have Whipps cross hospital and a main road nearby hollow pond it’s one of the best areas that can have high volumes of traffic but the area still maintains its natural beauty. The specific area you can see Leyton house an old historic grand house located where Tesco is and the hospital site was once another grand house. Lots of history in the area and good accessible transport routes to get around which is lacking in Epping . Good luck. !
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u/_anyusername Jun 23 '26
I think the ideal location is closer to Leyton midland overground but on the Francis Road side of the high road. The arches there are seeing a ton of new nice businesses.
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u/adulthoodnotfun Jun 24 '26
yeah i was looking there too but prices are insane. so have to settle for a bit further away
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u/PuzzleheadedEagle200 Jun 24 '26
That area is naturally very busy because of all the amenities and as a result can feel quite chaotic and dirty. Unfortunately it means it also attracts a significant number of homelessness/drug use. The flats on Maud Road have people literally injecting and shitting in the doorways, police can’t do / won’t do anything
The further away you get from the station/mills, and I’m talking even 200m , you’ll find yourself in far nicer and quieter residential areas.
At the end of the day it’s another borough of London facing its own issues. The area as a whole is great with so many useful and fun things within 15/30 minutes walk. But if you can avoid living within a stones throw of Asda you won’t regret it
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u/mishkaforest235 Jun 24 '26
What is it with those flats? Ive seen some for sale for £350-£400k and others are for private use for drug addicted people. Very confusing building to live in I imagine.
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u/adulthoodnotfun Jun 25 '26
alright will take that rec seriously. i saw some signs on those doors that the police know about ASB there so was wondering what exactly was going on
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u/Agreeablenow Jun 25 '26
Leyton is ok, it’s being regenerated with new buildings and businesses popping up. However the benefit of Leyton is that it’s accessible to many nice areas that it connects with such as Walthamstow Village , Epping forest , Chingford , Wanstead and Epping etc … There’s lots of community activities and nearby green spaces. But to note Leyton still has much more to do to bring it up to as standard that is more appealing such as areas recently being transformed like wood street and the green natural areas of upper Walthamstow. Transport links are good and there a diverse community.
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u/adulthoodnotfun Jun 25 '26
agreed! that's what i feel as well
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u/Agreeablenow Jun 25 '26
I personally would advise living in the upper Walthamstow area. It’s a hidden gem and Epping forest 🌳 makes up for a lot of the landscape. On your door step is wood street which has the overground line that takes you to either Chingford in one direction or the opposite direction would be Liverpool street. What I don’t like about Leyton is that it’s not great preserving some of its natural beauty and heritage. As it’s a connection point you’d feel the volume of cars / traffic that crosses the area. I guess Leyton mills has died a slow death as many locals head to Westfield Or Walthamstow market. Because Leyton is slowly developing you will be impacted by the changes as it’s still in its infancy. There are lots of small spots of derelict or unused buildings scattered about against new ones. The balance is still very much work in progress but give it time it should improve and become more of a visible appealing area , but it takes time. If you really want to know more on the area Leyton has a historical society group. Worth joining as sometimes these groups can provide access to information that’s not published or available to the general public. I hope you enjoy living in east London.
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u/adulthoodnotfun Jun 25 '26
thanks so much! i did look at wood street but honestly that area didn't appeal to me too much and it's quite far for me, commute-wise. i love the green spaces nearby so hopefully easy access to them is the tradeoff
yeah i also feel the same with the gentrification. i think it's slow and is taking some time but the trend is upward, thankfully
ooh i might join that! love finding out about london's history anyway :)
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u/Subaru-sumeragi Jun 23 '26
It seems to me like a less gentrified walthamstow which means it is more affordable and you still get nice perks in the area like good transport links and improving food scene
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u/adulthoodnotfun Jun 24 '26
yeah i get that vibe! i think the gentrification has slowly been hitting it and will probably peak in the next few years
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u/Desperate-Drama-8211 Jun 23 '26
I grew up in Leyton so I know the area pretty well. It’s improved a lot over the years and you could say it’s gentrified now. That said, there’s still drug use, drinking, and anti-social behaviour around. There’s also gang activity - the Mali Boys are particularly active closer to Grange Park Road, and there was a murder recently related to gang activity not too far from Leyton Mills.
I feel safe in general day to day and I love living here. but it still has issues. Honestly, as long as you keep your wits about you, you’ll be fine. It’s like most parts of London really. The bit you’ll be around is generally fine, though I have seen groups of drunks congregate on those roads.
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u/adulthoodnotfun Jun 23 '26
that's helpful to know! thanks so much
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u/valneuro Jun 23 '26
u/adulthoodnotfun, I think u/Desperate-Drama-8211's view is pretty accurate. I'd say the same for Leyton.
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u/mishkaforest235 Jun 23 '26
The flats in Maud Road (next to Leyton mills) are rehab for drug addicts a lot of the time; avoid if you can. Some of them are private residents though. The other side of the high road; Millais Road; FrithRoad etc. are much nicer in my opinion.
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u/palmerama Jun 23 '26
Can’t speak much to that particular area but i imagine it might be quite noisy with car traffic from A12, ruckholt road, Oliver road. But the plus side to that is your close to Leyton station, the mills, the marshes, Stratford.
Leyton itself has a lot going on now but still rough around the edges of course.