Is it just me?
There seeems to have been a steady decline in the general standard of life in Surbiton over the last 24 months in my opinion.
There now seems to be some real scum roaming around these days. I have worked hard (and I mean hard) to be able to afford to live in this area, and it now seems that, as long as you have a criminal record/are a single mum/are generally a piece of pikey scum, you can live here for free. Intimidating the locals seems to be the norm with this crowd. Only now, am I listening to an argument happening in the street. It's a couple who live in the same row of houses as me and their kids are half way up the street crying and standing in the road, unwatched. The couple in question are 'housed' in the property by the council. Mine costs myself and my wife over eight hundred pounds a month between us yet, when the police were called by their next door neighbours the other night when the guy was trying to kick their front door in (because they had dared to ask them to turn their music down), the neighbour ended up being told that there was nothing they could do unless they had actually been "touched".
Scum are taking over. YMCA needs to be raised to the ground for a start.
Who's going to come baack and tell me I'm wrong? I'm sure there'll be loads of you who think the world is rosy and live in blinkered bliss who are going to try shooting me down....go for it. I am right about this.
The benefits of a Surbiton.com account:
As a single female, should I avoid buying a property in Surbiton? I was told the train links into London were great but reading all the commentary on the place itself, I'm thinking I've chosen the wrong town.
This evening I was walking along Maple Road with my young baby and a female friend. A group of youths were walking on the other side of the road talking loudly. One of them shouted 'F*** Off' suddenly, so we briefly looked across in their general direction. They shouted across to us to 'F*** Off, Yeah you, Bang Bang' and made a shooting gesture. These weren't chav types but black teenagers dressed in hip-hop type clothes. We didn't stare or do anything to invite their abuse, we were just two young women and a baby walking home. I've lived in Surbiton for a number of years and I was under the impression it was a safe place. I'm starting to question this now...
Hi, I am seriously considering moving from central London to Surbiton in search of more space. Since the arrival of my baby (now 9mths) we have been looking for a 3 bedroom house with private rear garden. However I am a full-time working mother in the City so we thought Surbiton could be an ideal place with the fast trains to Waterloo, and reasonable houses with good primary schools. Would really appreciate your thoughts on the overall security of the place? is it family-oriented and safe walking around with a pushchair? Are most of the residents young families or house-sharing students? Thanks.
I grew up in Surbiton, lived there 20 years. When I return it seems pretty much the same as it ever did.
However I agree that there are nicer places to live. I moved away because it was too expensive. I could have bought a one bed flat, or moved to where I am now where I have a 3 bed-semi for the same price. Moving away is no good if you like living in a safe london suburb with good commuter links. Oh wait, where I live now has direct trains (approx. 20mins) into London Bridge (much better for the City - no drain thank god!), Victoria, Waterloo (East) and Charing Cross. And they even run 24hrs! No more getting that horrible stopper back at 0105 or whatever it was. My current town is also statistically one of the safest wards in the country and has isntant access to the Surrey countryside and is only 45mins from the Brighton. Why is Surbiton so pricey? Ive not looked back!
My folks almost sold their pretty average 5 bed surbiton house for >1m!! Unbelivable! They bought it for 60k lol! That amount in my current town would buy you a mansion with swimming pool and tennis courts. What exactly is the attraction of Surbiton?!
I do miss walking by the river, Richmond Park and KFC. But that's not really worth paying twice the going rate of property in similar zone 6 suburbs - is it? I cant help wondering if its snobbery? People would rather pay twice as much to get a Kingston postcode rather than a Croydon one for example?
I wouldnt move back even if I could afford it... most of my peers (professional graduates) who grew up round there have long since moved on too - for the same reasons as me. Perhaps the character will change afterall...?
Have lived in Surbiton for many years and as far as I can tell, Surb High St is getting more dangerous. At one end of the street you have the YMCA, which houses recovering drug addicts (as I understand it) - there was a guy walking home mid-evening - just a few months ago on his way home from work who was stabbed for no reason at all just outside there. Second reason is the station is good quick access from central London and a whole host of dodgy places. This means it is a quick get-out root for gangs of youths that come in from some unsavoury parts of London. I haven't heard of thefts/break-ins related to this but there have been plenty of incidents of harrassment to completely innocent Surbiton residents. Victoria Park can be dangerous at night. Overall it's a good place and I would think crime levels are perhaps lower than many other parts of Greater London but the same rules apply in Surbiton as for the rest of London - you've got to keep your wits about you.
I am a single Mum and take great offence to your comment with regards to the downfall of Surbiton. Just because you are a single mother it doesn't mean your children will convert to a life of crime. My husband left me for a younger model and well done to him, my life is better without him. I am a brilliant SINGLE MOTHER who has two polite, intelligent young boys! So stop being so stereotypical and think about what you write!!!!! Oh and I have lived in inner London when studying at art college and seen what real crime is, this I do not see in Surbiton. I lived in Kennington and witnessed some pretty ugly things, drug dealing, cars being set alight, fights etc. etc. I also lived in Portsmouth for many years from School to Art College and again if you want to see a colourful life at night go there. Surbiton is one of the most quietest towns I have lived in, hence deciding to move here from Ealing when I had my first child, remember the bombs!
Get real!!!!!!!
After two and half years of misery at the hands of drug dealing, alcoholic, anti-social layabouts I am pleased to say they have all been evicted from Victoria Avenue in Surbiton.
To those who say they cannot be beaten, then I say you are wrong. WE BEAT THEM!!!
So for those suffering the same problems I offer this 'battleplan'
1. Keep a daily logbook. It's boring, but solicitors will thank you for it as it makes their job easier.
2. Always contact the police and log any CAD numbers or Crime Reference numbers you are given.
3. Contact MP and Ward Councillors. You might not be the only one contacting them....
4. If the property is council or housing association then contact them.
5. Contact Environmental Polution control team.
6. If required contacts Benefit Fraud office.
7. Never, never allow yourself to be drawn into a physical fight....they will become the victims as they know how to work the system!
I moved to one of Surbiton's river roads in April 2007 as a first time buyer from Epsom where I had grown up and since then I haven't looked back. The trains are fantastic to London, especially to Waterloo and unlike Epsom they are the modern, clean, air-conditioned ones and it only takes c. 15-18mins non-stop. Being able to walk along the river to Kingston is a joy and equally going the other way and driving/ taking the bus or short taxi ride to Esher or Cobham for a slice of the country is fantastic. It is great in the summer to take a boat trip to Hampton Court or to Richmond and accessing the A3 makes living there easy. I have only witnessed a handful of less-desirables in the area but where don't you find that?... In comparison to Epsom it is so much safer and cleaner and so much more convenient. Property prices have kept rising and it is becomming increasingly popular as an area to live. The Maple Road area has a good variety of bars and restaurants but if you want a 'bigger' night out with more choice then Kingston is a 10min walk away! All my friends have been impressed with Surbiton but it has a 'sticky' image, which is hard to shake-off. Furthermore the High Street has been neglected over the years and isn't the most attractive and yes there is a YMCA. However, things will only improve and with it do house-prices. In reality though you have to ask why it's so expenisve given it is zone 6 but the answer is simple - you have the quickest commute from anywhere in Zone 5/6 into C. London, you're on the door-step of one of the most desirable places to live and best shopping towns in England - Kingston as well as having a comparatively low level of crime for a London Borough (lowest of all the bLondon boroughs) and lastly access to some excellent grammar schools and non-grammar schools in the Kingston borough. The High Street has all the amenities you could ask for M&S/ Waitrose/ Sainsburys/ Post Office/ bars and restaurants and you have the benefit of living further out of London with access to countryside on the opposite side of the river but easily accessible to Clapham/ Wimbledon and London. It is a great place to invest inproperty and it will become more fashionable as statistics and surveys are showing. I haven't looked back since moving here and neither will you if you choose to move here but it gets my thumbs up!
drstrangelove, I grew up in Tooting during the 70/80s and couldnt wait to get out of there. When I go back to see my folk and mates in Tooting/Streatham, I pity them. If people inSurbiton, stand up and care for the area, hopefully things wont degenerate the same way as everywhere else.
Since winning my fight against the drug dealers and scum above me our life has been a lot quieter. Earlier this year I was mugged by three black teenagers armed with a hammer (I make the point of saying thery werer black as a matter of fact, not for any racist/political reason). What I learnt allowed me to walk away minus £10, but at least I came home unlike others poor souls. There could be another 'problem' in Victoria Avenue, although I believe the police are aware of it.
As for the Surbiton YMCA. I have heard, and I haven't confirmed it, but two 'hoodies' tried to rob a man in the carpark there. He was hit on the head by a bottle. He proceeded to headbutt the attacker a number of times. I don't know if any arrests were made. If this story is true, then swift justice indeed.
Having said all of this I repeat my earlier comments. Surbiton has not reached crime levels or associated fear of crime as in Hackney & Peckham. You have to be wary in the dark, but you cannot allow yourself to be cowered. Best wishes to all of you.
Hi SWF
There are some people who would bleat and moan if they lived in Windsor Castle surrounded by hand maidens and personal flunkies. Ignore them.
I've lived in and around Surbiton since coming to the area as a student in the 70s and wouldn't live anywhere else.
Train links to London Waterloo are excellent (less than 20 mins in one stop at peak times), the river is on your doorstep and Richmond Park and Hampton Court are just a short hop away. For some of the best shopping in the south east, a cinema multiplex, clubs, riverside cafés and a soon (ish) to open theatre, Kingston is up the road.
Living in the centre of Surbiton I spend much of my life using the town's facilities and never lose sight of how grateful I am to live here. Ok, it's not exactly heart-stoppingly exciting. But the town centre is compact and has everything you need for day-to-day existence, including Waitrose, Sainsbury's, a small M&S food store, Woolies and Boots. Even better, it has its own independent bookshop (rare), two delis (one French), a smattering of cafés and some good Chinese restaurants and curry houses. There is also a playground nearby, a small park and a pleasant leafy square.
Sure you might encounter a few so-called 'undesirables' in and around the YMCA or lurking outside the railway station, but name me an area of London where there aren't any. In reality unless you are wandering the streets in the small hours, they do not present a problem. Compared to many, many other areas of London, Surbiton is genteel, sleepy and safe.
(If you look at the date of previous entries on this thread you will note that they are from several years back when I admit was something of a problem, as minor as it was. Since then a community police team has based itself at the YMCA and things seem to be under control.)
The reality is that Surbiton is not some bleak badlands as the few sados on this site would have you believe. Quite the opposite. It is the land of the affluent middle classes.
Get involved in local life, be it through school, charity, sports or even a local pub or bar and you will find a real sense of community here. My family, friends and neighbours all love Surbiton. Do come and live here.
That sounds horrible. It must have been a very unsettling experience for you and I'm sure it will colour your views on the area. But please don't lose sight of the fact that this sort of incident is extremely rare.
I've been living in and around Maple Road for many, many years and apart from running into the odd loud mouthed drunk staggering around late at night, I have never encountered any trouble — and I don't walk around with my eyes closed, believe me.
The fact is incidents like this could occur anywhere in the country. How many small county towns and villages are terrorised by bikers or gangs of bored youths? It's an unfortunate reflection of the times we live in.
Relative to most other London suburbs Surbiton is a pleasant, peaceful place to live. It’s a long way from South Central LA or the Bronx.
I think that Surbiton represents the ideal place if you work in London. I have lived here 12 years and find it a very safe area, much more akin to towns further out in Surrey than other parts of London. As mentioned by others, I wouldn't walk with a pushchair at night down by the YMCA or station, or around the nightclub area of Kingston. In the day you will be fine anywhere.
Parts of Surbiton are reasonably cheap, parts are quite expensive.
We are looking to upgrade to a 3 bedroom house in the Maple Road area, and are finding it difficult. 3 bed Victorian terraces on Cleaveland Road are over £500k, and 3 bedroom semis with drive/garden on The Mall over £600k.
This may seem cheap compared to central London, but is expensive compared to other areas locally.
Move slightly out of the central Surbiton area, and things get a lot cheaper. You should get a 3 bed semi on a good road in Berrylands or Long Ditton £400-£450k, or £350k if you want to go to the Tolworth borders. The walk to station/town/river is a bit longer, though.
The Maple Road area has a good mix of different types of people. Young professional couples/singles dominate as the area is mostly flats, but there are a fair few young families as well. There are quite a few older retired people, who have probably lived in the same house for years. There are not that many students in this part of town.
As you move further out, it seems to become more student and family orientated, probably because it is mainly 3-4 bed houses instead of 1-2 bed flats. The area around the Clayhill halls of residence is becoming full of students.
The Southborough estate on the south side of town is the most exclusive area of Surbiton. It is mainly made up of £1m++ large detached houses, a few of which have been converted into flats.
Hi you're just the kind of people Surbiton needs. If you can afford to buy a 3 bedroom house you are most welcome.
Welcome to nappy valley!
overall security of the place?
Lowest crime of any area of London. Official figures. Thames Ditton (classified as outside london) just down the road would have lower crime figures, but is slightly more expensive and has less frequent trains.
is it family-oriented and safe walking around with a pushchair?
Yep - only danger is getting knocked down by other pushchairs.
Lots of family size houses with big gardens - quite hard to find in greater london nowadays.
Are most of the residents young families or house-sharing students?
Developers have converted almost all houses in area immediately around the station (say up to 7/10 minutes walk). These are mostly couples / sharers / singles.
The few family sized houses that remain will be expensive.
Over ten minutes walk away is almost all family sized housing.
House prices by and large determined by distance to station.
Houses expensive closer to station, prices tail off very quickly beyond 20 minutes walk to station.
Very good primary schools - look at official performance figures.
Private nursery places can be expensive tho'.
I don't know if some of cartel is operating in Surbiton, but @1200 pcm, their prices are far higher than even central london.
We chose to use a childminder instead.
Commute into City is relatively painless.
I've found that there's a friendly neighbourly feel about the place - we've lived in our street for less than three years, yet know almost half the people in it. Neighbours helping each other out, lots of bbq invites, ready supply of trustworthy babysitters, that sort of thing.
Downside: main street is a little dated, lacks style and a clearly defined function of what its there for. Most people would do serious shopping in Kingston (20 minutes walk away). Main street will probably be increasingly converted to cafes / restaurants I guess.
It suppose it does have a large waitrose, a sainsburys supermarket, an m&s mini food store, a few delis, lots of wine shops, so it does have all the basics.
Still too many estate agencies adn charity shops for my liking.
Restaurants and bars are a little dated compared to those in central london, and with the exception of the French Table (superb french restaurant), rubicon (trendy wine bar) victoria (great bar), lack any sort of style or ambition.
I found this a little surprising given the earning power of those who live here.
If you're a tyical family, this will probably be of secondary importance, because you won't get out as much as you used to.
Errmm, 20 minutes to London Bridge, 45 minutes to Brighton, 24 hour trains? You are talking about Croydon, aren't you?
Places like Croydon are exactly the reason why Surbiton is quite expensive. It is reasonably convenient, whilst also being reasonably nice. Croydon is very convenient, but not very nice!
Interesting that KFC is one of the things you most miss about Surbiton - most locals would probably list that as one of the things that they would most like to get rid of!
I can see what you are saying, but I don't think that it is snobbery. Surbiton is quite 'uncool', and all the better for it in my opinion.
You have got to compare like with like. A one bed flat in a NICE part of Surbiton is £230-£250k, and I cannot see you are going to get a 3 bed semi in a NICE part of any London suburb for that. Sure, you can get a 3 bed semi in a grotty part of Croydon or wherever for that, but the same houses in the worse parts for Surbiton are not much more.
Surbiton remains relatively expensive because it is 'ok'. Most of the London suburbs are now not 'ok', and the ones that qualify as really nice (Richmond etc) are central London money.
I am a single female and have just brought in Surbiton, its great. The train is perfect and the pubs and bars lovely. You won't look back.
I agree totally about the YMCA - it is the one place they could shut down to make Surbiton a better place overnight,
I am not so sure about the station being a problem, though. Sure it has a few bums trying to scrounge from commuters at peak times, but that is the same at any busy station, London or not. The 'dodgy' people that I have seen coming through are usually coming to cause trouble in Kingston's nightclubs, rather than in the Surbiton area itself.
I have lived here for over 10 years, and I think that in relative terms, Surbiton feels safer now that it was when I first moved in. In real terms, you do see more kids hanging around and a few more unsavoury characters, but the decline has not been as fast as other places in London or Surrey. For example, I feel much safer in Surbiton late at night than I do in Epsom or Guildford. I think we have our close proximity to Kingston and London to thank for that - what self respecting piece of scum wants to cause trouble in Surbiton, when there are much bigger places right on their doorstep?
What are you on about u wierdo. I have lived in kingston for 12 years. If you think surbiton is a danferous area you are a muppet. In generall surbiton is probably one the safest areas to live in britain. You are a chomp. PLUS SURBITON ISNT LONDON. Everyone dont ,isten to this rediculous comment from chomp.
I have lived in the area for many yaers now, and have also experienced living in many other parts of britain. I can promise you kingston especially which is just minutes away from surbiton, is the most attractive area to live in. The pubs and restaurants diwn by the river is amazing, aswell as ideal shops for shopping. Dont listen to these rediculous comments written from from obviuously snobby stuck up people that maybe cant handle, the hardly threatening young youths of today, which i can promise you are much easier to deal with than any other part of london.
There is no need to comment on the same issue twice in ten minutes. (You gave yourself away be spelling ridiculous wrong in both posts!)
I agree with the sentiment, though - you would struggle to find anywhere in London/SE England that feels as safe as Kingston/Surbiton whilst offering so many other benefits.
As someone who has lived in Hackney and Peckham you can say that Kingston & Surbiton are safer places to live than those above. However that will not be the case for many more years if the situation isn't confronted. I live in Surbiton, near the YMCA. In fact I live under a flat that was raided successfully for drugs.
Whilst you might see these people in the street, you can never know what they are really like until you have lived under them. This is just a short list of things they do: take drugs, sell drugs, alcoholism, violent drunks, incapable drunks who need urgent medical attention, fights, accusations of rape, accusations of incestious paedophile rape, threatening behaviour....the list goes on and on. People say 'why not move?' Why the hell should I move! For the last two and half years I have fought these people without getting myself arrested (which is what they want as they provoke you). Soon they might be evicted.
This area offers many benefits, that true. But each of us must be prepared to protect those benefits lest we become Hackney or Peckham.
leslie,
congratulations.
any idea where these people have gone to?
Have they merely been displaced from one part of Surbiton to another?
Well done, it must be a massive relief. It must be horrible having to live in the close vicinity of people like this.
Unfortunately, it is likely that they have just been moved to another part of Surbiton/Kingston. It must be quite hard for one borough council to palm troublemakers off on another.
In my experience, the last couple of years have seen a lot of these places sold on in the central Surbiton area. I expect that a lot of 'landlords' who have just let their house to the council for years, have suddenly realised how much it is worth, and decided to sell, or let it out at normal commercial rates.
Whilst this is great news for people living in the more sought after roads in central Surbiton, I suspect it is not so good for those living further out. These people have to go somewhere, unfortunately.
From what I know for certain the situation is this regarding the former occupants:
1. The 'tenant' might be classified 'at risk' for reasons I cannot discuss here. The RBK Homeless unit will assess his case I expect.
2. The others were never tenants. I expect they will live amongst others of their kind. RBK council I don't think will re-house them as they could be classified as making themselves homeless.
Needless to say that should I learn of any of these people causing problems elsewhere I will offer my support and advice to their new victims.
I totally agree with you. I think that the only thing that will limit Surbiton's long term appeal is the cost of moving from a flat to a house in the 'river roads' area.
The thought of upgrading a £300k 2 bedroom flat to a £700k 3 bed semi is quite frightening, and there seems to be a shortage of these houses even at that price.
I know a few people who are coming up to this decision, and a reluctantly deciding to move elsewhere rather than a more affordable part of Surbiton.
This is the important factor. If people let things degenerate, it will happen very quickly. Things have gone downhill in Surbiton over the last ten years, but no more than anywhere else. There are a lot of towns which used to be very respectable which are now in a complete state.
The problem is, I am not sure there is enough people in Surbiton willing to fight against these problems.
No-one got any views on this?
Come on people, this has bearing on you and yours. If scum are allowed to carry on doing what they like, one person here (at least) will, one day, get that knock on the door/telephone call that they never wanted.....
yeah Im with you there. Although I believe that everyone should be given a fair chance. Not in my area :lol:
Keep Surbiton tidy, shut down the ymca
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