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41 Alpha Road
Hello Surbiton! I need your wisdom and advice!
I'm thinking of buying a new flat in Surbiton. This week I've seen 2- a new build block of flats in Apha Road and also a converted flat in Ewell Road, just opposite the Fishponds Park. Both flats were really nice, so now I just need to think about the area. Today, I had a little wander around to get a feel for the area.
I wan't too sure about Alpha Road to be honest. The new build flat is lovely, but some of the nearby houses looked a little run down and scuffy to me. So that was a it disappointing.
The area around Fishponds Park (Ewel Road) looked ok, I think. Although I did notice a few drunks in the park (older, mid 50s I think) and also hanging around Ewel Road in general . Is Ewel Road (and the park) generally considered a safe place? I noticed a really nice road just behind the new flat that was very nice indeed (Kingsdwone Road I think), so I was a little confused about whether it was a good or bad area!
Any advice would be great!
Thanks Steve
Comments
Steve, the racist under-tone on this forum comes from the fact that Surbiton is traditionally a very white area. Residentially, it remains so, but there are quite lot of ethnic minority students at nearby Kingston University.
Obviously, being students, they are noisy and cause the occasional bit of damage. A lot of Surbiton residents seem to associate this with the fact that they are from an ethnic minority rather than the fact they are students.
I would argue that Surbiton could still be seen as a little 'too white' for some. If you go for a drink at Bosco, The Victoria or Gordon Bennett on a busy night, it is unusual to see any non-white person there.
Thanks for this.
I just want to live in a happy town that's safe, and also that welcomes people from all different backgrounds. I think, from what I know of Surbiton that it ticks both those boxes!
Steve
The local "Guardian" reader just has to make a contribution. Uman rights!
Eh? All the ethnics congregate together in "their" areas. Just look at all the ethnic specific social clubs where the English are not welcome! Go to any town in the UK and you will see this!
LOL! There is lots of contradictory advise about house prices falling though. I read just last week that house prices may drop a little further this year, then start rising from around 2010. Where did you hear 30%?
Hi Steve if you're English visit us at the Royal British Legion sometime. You can make new friends and get to know the locals.
As you may have noticed, you only need to register on this site to post NEW forums, so why register?
Poster Steve, why buy?
Youve already been warned that the house prices may fall 30% over the next 3 years, rent for gods sake man, rent!
One of the reasons I am attracted to Surbiton is because of the 15 minute commute- I don't think there are any other areas in Surrey with such good transport links. My other choice was Epsom but thats further out.
Epsom is a funny place - none of the advantages of Surbiton, but it actually feels very dangerous at night in the town centre. I think that is due to a very large council estate just outside. If you want to move further out, Esher and Walton are better bets - Guildford is just too far to commute every day.
You won't get a better link into London than Surbiton without living in London 'proper'.
I cannot recommend the area enough, but renting in the short term may be good advice, firstly to allow yourself to see if you like it here, and secondly to benefit from any likely reduction in house prices over the next couple of years.
Good luck, and let us know if you need any more advice.
...and don't consider Guildford. It has a nightmare commute to London, and is full of so many chavs at night you would not believe!
Admittedly, Kingston is not much better now, but in Surbiton you do not have to live in the middle of it.
Thanks- great pointers there! This site is really helpful- I'm glad I found it!
Hi Steve, welcome to the site.
The Alpha Road flats are very expensive for what they are, and are in a bad (for Surbiton) part of town. The Ewell Road flats have recently been converted from the old Conservative Club. They are nice, but on a very main road. Prices have gone down here a bit recently, and the Ewell Road flats are priced at '2007' prices. Now, £235k should get you a 1 bed flat virtually anywhere in Surbiton.
Don't limit your search by postcode, either. KT5 includes part of Surbiton 'proper', all of Berrylands, and part of Tolworth. KT6 is split between Surbiton and Tolworth. Both have good and bad areas. I would recommend the following:
1. 'River Roads area' - A group of about 7 roads that run between Maple Road in the town centre, and Portsmouth Road on the River Thames. No river views, but you can walk to it in a few seconds, and the town centre/station and the bars of Maple Road are nearby. Pricier than most, but you should be able to find 1 bed places cheaper than that one on Ewell Road.
2. Cranes Park area - This is on the KT5 side of Surbiton Hill, but is a nice quiet area with large victorian houses converted into flats. It is a bit further to walk to the station, but prices are a bit more reasonable.
3. Lovelace area - 2 roads off Brighton Road that are a bit dominated by purpose built flats, but quite quiet and convenient for the town/station.
I have lived in Surbiton for over 10 years and love it. The only real problem is the YMCA with it's scummy residents, but this could be seen as an advantage compared to other areas as you are less likely to be living directly next to this type of person in Surbiton.
I have not been to Fishponds Park, but these drunks may be the same ones that used to go into Claremont Park occasionally. If so, they never caused any problems apart from being scruffy. Again, Surbiton is not too bad for this sort of thing, but it is in a London Borough, and the council therefore seem to be forced to sponsor this sort of activity.
"local English culture"
... hahahaha
More ethnics in Surbiton than Streatham High on a Saturday night kick out
Rubbish! Its not that poor.
OK, now I'm totally confused! One probelm with this forum is that its really difficult to see who has posted a message, so I don't know who's answering who on this thread now.
The 'anonymous' person who says that Surbiton is a ****hole. That's not very helpful is it!??!! And less of the 'are you a man or mouse' type comments!
Anyway, back to subject. Thanks to the person above who did provide some useful advice about the postcode KT6. Any other helpful comments appreciated.
Steve :-)
You're welcome here but please embrace the local English culture and traditions and try to contribute to this wonderful town.
The above text has been deliberately disemvowelled as it is in breach of the Surbiton.com terms.
Would you be happy if you had a local mosque? Would that make it as good as Guildford?
No that comment wasnt aimed at you, that was for me, albeit the other anony probably is referening to 'town' as Tolworth, an No I dont have anything GOOD to say about your so-called town
I'm not local, no. I'm thinking of moving to Surbiton. Why?
You're not a local then?
I assume that's a joke, is it? Otherwise, an odd comment when I'm asking for advice.
Thanks for the advice. I'll keep my search to KT6 then!
I must admit I was a bit disappointed when I had a look around the Alpha Road area- there did seem to be one or 2 un savoury types hanging around the nearby pub. Bizarrely they were older men (50s I think) who were drunk, scruffy and carrying cans of beer! Not very Surbiton, I thought!
I am tempted by the Ewel Road property- its beautiful inside. It is KT6. It’s opposite the park. Do you think the park is safe at night? Again, when I had a wander around the park I did see some drunken men again. It was about 7pm on a Friday night.
When I say I saw some drunken men, I don't mean hundreds though! Just one or two, and I was wandering around the streets for a few hours (trying to get a feel for the area). Maybe I'm being a bit over-cautious?
Here's a link!
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-17787607.rsp?pa_n=2&tr_t=buy
Are you a man or mouse? I hope you have something positive to contribute to our town.
Trouble is with both of these areas, they are not really Surbiton
Alpha Road which I would class as Tolworth/Berrylands (there is a thread about the area and the pub 'The Brittania' on this site somewhere) used to be and prob still is a low class area. The pub back in the late 80's was a hangout for the skin-head crowd from Hampton et-al (anyone remember the Summers family?) and was the days when the area was all council houses, walk the area @23:00 on Saturday night to investigate further, especially around the old 'bun in the oven' locale by the take-aways
Fishponds Park is probabaly a better bet but again its not Surbiton, strange how the Tolworth and Berrylands resi's like to add Surbiton to their address!
Stick to the West Side of Ewell Road from Kingsdowne Road upwards (do a map google on KT6) thats Surbiton, you will only be concerned about the YMCA if you live/work west of Victoria Road
But then im a snob!
Technically speaking Surbiton is a neighbourhood of Kingston Borough and includes Berrylands and part of Tolworth.
http://www.kingston.gov.uk/mykingston/find_it/greater_london_map/surroun...