[Closed] Commuting to Grays - Where to Live?

Grays is a shithole, and I speak (or type) as one who was born there and lived there for 30 years.

Last time we went back there, a couple of years ago, we couldn't believe how run down it was. Even the upmarket parts of the town, the further north you go, the better, looked uncared for.

Find somewhere else if at all possible.

epicsteve - Member

I'm in Woodford Green - a lot of my road rides so far have been out into the area around Toot Hill, Chipping Ongar and Blackmore. Yesterday we did a walk from Mill Green to Blackmore (pint at the Leather Bottle) then back to the Cricketers for lunch and very nice it was to.

That is a nice walk. We usually do it in the opposite direction and sup at the Viper. Food is better in the Cricketers though. We haven't been in the Leather Bottle since it was done up recently.

Cheers Everyone.

I've been putting a map together, and when I'm over shall have a good look around.

Is it not worth looking at South of the River?

Nope. When the traffic plays up, which is more often than not, it'll take you forever to cross the river.
I'm in South Ockendon (Brandon Groves, decent estate), which is very close to grays, and can still take an age to get near grays at times.
Thorndon and Epping riding is ok.

Is it not worth looking at South of the River?

I live in Hextable, between dartford and swanley. It is 5 minutes from m25 but feels like miles away.
Off road riding is good, from xc to jumps etc...

Road riding is good too, so easy access to hills near Sevenoaks.

Lots of good schools around, Dartford Grammar and Saint olalf if your kids are very bright.

And I'll have a 4 bed to rent come March.

Only traffic can be a pain. It seems to be jammed a lot of the time. And it is expensive.

I don't cross very often, occasionally going to Decathlon in Thurrock but North Kent looks a lot nicer.

OP; without knowing a rough budget it's hard to recommend anywhere, for some of the places mentioned here you are going to need 400-500k as a starting price(you said you have kids so you'd probably want a 3 bedroom house?).

There's some decent areas of Grays if you look for them north/ north east of the town, but personally I would live outside of there. Lots of nice little villages if you can afford them, some of the more populated areas are OK as well if you find the right one.
Personally I would avoid Kent, there are some great places to live over there but when the Dartford crossing goes pear shaped you'll be extending your commute by a couple of hours usually, late November and all of December is bad because of the shoppers going to Bluewater and Lakeside. If you would be cycling every day the Tilbury-Gravesend ferry is a good way to cross the river with a bike.

Upminster = the promised land 🙂 This is so true for those of us in Ockendon!

Is it not worth looking at South of the River?

I went out with a girl from Dartford when I lived in Grays.

It worked out cheaper to marry her and buy a house in Grays than keep paying the tunnel crossing fees, and it was only 25 pence each way then.

Still paying for that decision now though 🙂

Time has come around fast.

Today (10th) is my 14th year in China.

On Friday, I shall be landing in London, then making my way to Essex to start the next chapter in my life.

Can't wait.

Travis - Member

Time has come around fast.

Today (10th) is my 14th year in China.

On Friday, I shall be landing in London, then making my way to Essex to start the next chapter in my life.

Can't wait.

Is there anyway you can stay in China? I lived in Grays for 15 years, my folks only moved away two years ago. It's a proper shit hole. 🙁

Also lived in Chatham. It's a proper shit hole too. There's a common denominator here... I now live in Bromley. It seems quite nice.

On Friday, I shall be landing in London, then making my way to Essex to start the next chapter in my life.

Welcome back, Travis!

Found a place to live? Thought of commuting in from London?

Either way, I don't envy your position.

Grays resident... 1982-2001.

alpin - Member

Found a place to live? Thought of commuting in from London?

Either way, I don't envy your position.

Grays resident... 1982-2001.

You escaped around the same time I did. Took a drive through there last week, first time I'd been there in two years. Felt like returning to the scene of a crime.

I'm going to be Air BnB in it for a month. I'm planning on a week or so in various places.
First up, Brentwood.
I'll be doing that for 4-6 weeks before I choose a place to live, and then bring the family over.

I've had it with China, and being an expat in my type of work (Quality) there isn't that much call for it now, and with the experience I had in my last company, I don't think there's much future in China either (unless you have a local market)

Greys may not be much, but it's just where the company is based, and it will offer us a better quality of life (overall) for the family.

Best of luck!

I grew up in Essex (near Southend, in and around Colchester then just over the smoke border into South Woodford/Snaresbrook) and agree with practically everything above.

There are some lovely villages as you head towards Suffolk (think Constable and Lovejoy - Lovejoy was occasionally filmed in a schoolfriend's Dad's pub), although apparently Colchester has gone downhill in the last 10 years (and it's home to 16 Air Assault, which includes two battalions of the Parachute Regiment. You'll soon learn which pubs to avoid). On the flipside the grammar schools in Colchester regularly make the top 10 (girls) and top 20 (boys) in the country and there certainly used to be a great little music/art scene.

Riding-wise it's all been covered above. I used to live 10 mins ride from Epping Forest while in Woodford, but tended to drive to Thetford during the winter because it drains at the speed of light. Tunstall near Ipswich is like a smaller, lumpier Thetford too. Danbury is fun, but like Epping doesn't do water too well.

As for Pitsea / Wickford etc. - yes, avoid.

Arrrr ... Sunny Brentwood... where the women are orange and grown men wear shoes without socks.... 😆

I like it

I'd show you the local trails/roads but I've not been on my MTB for 2 years or more and the road bike since last summer ... but try either side of the lane that goes south at the back of the big Ford finance place or Thorndon CP in general for MTB ... Road head north via the Doddinghurst Road (ongar road is too fast and busy) up to Hook End, Blackmoor , across the A414 onto Roxwell, Fyfield and Matching Green ... easy to make up a nice 60 mile loop out there in the quieter lanes.

Langdon Hills

Seem to recall racing there in the early '90s... Weren't too great. Better than the Basildon round though, to be fair.

Should add - you'll pay to live near a train station. It's commuter country.

This thread has brought back memories, especially since I was brought up in Hornchurch, left/escaped in 2009. I can't say I enjoy going back.

Just got my AirBnB cancelled in Brentwood.
Staying the first week in Romford now.

Anyway, Roadbike is coming with me. Hopefully the rain will stay away.

Pimpmaster Jazz - Member
although apparently Colchester has gone downhill in the last 10 years (and it's home to 16 Air Assault, which includes two battalions of the Parachute Regiment. You'll soon learn which pubs to avoid).

Have to admit, I thought Colchester was quite nice.

Back in 2007 my brother was stationed at Merville for a couple of years. Going out with them on Christmas Eve was very lively (and great fun).

Travis - if you like MTBing, Peaslake is only 90 minutes from Grays.

Staying the first week in Romford now

Peaslake probably isn't only 90mins 90% of the time...

I hope that is the Gidea Park end? Its looking dry but a bit cooler !

Travis..if you fancy a ride out Sunday morning you're welcome to come on the club ride, meet in Bulphan (at the school) at 9.30, there's normally a steady one to Blackmore or a quicker ride that goes a bit further, good way to discover new places.

lazybike. That sounds like a great idea (unless it's raining, I'm not used to that)

You'll get used to it soon enough.. 🙂

Have to admit, I thought Colchester was quite nice.

Back in 2007 my brother was stationed at Merville for a couple of years. Going out with them on Christmas Eve was very lively (and great fun).

I was at college, then uni, then bought there. I have very fond memories of the town. 😀 I was also TA infantry in Chelmsford for a bit, so could normally talk crap with the squaddies even if I was a 'craphat'. As a rule you also just avoided certain pubs.

But yeah - I had a good time in Colchester. Certainly my favourite of all the major Essex towns by a substantial margin.

I *heart* Essex.

Especially Grays. 😀

http://www.essexlive.news/essex-mum-jailed-for-urinating-on-war-memorial-on-eve-of-100th-anniversary-of-the-somme/story-29733648-detail/story.html

lazybike, (or any other people near Romford) can you recommend any LBS?

Need chain oil, possibly mud guards, inners and quite soon tyres for my road bike.

It's good to be back (even if it is Essex)

@Lazybike.
I am going to do The Paul Davies Memorial Cycling Challenge tomorrow morning.
It's from Hannakins Farm Community Centre, from 8.30am

Try cycles uk next to market, may look like a generic store but some of the guys in there know a lot

Just got my AirBnB cancelled in Brentwood.
Staying the first week in Romford now.

Anyway, Roadbike is coming with me. Hopefully the rain will stay away

I'm planning to go out with one of the local road clubs tomorrow morning - from Redbridge Cycle Centre - which is probably about the same distance from Romford as it is from me.

Have to say, with all the nay saying.

I have been quite pleasantly surprised with the (road) riding around here.

[url= https://www.strava.com/activities/746468558 ]First ride in Essex[/url]

My first ride was here, apart from the lack of hills, the route was rather pleasant.

I think I may enjoy it here.

I've been pleasantly surprised by the road riding in Essex. I did my first ever group ride with the Redbridge club yesterday (just their bronze ride) [url= https://www.strava.com/activities/747702140 ]Redbridge Bronze Ride[/url] and there are plenty of quiet lanes and rolling hills.

@travis was that a charity ride? if so I did that last year and wouldve done that this year had I not been double booked

Travis; for a LBS try Momentum cycles in Brentwood, decent prices and the owners know their stuff.

Have to say, with all the nay saying.
I have been quite pleasantly surprised with the (road) riding around here.

Ahhh....

But technically that is cheating. You ventured into "nice" Essex, north of the A127.

To really get a feel for the area [s]where I grew up [/s] you need to hug the river taking in Purfleet, Grays, Tilbury then onto Basildon, Pitsea before crossing over onto Canvey Island....

This song should be your guide to the perfect road ride in South Essex.

[quote=Travis ]Have to say, with all the nay saying.
I have been quite pleasantly surprised with the (road) riding around here.
First ride in Essex
My first ride was here, apart from the lack of hills, the route was rather pleasant.
I think I may enjoy it here.

THat's basically my regular loop, or at least it was when I was a bit fitter 😀 Not much climbing but quite a nice spin anyway. Is the road by the reservoir still swarming with gnats? Got eaten alive last time.

yes if you ride a motorbike past the res you can barely see out of the visor by the other end
@Travis - probably going for a spin round epping forest (mtb) on Saturday morning if you fancy a pedal?

It was the Paul Davies Memorial ride.

@Spurs, yeah, I found Momentum on Saturday (first find LBS, then look for houses)
I'm taking my road bike in for a service today, as the brakes are a bit weird after the flight over, and I only have a multi tool with me.

@Porter_Jamie MTB is still over in China, shall arrive next month, with all my other stuff.

I'm much preferring 'North Essex', mainly for less traffic (from what little I have seen anyway)

Still looking for houses, would it also be worth looking further East (I don't mind up to an hour drive), but staying North of the River, as a couple of guys from work, have had horrendous journeys this week, and I'd rather give that a miss.

Depends on your budget. The area north of Southend up to Maldon is much nicer in parts. Worth getting your bike out and having a ride around the area to get a feel. The only downside is the length of time it takes to get out of Essex if you want to visit somewhere else.

Still looking for houses, would it also be worth looking further East (I don't mind up to an hour drive), but staying North of the River, as a couple of guys from work, have had horrendous journeys this week, and I'd rather give that a miss.