East London calling
THERE’S been much gnashing of teeth among food lovers at the demise of London’s restaurant scene, where successive lockdowns have permanently closed trendy hipster eateries as well as famous establishments such as Princess Diana’s favourite, Le Caprice, a pre-Eat Out To Help Out casualty.
It’s not just a problem in London, of course, other UK cities have suffered from lack of tourists, lack of staff and furloughed workers’ lack of money.
That’s why a good choice of local restaurants, cafés and bars – as well as independent shops – is an important consideration when choosing where to live.
London is famous for being a collection of “villages” and although East Ham, in the London borough of Newham, may not immediately spring to mind, it was a village with six inns and four beerhouses back in 1848.
Now it is known for its southeast Asian restaurants such as Ananthapuri in the High Street, next to one of the two Hindu temples. You’ll also find some of London’s best fish and chips at Seahorse, further down the High Street. Coming soon, though, is a Barratt East London development that will not only bring new homes but also a new shopping arcade, cafés and restaurants. New Market Place is on the site of the old market hall, an East Ham institution since 1922. The 277 apartments – studios, one, two and three-bedroom – will be ready to move into this March and include residents’ and public parking.
The area’s nascent gentrification is being compared with the transformation of north London’s Shoreditch in the 1980s.
“We are seeing a wave of new buyers come in from Dalston and Hackney, who are looking for the next Shoreditch,” says Pam Reardon, Barratt East London’s sales and marketing director.
“Prices are low but the investment piling into the area has never been so high. Newham sits in the top four boroughs for the highest volume of new-build homes currently underway, as developers and investors alike can see the area’s huge potential. It’s a Zone 3 location that is going up in value fast.”
New Market Place homes still available range from a one-bedroom flat with a balcony for £320,995, to a threebedroom apartment with a large balcony for £485,995 (03333 559291; barratthomes.co.uk).
Transport links include District and Hammersmith & City Tubes from East Ham station to the City and West End, plus trains to West Ham for the Jubilee Line to Canary Wharf, Stratford (and its Westfield shopping centre) and Crossrail to the City.
It’s even quicker to get to central London from Upton Park, less than a mile away, where Barratt’s Upton Gardens has been built on the site of West Ham United’s old Boleyn Ground. More than 70 per cent of the 842 one, two and three-bedroom apartments have been sold, but one-bedroom flats are available from £320,000 (0372 291 2194; barratthomes.co.uk).
All have a balcony or terrace and there’s a residents’ gym, concierge, underground parking and car park, plus landscaped grounds and family play areas – all just six minutes from Upton Park Tube station.
First-time buyers Joshua Tipping and partner Chris Gunner bought a twobedroom apartment there after enduring the first lockdown in a small rental flat.
“When we went to view Upton Gardens, not only was it modern and spacious, but we realised our commutes were much better – no more Northern line! It was perfect,” says Joshua.
They moved in just as the Boleyn Tavern, once much-loved byWest Ham fans, reopened after a stunning refurbishment.
TheVictorian gin palace is now loved by new residents says Joshua: “We’ve even done a bar crawl in the building – everyone is extremely friendly.
“You don’t get this tight-knit community when renting. I couldn’t recommend it enough.”
And if you want to go for a bite before hitting the pub, there’s always BJ’s Pie & Mash House just a few doors down.