Are rough council estates scary to live on?

[CourtneyLane]

There's a council estate near here that's a bit rough with police wandering around and some shouty scary people! The thing is the local housing association is renting out some of their spare houses there. It's £32 a week cheaper than where I am now so even with bedroom tax I'll be better off so I'm considering it. My mum says I'll be frightened to leave the house for walks though.

Can anyone living on a bit of a rough estate tell me what it's like? Is it scary?

 

[youngmamttc]

When i moved to where i live now i was informed it was a rough estate and id hate it and in all honesty i LOVE it, its so quiet and ive made some amazing friends here and everyone is so friendly and talkative, i think everywhere has rough or nasty/scary people no matter how 'posh' it may seem x

 

[emyandpotato]

I used to live in a very 'rough' area of Salford and I never felt uncomfortable going out at all, except for the few days before I was in labour and I couldn't get stuff for my hospital bag because unfortunately that was when the riots were going on, but stuff like that is obviously rare! One potential issue might be that you struggle to make friends with neighbours but obviously that can happen anywhere.

 

[CourtneyLane]

Thanks for the replies I'm struggling a bit with my neighbours here (the kid next door runs riot and his mum does nothing) so I'm scared of doing the old out of the frying pan into the fire neighbours wise! There was rumours recently that there'd been guns and drug raids but I see none of that on the police crime website thing so I'm wondering if it actually happened? Anyway I'm blabbing on now! If it was the kind of place where maybe people are a bit noisy but with that sense of community that I know my friends in council houses had growing up I think it would be great. And the money id save ahhh!

 

[emyandpotato]

Drug raids aren't the end of the world! They can happen anywhere! Anyway people exaggerate so much. I was watching Secret Millionaire the other day and it was based right where I used to live- actually showed my old house, claim to fame - and people were saying it wasn't safe after dark, it's horrible, etc etc... People are just dramatic!

 

[missk1989]

We used to live in a privatly owned house on one of the largest council estates in the north west. It has a terrible reputation but it wasnt that bad. You usually find that criminals dont s**t on their own doorstep and so its actually a rather safe place to be actually.

 

[LynseyPynsey]

I grew up on a 'rough' area (my mum and sister still live there) and found there was a great community spirit with everyone, we'd always have bbqs etc in the communal gardens.

 

[BellaBoo0512]

I live on the outskirts of what's known to be a rough council estate. I actually like my street as the majority of the neighbours are older and have lived here a long time and most of the houses are bought.

I do feel uncomfortable walking to the shops but I think that's because I have anxiety more than anything. I do worry about LO starting school though as I've heard kids in the next street swearing like troopers and they are only 7 or 8 :/

 

[Tasha]

I live on an estate that has a bad rep, but honestly there has been no trouble here really in the almost five years we've lived here. Certainly no more than average.

My children go to school on a bigger estate with a worse rep down the road from us and there has been the odd bit of trouble on that estate but nothing major and the children at the school (who mostly come from said estate) are just lovely. There is a real sense of community and kindness, and my daughter who was badly bullied (physically, mentally and emotionally at just seven) at a school in a much better location confidence has soared since being at this school.

 

[mummylove]

I just think if u dont get on the wrong side of the rough nuts then its ok lol. Not all rough places are that bad.

 

[Dragonfly]

I lived in a lot of places. I would pay more not to live on one. Neighbors are always a nightmare and kids are in trouble. My parents live on a new council estate, small cull de sac and have trouble.

 

[RaspberryK]

I know of frequent drugs raids in very nice areas where the big dealers pay cash to hrent lovely houses, one down the same road as my parents where the houses are currently worth between 300&400k .
It sounds like a huge exaggeration if you ask me.
I know a lot of people who grew up or purchased their first houses on so called "rough estates" and said it was the best friendliest place they ever lived.
I pretty much wouldn't walk anywhere at night alone, I didn't used to think about it but even in my village I wouldn't.
Also we are in a very sought after small village and someone was stabbed across the road from the shop, in broad daylight in summer 2012.
Xx

 

[Yo_Yo]

You can view crime figures on police.uk if you want to see what an area is like for certain crimes.

 

[catty]

The area I live is not rough but not posh. The flats I live in I really like my neightbours, one is 'rough' and he cuts my grass all the time I just give him a crate of beer each summer.
the downstairs neighbours are possibly 'rough' and there kids are so nice and shes always asking me if I need help getting my bags up the stairs etc

Across the road I would never want to live though, they all have scary dogs that dont seem trained at all, hanging out in tracksuits and drinking beer in the street.
In one week the police were there 3 times, once because a woman was trying to jump out the 3rd floor window as shed fallen iut with her bf, one because a drug dealer was stabbed and the third was a drug raid
if I had to live there I would be having a terrible time as I ciuldnt put up with that (its only about 30 metres from me but they dont come anywhere near our flats it seems totally on its own

 

[Bevziibubble]

I grew up in a posh area so it was a bit of a shock when we moved to this area two years ago. It's got a reputation as a bad area but it's not too bad. The kids can be quite naughty and are always playing in our garden. The rudeness annoys me but they don't really cause any real trouble. A lot of the locals tend to drink out in the street a lot which lowers the time of the area, but again they don't cause any trouble. There have been a few times when we've had police cars, but they tend to have fights among each other when drunk and leave everyone else alone.


Our neighbours are great. One side we don't even know they're there they are so quiet. The other side we get on with great. I would prefer to live in a better area and I worry about LO getting into trouble with the local kids when she's older. But we can't afford a house in another area and me to be a SAHM, so we are stuck for now. I think as long as you don't get on the wrong side of people then they will leave you alone.

 

[binxyboo]

Thanks for the replies I'm struggling a bit with my neighbours here (the kid next door runs riot and his mum does nothing) so I'm scared of doing the old out of the frying pan into the fire neighbours wise! There was rumours recently that there'd been guns and drug raids but I see none of that on the police crime website thing so I'm wondering if it actually happened? Anyway I'm blabbing on now! If it was the kind of place where maybe people are a bit noisy but with that sense of community that I know my friends in council houses had growing up I think it would be great. And the money id save ahhh!

I live in what is classed as quite an afflulent area.
Before I bought it, my house was being used as a cannabis farm!!!
It can happen anywhere!

 

[Tegans Mama]

We live in a "rough" area and to be honest we've been happier here than anywhere else we've ever lived. Not everyone can be tarred with the same brush and I've found that people are a lot more friendly here, and look out for each other more

 

[lhancock90]

I lived on an estate and i'm not going to lie, i did feel abit worried going out on my own at night, there would be kids shouting abuse and OH was mugged.
A few weeks ago a woman was sexually assaulted there, so i won't lie some estates are exactly as described. I'm not being overly dramatic on this one i swear, but i regularly walk through another estate and its got a bad rep but its fine.

 

[AP]

My heart is in the rough areas I've lived in I was told one of the houses I've lived in was once occupied by a murderer but I can honestly say it was happy times and story's galore lol
I don't think there's anywhere really that doesn't have someone capable of creating a scene.

 

[KayBea]

i live in 'the roughest town in the south east' apparently..

not had any problems at all. hardly any noise, sirens go past the bottom of our road about twice a week but tbh they could be going anywhere & be any of the ES's not just the police.
90% of people are nice & chatty, helpful etc. x