London’s largest regeneration scheme, Barking is something of a work-in-progress. For instance, project milestones include a brand-new town centre completed in 2007, as well as an ongoing riverside neighbourhood that’ll be packed with restaurants and shops when complete. But where are the best places to live in Barking? Discover the top rated developments to buy or rent in Barking in our area guide.
HomeViews Top Rated Development ranking takes into account the Star Rating and HomeViews Transparency Rating of every development in the area
Barking is a suburb in East London. Ilford is to the north, the River Thames to the south, Dagenham to the east and Wall End to the west. The postcode for Barking is IG11.
Barking Station is in Zone 4, with tubes on the District and Hammersmith & City lines. Likewise there are also London Overground and National Rail services.
The plans for Barking are ambitious to say the least, with BeFirst now dedicated to the regenerations. There are 50,000 new homes and 20,000 new jobs in the pipeline in the coming years. The biggest of the scheme’s many projects, Barking Riverside, is a huge, purpose-built suburb that stretches down to the banks of the Thames in place of an old power station. Building began on the site in the mid-90s and continues today. Bellway Homes’ City East at Barking Riverside is one of many developments here, offering studios, apartments and houses with a waterfront view.
“The house is very spacious and modern. A very good quality. The facilities are great. The neighbourhood is very nice and safe. There’s parking around. There are some restaurants around 5min walk. Dedicated management is helpful if there are any issues.” – John, verified resident at City East at Barking Riverside
Additionally, Weavers Quarter has more than 400 modern apartments in a central location. The development is a joint project from L&Q and the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.
“The summer has been loud with kids which I don’t mind (it reminds me of my own youth) but the windows are triple glazed so noise can blocked out. All the flats come with outdoor space, either a private balcony or terrace. It’s big enough for table chairs and a small cheeky bbq…The Landlord looks after the building well; if there are any issues with the flat it is usually resolved within a few days.” – Chi, verified resident at Weavers Quarter
HomeViews reviewers have rated their top developments in Barking. One of the best places to live in Barking is the handily located Abbeville Apartments, a Grainger property near Barking Station with an onsite Asda supermarket.
“I enjoy living here, my apartment is very spacious, clean and large.” – Alice, verified resident at Abbeville Apartments
Furthermore, a brand-new town centre was introduced in the last decade. Its collection of neon-hued buildings include the award-winning apartments of Barking Central. Another highly rated development in Barking, this development is a project by Galliard Homes and RedrowHomes. It includes a library and a gallery, and The Broadway Theatre, whose packed events programme spans comedy acts, theatre and Latin dance classes. At the centre of it all is Barking Square.
“Both the area outside the apartment block and inside the building are clean and well maintained. The quality of the apartment is also good. There is great broadband connectivity for both lined based broadband and fibre optic.” – Anonymous, verified resident at Barking Central
The Rivermill Lofts is a chic development from Weston Homes, nestled on the banks of River Roding. Close by is the Discover Apartments, a colourful development with its own canoe club.
“The apartment is nice, spacious modern and well built. Good quality materials were used in the apartment. Great floor design with a lot of natural light flooding through.” – Anonymous, verified resident at Rivermill Lofts
“I’ve been living here for about six months now and I really like it. I love that is a quiet location however it’s close to the station and shopping centre.” – JJ, verified resident at Discover Apartments
Barking Park is a massive space with tennis courts, a skate park and a lake to hire pedal boats. It’s also home to The Big Friendly Coffee, which stocks delicious cakes and pastries.
Get to know the locals at Barking Street Market, which spills over three town centre roads. Find the market open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
In addition, Abbey Green is a parkland area showcasing the ancient ruins of Barking Abbey and a 12th-century church called St Margaret’s. It’s the setting for open-air events like the annual classical music concert.
Want to find out more? Read reviews from residents by clicking on the developments below.
Not much noise on the street but some form the market outside (depending on what floor you live on). Great transport links to anywhere in London or Essex.
Overall it’s been a nice place to live and the reception staff is really nice. I think it’s not priced that competitively especially because there are so many newer buildings around. But the quality is better than central London. The design of the flat is pretty boring white and the furniture that comes with the flat is okay.
I wish I knew more about the surrounding area and that it was going to be developed very rapidly.
Reception is great at handling requests. Never had an issue they couldn’t fix.
The local area is great! You are 6 minutes walk from the train station and less than a minute to the local market area. The apartment is above the ASDA so you have direct access to a supermarket, regardless of the weather. There are several parks in the area as well as tennis courts and a skate park less than 10 minutes away.
The price of the apartment has gone up too much to justify the quality of the apartment. Despite the great area, the building hasn’t been updated since it’s inception 5-6 years ago and it shows in how the building is maintained. The prices have gone up to match the market, but there are several newer developments in the area offering newer properties for the same prices, so the value of this apartment is inflated.
That the rent would increase exponentially and that the building would remain the same (without upgrades).
Reception is great and always responsive. Maintenance requests are often handled within a week.
There are reasonable park facilities nearby and the building is a convenient twelve minute walk to the tube and national rail services.
Property management are very helpful, quickly respond to any issues that are raised and go out of their way to create a friendly and welcoming environment for residents and visitors alike. The customer facing office team are great, particularly Mimi, Jamal and Iga, who deserve special mention.
Well specified and maintained apartments. Buildings are well insulated from external sound and noise.
The building management responds promptly to any issues raised.
There is a nice park near the apartment which is great. Transport links into London are also very good. There is quite a lot of anti-social behaviour so if you are looking for a gentile area, look elsewhere.
The apartments are very well designed. My apartment has views of the park and lots of light. I can’t fault the building or the property management. The gym is too small for so many residents. It can get rather busy at times and the range of equipment is limited.
Apo Barking is nice but the area isn’t that great.
I have found that the building management respond quickly to any problems or issues raised. Iga, Jamal and Mimi are awesome! Always very helpful and nice.
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