A guide to living in Borough of Newham

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Nice but pricey bars and restaurants nearby. Walking distance to DLR and Stratford station. High crime stats in area.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

No response or follow up to recent maintenance requests.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

There is a concierge but they are only there sometimes, can’t accept packages and can’t deal with maintenance requests so not sure what they’re for!

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Living right next to Westfield with everything you need within a 5 minute walk, including Stratford station which is just around the corner. The building is well-isolated and we are not looking out to the public street but a quiet courtyard. We are right next to the Olympic park which is great but will have to deal with some road closures due to big events of course.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Most of the issues that are immediately solvable have been handled very quickly by maintenance, making the experience efficient and nice. With other issues it has been hard to even get a timeline of when things will be resolved. Eg our bin store didn’t work and Managment kept saying it did or that there was nothing to do about it for now, which meant there was a period where we had a hard time getting rid of our trash.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

We couldn’t see every apartment before moving in, and it’s important to view especially if you take the furnished apartments. Even after you have signed an initial deposit, as every apartment can be slightly different.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Being right on the side of the Westfield is a convenience I never knew I needed. We have several supermarkets and restaurants just within 5 minutes away. And if somehow what we’re looking for isn’t here we’re only a minute away from Stratford tube station which is very well connected to all areas of London. So while we’ve moved further away from central London, we feel more connected than ever before.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Any issues we’ve raised are usually sorted within the same day or the next day if it’s not possible. This is far better than my previous development where it can take weeks. The guys are super reliable and are kind to my dog who loves to bark at them! Thanks Paul for fixing my bathroom lights so quickly!

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I should have signed for 18 months instead of 12 so that my rent won’t go up so soon! We love it here

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Local shops are very good with everything you need in easy walking distance. The resistance to chains can be a blessing and a curse though.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Generally very fast though can need prompting but usually good once on it.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

The high epc ratings mean flats can beg very very warm in summer.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

East Village is a nice place to live in. It is well designed with good green space, and is extremely pet friendly. It also has a lot of children playground facilities, thus if you have kids, your kids won’t get bored. Small shops/restaurants are the mandate here so you won’t see high street brands (except for supermarket/off license) here. Transportation is great here while Stratford station is just 15 minutes walk away and you could also take one station from Stratford International station (DLR) which is just a few minutes walk. Stratford is Stratford, there’s occasional anti-social behaviours here especially phone snatchers and parcel theft. But there is a local security team here which is handy to report your concerns, and they will come help sort out pretty quickly (for some cases you have to report to police directly). One big down side of living here is that the whole area here is under a green power arrangement (or whatever they want to call it). Basically it means all hot waters (thus your heat too) are supplied centrally by a company called East London Energy who is not really regulated and could be quite expensive. You’ll find your energy bill higher than living in spaces without these arrangement.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Very quick. If it is a problem their local maintenance team can resolve, it will usually be visited and checked in the next working day. Should it need a specialist or engineer, it may take longer but in general, they will let you know when a specialist/engineer will come so you would have a state of mind.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

Like many other new builds, there are a higher mix of affordable housing/social housing around this area, partly a commitment made for the break down and rebuilding of the old Stratford area. Thus you may find some issues around here with less educated kids who might give you trouble once a while.