The Gessner, N17

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

Great local area and vibe. Good selection of shops and retailers. Good good options too. The area is also clean.

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

Always quickly. They understand if something needs to be prioritised.

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

That there was 3 terraces! Also about the even nights.

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

Overall, it's a nice and quiet area with clean streets and a generally peaceful atmosphere. There are plenty of department stores (Lidl, Tesco, Asda, etc) nearby to suit all tastes, and a small park within walking distance that's great for casual strolls. Bin collections are regular and efficient, and the streets are always kept clean. On the downside, if your windows face the main road, be prepared for constant noise and a surprising amount of dust coming into the flat. In terms of transport, the area is served by the Victoria Line and Greater Anglia. The Victoria Line is generally reliable, but during peak hours it can be nearly impossible to board a train coming from central London—at times like these, the Greater Anglia service from Liverpool Street is a lifesaver. However, if you're commuting in from outside London, be aware that Greater Anglia can be quite unreliable, and you might end up needing to reroute via King's Cross.

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

The building management responds quickly and efficiently to any issues. You can easily reach out for help either at the reception or through the app.

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

One thing to be aware of is the amount of fine black dust that regularly appears on the balcony—it’s easy to assume it hasn’t been cleaned, but it’s most likely coming from the nearby road and tends to build up quickly. Also, make sure to carefully review your Check-In report. In our case, almost no defects were listed initially, so we had to document everything ourselves. We even discovered more issues during the first month. That said, to be fair, anything that could be fixed (like a broken chair or some mould in bath) was sorted out within the first week, and the rest was added to the report without any problems.

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

The area is well served by the Victoria line and the National Railway, and you can reach central London in 20 minutes. Having both options avoids being stranded in the event of strikes or technical problems. It's also well connected to Stansted Airport. The open spaces are fantastic. There's Walthamstow Wetlands, where you can walk and relax, and Down Lane Park with tennis courts and a small football pitch. There aren't many restaurants yet, but the area is developing rapidly.

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

The building management was always available. We didn't have any major problems, but they were available even for small things, like fixing a light bulb that started flickering.

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

I wish I had known that I would have stayed for 3.5 years. There was a good offer for long stays. Unfortunately I signed a 1 year contract that went from around 1,700 to 2,000 in 3 years.

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

The area is very well connected—just a 3-minute walk to the Victoria Line, which makes getting to central London fast and easy. There are plenty of local shops around, including a Lidl, two express supermarkets, and a good selection of other retail stores. The street itself is generally fine to live on. I've not experienced any issues with anti-social behavior. One downside for me is the traffic noise - during summer, if you want to keep your windows open at night, it can be a bit loud. That said, it's only for a few weeks a year, and with the windows closed, the noise is not noticeable.

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

I didn't have too many interactions with the building management that is not the resident host team

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

I really like the apartment overall, but I was surprised by how hot it gets inside during the summer. Even when the outside temperature is only around 25°C for a few days, the temperate inside reaches up to 28 degrees inside according to the built-in thermometer. It has been difficult to cool down the apartment, despite keeping the windows open all night. Even during cooler days (20°C or below), we haven’t been able to bring the indoor temperature down significantly, likely because the building itself retains heat throughout the summer. I live on the 12th floor, which may contribute to the issue, but I would have expected better insulation in a modern building.

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

The building is close to the station with great links to the city centre. The choice of supermarkets could be better although there is a fairly big Lidl, it's just not my personal favourite. There are also nice sports facilities, like a tennis court and, a nice hot yoga studio nearby (all of these apart from a great onsite gym).

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

Everything was dealt with timely and of great quality.

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

Not something that affects me, but if you are a smoker, there is a no-smoke policy at any inside or outside areas of the building.