Top 10 Most Dangerous Places in London
I was once in Peckham with my two best friends. We were walking through the streets at night when we heard a loud bang. Two men in hoodies walked towards us from across the street, and one of them pulled out something from their jacket. I didn't see what it was, but I immediately grabbed my friends' hands, and we started to run. Luckily, we got away.
Another time, I was just out shopping when I saw two guys handing each other what looked like drugs. I have seen drug dealers, murderers, and more here. I have lived here for sixteen years, born and raised. Luckily, I am alive, but there is no way I'm raising my kids here. As soon as I'm old enough, I'm moving.
Peckham? I lived there for 13 and a half years. Luckily, I know some members of Peckham, so they were kind to me. But if you get on their wrong side, your one-way ticket to hell is delivered. Drugs, knives, guns, and murder are just a few of the things Peckham has to offer. Almost every part of it is full of thugs, dealers, or new bloods soon to be killers. Stay away, as it's the best option for you and the people you love.
Absolutely must be Brixton!
My father stayed outside the Brixton Academy while I was at a concert, and he's lucky he's a pretty big guy (6' 4", 360 lbs), so people didn't try to rob him or beat him up. There were constantly people asking him for change or drugs, or if he wanted to "buy". Even after the concert, many people approached me and others, probably trying to rip you off. Stay out of there unless necessary.
London isn't safe anywhere! Sure, it's different in Brixton than Richmond, but I would avoid even going on Kensington High Street at night. London is dangerous only at night, with some exceptions (Brixton, Tottenham, Edmonton, Hackney, Peckham). Also, generally avoid exploring South of the River. You could enter some really bad areas like Loughborough. You were warned.
I was walking down a road and almost got stabbed, but luckily, I dodged and ran. Another time, someone came up to me with a knife, threatening to kill me if I didn't give him my watch and all the money I had. So, I gave him money and the watch, but I had a few hundred pounds in my socks just in case this happened, and it did. I also see drug dealers everywhere!
Tottenham is a rubbish, crime-infested area, full of race-baiting inbreds, townies, and village idiots, that has never recovered (socially and economically) from the 2011 England Riots. The local football club is rubbish (I agree with Antonio Conte), as is the local MP, who lives in a £2 million home in neighbouring Crouch End since 2009 for better schools for his children. The local Labour-run Haringey Council is also rubbish. This place needs drastic change. It's overrun with subhuman elements destroying civilization.
I lived in Tottenham for seven years. It was a horrible place then, and it still is now. No character, no life, no shops worth speaking of, and no sense of community. It is a monocultural area, rather than multicultural. Apparently, even in better days, Tottenham had no heart, largely because of the way it was built, all at once instead of organically. I will never forget, just before I moved out, the Council taking over the house next door when my neighbour died. A man gleefully smashed in all the beautiful coloured glass that was an original feature and my neighbour had loved.
This says it all about Tottenham, a place where the residents have no connection with it. They just live there. It's not much of a place for dog owners either. People used to shy away from my beautiful beagle as if she was a rabid wolf.
I've just passed through Hackney by bus, and the scenery was horrible. The streets were very dirty, the buildings looked as if a war had happened there, and every street corner was populated by groups of dangerous-looking people that seemed to have been put there only to start a fight. And this was during the day.
I've been to many countries with many known bad neighborhoods, but Hackney gave me this feeling of unsafety that I haven't experienced anywhere else. Everything was so grim. It looked like one of those horror movies where someone is waiting for you around the corner with a knife.
Hackney is my definition of a hole.
As far as zones 1, 2, and 3 go in London, Hackney is the most dangerous borough. Forget "gentrification". Most parts of the borough are more dangerous than ever. Muggings, stabbings, and even acid attacks are commonplace. In addition to the local crooks, add to the mix the large amount of newcomers on Fridays and Saturdays who get drunk and become as anti-social as they can get. Hackney is a hole.
I lived there for a year. The happiest day of my life was when I was able to move to the neighbouring Islington, which is 100 times safer, cleaner, more civilized, and has better public services.
As a person who has been brought up in Croydon, I know where to go and what it's really like. People get mugged every day and stabbed too often. Croydon is changing constantly, and streetwise is essential not to be robbed or stabbed. New gangs form up each year, and most of them are petty crimes, but the major ones get kids and young ages, and I've seen boys get kicked out of school and fall into the gang cycle. Too many people are getting stepped on in Croydon, and it's not down to alcohol, it's about the clashes between gangs and honest people who are trying to get on with their own lives.
I lived in Croydon all my life, so I know firsthand how ghetto and secretive it is. West Croydon was probably the worst affected area in the riots. Guess why? Because the youths here have nothing to lose. They are violent and don't care. The thugs here are not all talk. They will kill, shoot, or stab whenever they find it fit. Be careful after dark on the high street of West Croydon, London Road. Things could get serious.
I've lived in Edmonton for 11 years, and I have witnessed many crimes. Even in school, you need to be cautious and not trust anyone easily. Just when you think they are like sisters to you, they betray you. Edmonton is also stuck between Tottenham and Enfield, areas known for high poverty and unemployment. There was an incident where a boy added a significant amount of weed to a cigarette and gave it to a Muslim girl. The girl was so affected that she had to be taken to the hospital. Additionally, there are many individuals who are willing to engage in sexual activities with anyone.
I lived there for ten years before residing in Woolwich for the past ten years. I still have a lot of relatives and cousins living there, so I'm in Edmonton regularly and I still do not feel safe. It seems like the majority of killings happen right opposite the massive police station and yet no one is ever caught.
An 82-year-old woman was beheaded by a Nigerian who converted to Islam. Another Nigerian named Opemipo Jaji subjected an 11-year-old girl to a horrific sexual assault, which lasted hours in a park in Edmonton. An architecture student, Steven Grisales, was stabbed in the heart and died after telling a gang to stop throwing conkers at him.
I've lived in Stockwell for 25 years and now I'm moving to Crystal Palace! Hallelujah! I was just screamed at in Natwest by a horribly rude man for absolutely no reason. Stockwell has it all: crackheads, beggars, muggers, the mentally ill... It's a shame because there are some lovely Victorian houses, nice quiet side roads, and decent people hidden amongst the criminals in Stockwell. I advise against coming to Stockwell.
Jean Charles de Menezes was wrongly targeted as a terrorist and wrongly shot to death by undercover police officers inside Stockwell Tube Station. However, no riots or angry protests were started, unlike with Mark Duggan, who symbolises the thuggish and violent community in Tottenham.
I have witnessed five stabbings in person since I moved here a year ago. However, it is full of fit boys, so get over it.
I live in Harlesden, down the road from Stonebridge, and I've been here all my life. I'm 14. I'm not saying Harlesden is any better than how he described it. It's a place, but it also has a lot of character, and there are many people who will love you. The only reason there are a lot of shootings and stabbings is obviously due to gangs of all races, smuggling, trapping, and losing drugs, and not because it's inherently a bad place. Like any other place, it has its difficulties. However, not all of Harlesden is like this, so yeah. But is it weird that I'm proud Harlesden was on this list?
Stonebridge Estates don't exist anymore. They haven't for a few years. They were knocked down and built into houses. So that "estate" problem no longer exists.
The Stonebridge Estate ward in Harlesden has recorded the highest number of gun discharges of wards in London - December 2015. Enough said.
Kids go to school with knives and hang about in groups, teasing people. If you know people, you're safe. Otherwise, there will be one or more incidents with you. Please stay safe, but in general, the gangs in Tulse Hill are kinder than other areas. It's one of the most safe areas on the whole list.
Full of youth crime, youth violence, and young gangs. Not a good environment for a young person to experience life!
I have almost been stabbed in Tulse Hill, and I live here. My friends have been stabbed and shot. It's not a good place for teenagers to grow up.
This area is known for its violence and gang warfare between them and the rest of the Newham borough. Young adults and kids caught up in homicides, stabbings, shootings, kidnapping, and drug dealing. I've seen a number of three people get shot on a main road, the kids looked as young as 14.
There are just gang wars in Custom House, Forest Gate, Beckton, Stratford, and Plaistow due to murders and stabbings. Newham has fallen apart throughout the years. As people left schools, they just associated with individuals from their area in Newham.
It was 2014 when I was going to a convention in ExCeL. I had to go through Custom House, and gangly-looking people gave me looks. It was almost as if someone wanted me stabbed.
Stabbings alone are high enough to make you want to relocate. With high tensions between rival gangs, getting caught in the crossfire is a high possibility. There are a lot of guns, drugs, gangs, and hitmen. Poverty creates crime, and Grahame Park is just one of many products of our society. Most of these kids have great talents that get overlooked because of social bias.
I moved from Islington, escaping violence and harassment, to live a 10-minute walk from Grahame Park. The only shops in the area are on the concourse, where you will encounter drug dealing, junkies, and alcoholics. If you have children, I do not advise you move here, especially if they are vulnerable, as they will be encouraged to join the gang. Take away the gang culture, and the area is quite nice.
I lived in Grahame Park for five years and saw so many bad things. I moved 260 miles away for peace and serenity. I pity anyone that moves to this hell hole. I was burgled within months of moving there, had my house smashed up, and my lip split open by a dodgy bloke. You can't pop to the shop without being harassed by junkies begging for money. There's a bullet-proof off licence, dealers everywhere, and no police presence - it's a lawless scum pit.
I have stayed with my partner in Forest Gate for just over a year now. During this time, a 15-year-old boy was shot to death, and just last week, a young man of 18 was stabbed to death. Interestingly, prostitutes stick their names and numbers on lamp posts and operate from the Hartley Hotel, which is opposite the police station. Drugs are readily available, and dealers will deliver them to your house.
There are homeless people who will ask you for money when you go to the high street. Additionally, a mentally ill person has keyed my partner's parents' car and shouts abuse at us. The community is mostly Asian, and I receive blatant stares, which I assume is because I am a white woman.
On the positive side, the high street has convenient shops like Co-op, Tesco, and Poundland, along with lots of cashpoints. There is also a Forest Gate festival every year, which is enjoyable to attend. Wanstead Flats and Manor Park Cemetery are nice for walking your dog or similar activities. There's also Forest Gate station, Wanstead Park station, and a really good bus service, so you can get pretty much anywhere in no time. The 86 or 25 bus will take you straight to Stratford, which obviously has pretty much any shop you could ever want. You can also take the bus to Wanstead, a nice place to spend the day with independent shops and lovely restaurants.
Harlesden appears like a third-world African refugee camp, inhabited by thugs, drug dealers, uncivilized people, closet racists, and gangster wannabes, all of whom seem to be recipients of and dependent on state welfare, free healthcare, and housing. It is a dreadful place with shoddy council housing/blocks and dubious people/shops.
The Labour Council of Brent continues to deprive and decay the areas they are meant to improve.
If Harlesden were a country, it would resemble a banana republic and a failed state.
I moved there for the low price, but it was a big mistake. The commute into Central London takes ages on the Bakerloo line, which seems to stop every 100 yards. The 18 bus is unreliable. Two or three would come within a few minutes of one another, and then none for the next 10 minutes. There's a long waiting time for driver changes in both directions near Willesden Junction station.
The local high street looks like a third-world country, with rubbish lying around and the smell of urine at every street corner. There are loads of shops with signs that no one apart from their specific ethnic clientele can read. I have no problem with minorities, but at least write your sign in English so everyone knows what you are selling. The people are rude and have no idea how to live in a city, always blocking roads when they wait for buses, and mothers with millions of kids who they just let run around like mad.
I can't think of a more depressing place to live in a great city like London – at least until I travelled past Church End just to the north. Avoid it like a plague.
Never stop at the traffic lights, and if you do, don't look left. They're always posted at the traffic lights. If you look left for too long, you're screwed and you're dead. Just look ahead and act normal. From daytime to nighttime, they're always there. Just don't make the mistake of looking left at the traffic lights. Trust me.
Luckily for me, I know the people in Church Road, therefore I'm safe. However, if you don't know the youths there, don't try to screw face because you can get stabbed. It's not even the elders that have to put in work. Even the youngsters will stab just for clout or ratings.
If you are talking about the one in Manor Park, then that place isn't too bad, but there are a lot of stabbings and shootings, and I got my bike mugged three times there. Just don't go at night or with a bike or expensive items, and you'll be fine.
I've lived in Kilburn my whole life, which is one year so far. It has a tacky kind of feel, but I still love it. The high street is okay and nice, but then you have South Kilburn. Kilburn Park station isn't too bad. For the majority of times, you'll be fine. I pass here every day as a teenager, and so far, so good. The schools near there are pretty safe.
I think there's a prominent and growing problem with drugs, especially weed, in the area. Recently, the number of stabbings and shootings in the area has increased. Vandalism on council estates is also a real problem. I haven't experienced many violent people around here myself, but it is a dangerous place if you don't know Kilburn well. Steer clear of the deeper parts of South Kilburn, especially at night or in the early hours of the morning, such as 12 am or 4 am.
I lived in Kilburn and couldn't wait to move out. As a child, I was raised here, but South Kilburn is a thiefdom all of its own. Growing up, I didn't really think it was that bad, but friends from school used to think it was like Gaza. There are still good people there, but I personally know six alleged convicted murderers and three murder victims.
Also, the majority of the people I grew up with are either in the prison system or in the process of doing something stupid to go back in. I now live in Brixton and would never move back, as even my six-year-old son said the area made him scared. Go figure, but SK looks after its own.
Lambeth is infested with crime, gang, gun, and drug culture, and degenerate broken single-parent households (no fathers, but 5-10 kids) in the Borough. The same applies to other London Boroughs like Brent, Hackney, Peckham, Lewisham, Newham, Haringey, and Tower Hamlets.
All these are run by the Labour (Socialist) Party, who give those thugs welfare money and council housing in exchange for votes.
Labour's Lambeth = Democrat's Detroit (both are failed areas).
There's more hope of restoring Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Iraq than failed London Boroughs like Lambeth, Ealing, Newham, Hackney, Peckham, Brent, Haringey, Enfield, or Lewisham.
I've lived and worked all over London, including Lambeth, and am currently reflecting and writing about it. London, including Lambeth, tends to mix rich, poor, council housing, etc. It's not like Chelsea, but it does have beautiful areas. There are risks of all sorts everywhere, it seems. However, I felt very unsafe after a night in Stoke Newington/Hackney. I'm happy just to stay at home and look forward to the new picture house that's been promised for a year or so. Brilliant.
If musical composer Mozart were alive today, he would request his name to be removed from this hellhole place.
21, are you joking? What is this doing below Canning Town? This place is a literal hell and an insult to Mozart himself. My dad even says Mozart is bad.
I was brought up in Mozart and now live in Canning Town. How Mozart is 48 behind Canning Town is ridiculous! Mozart is 10 times worse than any East London town.
For the last 15 years, East Ham has turned into a third-world Islamic ghetto, thanks to the Labour Party-run Newham Council. Newham Council has abused, neglected, and financially exploited the area for their own personal gain. Meanwhile, its citizens have had to endure the prospect of foreign neighborhoods, increased poverty, higher unemployment, more crime, more welfare dependency, a rise in broken families, gang culture, and the disappearance of the English Cockney.
East Ham High Street was once a pleasure to go shopping. Now, thanks to Newham Council's neglect, it's become reminiscent of a Whitechapel back street back in Jack the Ripper's time, only without the character. Avoid at all costs, especially after dark.
East Ham is indisputably the most disgusting place in London. I went there as a kid in the 80s and felt like I was seeing an integral part of our history. Now, it is a no-go zone for white people and is controlled by Sharia law.
Tower Hamlets is an Islamist paradise. I was so unfortunate to go there almost every day to attend classes at QMUL. Whitechapel is the absolute worst area in London. It's very unsafe for everyone, with visible Islamist radicals, gang members walking around in daylight, and roads blocked due to stabbings. It's extremely unsafe for women. Keep pepper spray in your pocket, as Islamists are chasing women, trying to steal their bags, and attempting to rob and assault. Stay away from this place if you can!
I used to live in Tower Hamlets when I was studying in London, and I've never felt so threatened in my day-to-day life (I'm female, very small, and frail). I got antagonizing glares while outside my halls from women in niqabs. Men reached up my skirt. In the evenings, I would have multiple people from the mosque harass me on the street, trying to convince me to join Islam. Apart from the very extremist Muslim population, the area also has a rampant drug problem. Most of the addicts don't approach you, but I've seen a few steal from the local Tesco. Some will come up to you and ask for money or to use your phone, but they usually back off if you say no.
It may have improved since I left (although I doubt it), but overall, the whole experience left me with a negative view of London. After that, I vowed never to live in London again.
Absolute hole. Tesco car park had about five abandoned cars, a homeless man and his poor dog living there, and shady characters hanging around. And the rest is miserable too.
There are always armed police everywhere. Shootings and stabbings are common here, making it one of the most dangerous areas in the most dangerous borough.
There's a lot of crime here. Notorious for muggings during the day. Groups of young thugs roam around. It's best to avoid this area.
I was brought up here. My parents taught me that everyone who lived here was dirty and dangerous. She was right. I'm glad when I was ten, I moved to Essex.
I remember one birthday when I got a new bike, so I took it around the place for a test drive. Lewisham has tons of side alleys where there are no cameras. I literally saw this guy in broad daylight handing a pouch of cocaine to some other dude. It was shady, and I made sure not to stare.
This other time, I got a new deck for my skateboard and went down to Ladywell Park to try it out. On the way back, I saw these three guys wearing gloves and black bandanas around their faces. Were they Peckham boys? This happened around the same big tower as before. Just today, some kid got arrested for some reason. He was walking down the road, the feds sped up and almost crashed into our wall, took the kid, and then drove away.
Although, for the most part, I like living here compared to almost anywhere in London. Also, if you're in Catford, be sure to say hi to everyone's favourite crackhead, Fritz!
About thirty years ago, I was taking out some money in a bank in Lewisham when a young girl started screaming abuse at me because I would be carrying money around "without protection". I presumed she was an avid churchgoer who was concerned about my safety, so I replied "Praise the Lord" and grinned at her. The police were called.
Might link my ting from Barking... that song?
Seriously, don't come here. I've lived here my whole life and dream of a better one. I live in a nice 3-bed, privately owned home. But when I leave my comfy sofa and my anime series...
The outside is a ghetto reality. I never go out, horrified of gangs everywhere and the scariness of it all. Don't come here.
I've lived in Barking for over 30 years. It has gotten so bad over the years. It is mostly Muslims, Albanians, and black gangs stabbing and robbing. There will be no-go areas here soon. The police take four hours to respond to anything. Avoid Barking at all costs.
Barking isn't that bad, considering I don't live far from there. But if something like the 2011 riots happens again, I'd highly advise you to stay away from Barking at night. Other than that, Barking is very nice.
I don't know why, but in recent years, Dagenham has been taking a turn for the worse. I'm writing this in May 2016, and just two weeks ago, someone was stabbed at Heathway. Last week, there was a machete stabbing in Chadwell Heath by some youths, and another stabbing occurred near Oxlow Lane. About a day before, a man tried to stab a police officer with a machete while high on cocaine. It's also the burglary hotspot of London, with a string of armed robberies taking place in March alone. Dagenham is definitely on par with Barking when it comes to crime, and with the way things are looking, it may even surpass it. It's not as bad as some other areas, but definitely not safe.
The only good thing about Dagenham is Stacey Solomon. Other than that, the area is ruined by the useless, self-serving Local Labour Council. It has mediocre dodgy shops, ugly pigeon-dropping infrastructure, dodgy-looking Council Estates, overpopulation, high unemployment, broken uneducated families, and third-rate public services.
Enfield is actually a nice borough in London (if you don't live in Edmonton). Edmonton is a crap area in Enfield run by Socialist Labour councillors, who have neglected the area for many years and have caused it to be overpopulated with people and council blocks.
Edmonton is infested with crime, gang culture, degenerate children born out of wedlock from crack-addicted mothers dependent on welfare, corruption, bureaucracy, unemployment, and poor public services. There are better communities in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Libya than in soulless Edmonton.
If you have kids, don't send them to a public school in Enfield. Drugs are taken so lightly now. It seems normal to smoke some weed before school, which isn't even considered bad. This really depends on the school, but if I were you, I'd make sure your kids are smart so they can go to a selective school. That's really your only chance, trust me.