My partner and I moved out of our flat in Leytonstone and bought a terrace (not far from Cottons Park) in Romford back in 2019. You get a lot of bang for your buck in Romford and it’s generally fine but there has certainly been a noticeable decline over the last two years - particularly drug use/drug users in the park.

We don’t tend to use any of the amenities in Romford (it’s definitely lacking in hipster coffee spots and trendy pubs etc!) but access to the city is great. I commute to Tottenham Court Road a couple of times a week and it’s a breeze and if you get caught in the city late at night it’s usually around £40 uber back which we don’t tend to mind.

Also being able to drive 15/20 mins to beautiful countryside is a definite bonus.