Traveling in April with a friend who is researching her family's roots in London.....they lived and went to school in the Tower Hamlets area, and we are hearing a variety of opinions of the safety of that area, during the day, to explore the area near the Tower Hamlets Cemetery, between Mile End station and Bromley by Bow station .... there have been some comments that it is not a good area to stroll unless one is familiar with the neighborhoods....we want to take a day to explore, and wondered if public transportation works well, busses, the tube, etc.
Thanks for your help....
Posted by
London, England.
661 posts
Wouldn’t be a part of London I’d be keen to spend much time in. I have walked through it, and of course I was fine. I’d say... go during the day, be out well before dark and stick to the main roads and you’ll be absolutly fine. Take as little with you as possible and just be ‘sensible’. London is generally incredibly safe in the main areas. Basically anywhere in Zone 1 is fine, but as you move away from the centre, you can hit pockets in certain areas that you might wish to avoid. Buses and the Tube are as good as you could hope for.
Posted by
OP
23 posts
Mike J - thank you so much.....my friend is researching schools, home addresses, cemetaries, etc. where her great grandparents lived or attended, or are buried.....maybe the more specifics she has, we could hire a local to drive us (maybe find someone from our little hotel in London) rather than us trying, with a map, to locate out of the way places....again, your input is greatly appreciated
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
we could hire a local to drive us (maybe find someone from our little hotel in London) rather than us trying, with a map, to locate out of the way places
Actually that isn't the way I'd do it. Locals driving you around don't really exist. Driving and especially parking in this area is the same as the rest of central London - don't do it.
The way to get round is train (tube, DLR, overground) and bus, full of everyday locals who will ignore you (another damn tourist).
The other problem you will have is the area has been extensively re-built.
First, large areas were destroyed in the Blitz (1940-44), and re-built in the 50's and 60's with communal housing. When they did that, the old street pattern was in many cases ignored; there was no street pastern, just rubble. This was done at minimum cost, hundreds of thousands to re-house and no money for anything but the minimum necessities.
The second re-building was after the docks closed in the 1980's and 1990's. The housing surrounded the docks, the docks were closed and re-built with huge new buildings (Canary Wharf etc.), expensive housing and new roads, just next to the old housing which was outside the docks.
There are old street maps on the internet, I have found them in the past. You need to look up any addresses on them, and compare with a modern street map. Do this before you leave home.
Posted by
OP
23 posts
Chris F - this is invaluable information and I thank you!