Dagenham used to be a rural Essex village, but was swallowed up by the capital, and now relatively few traves of its ancient history remain - a 12th century church and a listed 18th century pub are hints of its past. The vast green and open spaces also allow residents to feel like Dagenham is still a rural village. More recently, the area has been an industrial centre, with housing for working-class residents built in the Sixties and Seventies. Despite being on the fringes of London, however, the area has excellent transport links, including several stations with access to the District Line and c2c rail services.
Dagenham has a strong sense of community spirit, which was on display after the borough of Barking and Dagenham was rated the worst place to live in the UK in 2015. The council put out a video called #boroughhappy in response, and highlighted community events celebrating the 50th anniversary of becoming a London borough.
The 2014/2015 crime rate in this area was about the same as the overall London crime rate, whilst the violenve against the person rate was a bit higher than the London rate. The rate of deliberate fires was an outlier at almost three times the London rate. Dagenham was named the UK's burglary hotspot by MoneySuperMarket in 2015.
Parking in this area is about average for London. The rate of car ownership is the same as the London rate - a little over two cars for every three households. Road links, including the A13 and the A12, are good - but often congested.
There is a range of pubs and restaurants in this area. Transport links to other areas with more nightlife are very good, with the District Line running through the East End to Central London.
Dagenham's property market consists mainly of semi-detached houses, many of them from the Sixties, that are very affordable compared to median London prices. Though Dagenham is part of Greater London, in many ways it feels more like it's a part of Essex than the capital - the vast amounts of green space in the area are part of why that is. The Leys, Beam Valley Country Park, the Chase Nature Reserve, Eastbrookend Country Park, and Central Park surround Dagenham to the East, whilst the Thames borders the neighbourhood's South. There is a very high percentage of children living in this area, with over 25% of residents being a child aged 0-15.
Property in Dagenham consists mainly of Sixties semi-detached houses, which are suitable for pets. Though Dagenham is part of Greater London, in many ways it feels more like it's a part of Essex than the capital - the vast amounts of green space in the area are part of why that is. The Leys, Beam Valley Country Park, the Chase Nature Reserve, Eastbrookend Country Park, and Central Park surround Dagenham to the East, whilst the Thames borders the neighbourhood's South.
Dagenham is in Zone 5 and is served by the District Line at Becontree, Dagenham Heathway, and Dagenham East stations. There are also c2c rail services from Dagenham Dock, and nearby Barking offers an Overground connection in addition to c2c. The area is well-served by buses. Road links, including the A13 and the A12, are good - but often congested.