Overview of Wood Street

E17, Walthamstow in particular, has a great atmosphere and sense of community. There is often something going on, be that around the Mall or in Walthamstow Village, which brings many people together. The pandemic has resulted in these stopping due to safety concerns which is a shame, but hopefully by summer these will be back in full swing. There are often a variety of events taking place including bonfire night fireworks and events in Lloyd's Park, so there is something out there for children, teens, and young adults too. There has been a lot of regeneration in recent years so the area has improved tremendously in terms of looks, with there being a number of new and attractive buildings. The changes have also helped to keep the area safe for all. E17 is definitely suitable for children and pets with there being a number of green spaces for recreational activity. These same spaces are also great for adults for exercise or just as a breath of fresh air. Overall, I really like how active the area is and how often there is something going on. It is very lively and there is always something for everyone. What I love in particular though is how multicultural it is, with residents being from all over the globe. The diversity means that there are a number of different cuisines and local shops around, bringing products from different countries all the way here for anyone to access, and promotes tolerance, acceptance, and cultural appreciation.

Transport

There are plenty of transport links around E17. There are many buses which run all throughout the day, meaning that several places in the postcode can be reached quickly and efficiently. The buses have a large range of destinations, such as bus 56 which can take you all the way to St. Paul's, 69 that goes to Canning Town via Stratford, and 55 which terminates at Oxford Street. Most of the time the public transport is clean, especially the tube where I often see workers picking up any rubbish from the carriages. The tube and overground are both also very reliable, with trains that are mostly on time and fairly frequent. In recent years, there have been many more cycle paths added across E17, and whilst I do not cycle myself, I've found that there are more cyclists using these instead of the main roads, which is obviously much safer for them. There does tend to be quite some traffic during rush hour however, particularly around Walthamstow station and Hoe Street, as cars and buses all try to get past the junction by the tube station. This can lead to delays, and on occasion some buses may not even arrive at all. The W12 is a notable offender here - it runs every half an hour and there have been numerous times over the years where a bus just simply wouldn't show up, leaving you to take another route or wait for the next one. There is also a lack of night buses from the station to areas such as Whipps Cross. I have worked late evening shifts ending at midnight, and getting home sometimes wasn't very convenient with having to rush to get the last bus stopping close to my home.

Community

There seems to be quite good parking availability which is useful if someone is visiting or if I'm being picked up, though on occasion, these spaces can be filled up quickly. As I do not own a car though, I am not the best to comment on this issue. Bin collections are regular, ours are every Friday often in the morning around 7. The bin men often make sure to place our bins back where they previously were, which is helpful. As this is more of a main road, there doesn't seem to be much anti-social behaviour. It can be quite loud on weekdays when students are returning from school as there are a number of primary and secondary schools nearby, so it tends to be busy around 3pm, but I find that the kids are usually well behaved and don't mess around too much for their own safety. As for who lives here - I believe mostly owners or renters, but also plenty of families. The area is fairly quiet, and with the number of schools around, it isn't a surprise that there are many families with children living here, so often when out and about I see quite a few parents with children.

Amenities

I love close to Walthamstow village, which has a nice variety of shops and places to dine despite the small number. I find that overall, in my area there are more than enough places to visit, all of which have been of a great standard. Ranging from off license shops, to pubs, and take away restaurants, the general feel of things is very pleasant. With the lockdown restrictions, these places have also taken appropriate action to put measures in place to keep areas safe whilst allowing residents to continue visiting. There is a large number of open areas around, be that playgrounds or the forest by Whipps Cross, and green spaces such as Lloyd's Park. These tend to be well kept and clean as well as very accessible for walks, exercise, or to spend time with others (safely and in line with COVID-19 guidance, of course). To be quite honest I don't believe there is much missing from E17. Plenty of amenities are easily accessible via public transport, and often don't take too long to reach. The large number of different facilities around mean that there is something for everyone out there. The only thing coming to mind that is missing is perhaps a dog park or a dedicated place for dog walking to residents don't have to travel too far to access green areas with their pets, especially in the colder, wetter weather.