What is Westgate on Sea Kent - like to live in

[patri]

We are returning to live in England after living in Spain for several years, problem being....we would like to return to the South East where we lived before and are thinking of Westgate, but have heard some conflicting reports of the area.Does anyone have any views of what it is like in general, I know these days everywhere has good areas and bad, but could do with some views. We very much like the Suffolk area, and have friends there, but family and grandchildren are in the South East, so Kent would be closer to them, which would be lovely, but not at the cost of finding ourselves in a 'not so nice an area' so to speak. Anyone knowing the area, your views would be really appreciated.

[Buenchico]

Westgate is effectively a suburb of (but rather nicer than) Margate. That means that Margate is the main shopping centre for the area. (There are, of course, some local shops in Westgate). However Margate has more vacant shops than any other town in the UK. (That statement was certainly true last year, when the BBC reported on deserted town centres. I doubt that much has changed since then). So it's certainly not an area for shopaholics - walking around Margate town centre can be a very depressing experience!

House prices are here:
http://www.findaprope...alerent=0&areaid=6272

Suffolk is generally much nicer (but I'm biased, 'cos that's where I live!).

Chris

[Andyvon]

My wife and I went to Margate for a day at the end of last June when we were staying in Dover. We were so shocked as the town and seafront were almost deserted and effectively dead. There were one or two chippies open but everything else seemed to be boarded up - shops, souvenir places, pubs etc. The pleasure park Dreamland was shut too and we weren't sure if it was shut permanently. That was in late June! Margate was as depressing as Chris says.

However, whereabouts would be considered thriving today? My home town in Buckinghamshire was very wealthy and respectable a few years ago. It was a typical English market town which couldn't have been more 'Home Counties'. Now it's a complete dump. The market has gone, the English has gone and it's dirty and scruffy. So many shops are empty and it seems that all that's left are ladies hairdressers, fast food joints, charity shops and Poundland. Even the estate agents are boarded up!

Are you sure you want to come back Patri?

[SeaJayPea]

Good old Tescos.

[patri]

Thank you both for your views, Mmm what to do now, The property market over here is very slow at the moment so have time to re-think.I do wonder at times about coming back to England, but I keep telling myself there must a quiet corner somewhere.I'm not surprised about Margate, I wonder if its spilled over to Westgate. .........

[samuel23]

The area known as Thanet (which includes Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs, Westgate and Birchington) varies greatly. It has suffered a slow and ungraceful decline in recent years, in part due to the decline of the British seaside holiday, for a variety of reasons. The main attraction used to be the sands and Dreamland pleasure park. However, the park suffered extensive damage in a fire and was never rebuilt and the sands are not that large, so get very crowded. Thanet was such a depressed are that it was given a grant from the European Development Fund. Thanet council has tried with mixed sucess to improve the area, allowing developments of Westwood Cross shopping centre (half way between Margate and Ramsgate) and promoting the new Turner Contemporary Art gallery. Broadstairs has a fine tradition of festivals and hosts a folk week each year showcasing some of the best talent around (and they're not all long haired hippies or tambourine waving wierdoes with their finger in their ear singing sea shanties lol) Not far away is Quex park, which has events all summer, and the Margate Winter Gardens still has a wide variety of shows. I suppose one of the main faults is the area is out on a limb, and the road links aren't great.
If you are looking to relocate to East Kent, why not take a look at Whitstable?

[boxtops]

Whitstable and Tankerton are lovely, quite pricey as they are popular, but the town is good with lots to see and do. Do you have to be on the coast? I live in Kent, and there are some lovely villages. Sandwich and Deal are very popular too (but again house prices are higher due to popularity). I live in Dover where house prices are cheap, but there isn't much to do. It really depends on your budget, too!

[patri]

Again thanks... I have looked at Whitstable but yes property prices seem high. Living on the coast is not a priority, I will take a look at Sandwich and Deal I don't know these, or Tankerton, only by name have never been there, before we left for Spain we lived in Battle nr. Hastings although I never liked Hastings and if possible never went in there, I liked the feeling of country side and space.

[Jan1957]

It's not so bad in Hastings patri and at least the property is cheap.

[Bobbisox]

Boxy, my sister lived in Whitstble, she's a lot older than I am and I have fond memories of Tankerton when I was a teen, my B.I.L owned an electrical shop as well as a frozen food shop in Whitstable

[jomifl]

Do you want to go back to England or somewhere that isn't Spain. We moved to France a couple of years ago and couldn't imagine living in the UK any more. After only a few months away the UK seemed like a foreign country.

[patri]

We need to return to England for family reasons, Will miss so much about Spain, but there is a time when family come first, and unfortunatley we have come to that time.

[Maydup]

Its fair to say that most of the coastal towns in southern England are either a bit run down or a but pricey. Its hard to find a middle ground.

I'd try inland a bit and drive to the seaside if you like going there. Look at the villages between Canterbury and Folkestone or Canterbury and Sandwich. If you'd like to be nearer a town go for central Kent or East Sussex rather than Thanet.

[patri]

Thanks, will explore the Canterbury - Sandwich areas. Hopefully coming over after Christmas to have a look around. Although no rush at the moment because the property market is worse here than in England. Have reduced our property by 75000 since it was first on the market, and still nothing but have to keep positive.