Five things in Leytonstone which Wanstead could covet

Coveting is not good for your soul. But Juan Stead, a regular commenter on Wansteadium posts, wrote on Monday wrote that for local treasures, people could venture from Wanstead into Leytonstone, where they will find shops which are “huge assets” which “suit the different vibe on the other side of the Green Man”. Juan doubted if they would fit into Wanstead’s more conventional High Street, but taking a look at these might make some Wanstead loyalists yearn a bit.

So here is the rundown from Juan’s list…

1. Bookshop/cafe All You Read is Love
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/All+You+Read+is+Love/@51.5703159,0.0141216,3a,75y/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1s-eleTjoNI5_k%2FVMFI9BFIWBI%2FAAAAAAAAAE4%2FCmt4DaIFudA!2e4!3e12!6s%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2F-eleTjoNI5_k%2FVMFI9BFIWBI%2FAAAAAAAAAE4%2FCmt4DaIFudA%2Fs203-k-no%2F!7i2048!8i1939!4m2!3m1!1s0x47d8a76f07ca996d:0x454c84de5d70ee21!6m1!1e1

2. Arty printers Hooksmith

A photo posted by Hooksmith (@hooksmith) on

3. The Wild Goose Bakery

Image: Google Streetview
Image: Google Streetview

4. Panda

5. Marmelo

Wansteadium reader Andrew Shields writes:

Hurrah, great post. It was actually my list, on one of the Ginger Pig threads, which Juan Stead supported. But I’m not looking for credit 😉

The Wild Goose I believe now closes on Tuesdays since it started opening on Sundays.

Writing as someone who has lived in the Bushwood area of Leytonstone for 25 years but who uses Wanstead as much as Leytonstone socially and for shopping, I’m pleased at any effort to see W and L united by a postcode rather than divided by the Green Man roundabout.

There’s a lot happening in L, not least the change in demographic which is seeing far more young couples/families staying rather than seeing L as merely a stop on the way to somewhere else. The hipster phenomenon may be derided in some parts of London, but seeing the Red Lion full of beards with a bit of disposable income is far preferable to the clientele this spectacular pub attracted in its previous incarnations. Indeed, Antic’s investment in the Red Lion can be seen as one of the key triggers for the ‘new L’.

Yes, there are still some less salubrious parts of L, but even further down the High Road towards Stratford you’ll find independents trying to find a niche and talking up the area as ready for more investment.

So do venture across the roundabout and have an explore: the 5 places I mentioned are great, but there are plenty of others too!

 

 

20 thoughts on “Five things in Leytonstone which Wanstead could covet”

  2. Hurrah, great post. It was actually my list, on one of the Ginger Pig threads, which Juan Stead supported. But I’m not looking for credit 😉

    Wansteadpaddy: The Wild Goose I believe now closes on Tuesdays since it started opening on Sundays.

    Writing as someone who has lived in the Bushwood area of Leytonstone for 25 years but who uses Wanstead as much as Leytonstone socially and for shopping, I’m pleased at any effort to see W and L united by a postcode rather than divided by the Green Man roundabout.

    There’s a lot happening in L, not least the change in demographic which is seeing far more young couples/families staying rather than seeing L as merely a stop on the way to somewhere else. The hipster phenomenon may be derided in some parts of London, but seeing the Red Lion full of beards with a bit of disposable income is far preferable to the clientele this spectacular pub attracted in its previous incarnations. Indeed, Antic’s investment in the Red Lion can be seen as one of the key triggers for the ‘new L’.

    Yes, there are still some less salubrious parts of L, but even further down the High Road towards Stratford you’ll find independents trying to find a niche and talking up the area as ready for more investment.

    So do venture across the roundabout and have an explore: the 5 places I mentioned are great, but there are plenty of others too!

  5. A lovely post all round but please get your facts straight!

    If you look at what I wrote – I didn’t doubt for a second but wholeheartedly SUPPORTED these five being on Wanstead High Street in place of the tedious corporate Starbucks, Costa et al.

    Keep up the good work!

    1. I agree these types of businesses would have been welcome and do in fact “fit the vibe” in Wanstead also. Personally I live in Wanstead and fully use Leytonstone as much as Wanstead businesses and so does everyone I know. Not sure why the person in the article has to be patronising and divisive about “different vibes”. Nonsense.

      1. Hmm, GB. I definitely don’t want to cause an argument, but as a long-time Leytonstone dweller I’ve heard divisive comments from Wansteadites about my half of E11 on many occasions (including, once or twice, on this site).

        Fact is, the two areas ARE different, which is what I meant by ‘different vibes’. Wanstead is where suburbia starts and is generally more leafy, prosperous and settled; Leytonstone is where urban London ends and has struggled economically for many years with transience being a particular problem.

        Leytonstone is now seeing the same kind of improvements that happened in Hackney/Clapton/Stratford etc around five years ago/post-London 2012, while that more grass-roots ripple effect is unlikely to affect Wanstead significantly.

        Anyway, it’s great that we are sharing great places to shop/eat/drink etc across the whole of E11. Let’s celebrate the pros of both neighbourhoods and work together to eliminate the cons.

  7. Wanted to mention Laura Lee Design which is just outside Leytonstone Station. Quirky and beautiful interiors / accessories / cards.

    Leytonstone is experiencing quite a renaissance, which is great as it’s on our doorstep. I suspect the reason why some of the shops mentioned are in Leytonstone not Wanstead is the rent differential.

  11. And if we rope in South Woodford to the north, I think we can be very pleased with the ‘Greater Wanstead’ area ;o) I now probably spend equal amounts of time in all three places, shopping, eating, and drinking.

    The other day we went for dinner at the Dove and Olive Branch, at the top of South Woodford, which was very good value. I hadn’t been aware of it before. And on the way there, we discovered http://www.funkymojoe.co.uk had turned into the rather smart looking http://www.thewoodford.co.uk. My goodness.

  12. Went shopping in Leytonstone this morning and agree there are some enviable establishments there; and it’s just a bit of a nicer scene.

    I note one of wider Wanstead’s well known ( and hip’ish) independent traders is a regular at Costa btw.

  13. All You Read Is Love is a fantastic cafe as is the Wild Goose. I think Leytonstone is really starting to happen – I wish Wanstead was. The Ginger Pig can’t save the onslaught of tacky shop fronts that are appearing.

  14. This Wanstead resident near never goes out in Wanstead as there is so much better in Manor Park.

    5 from Manor Park:

    1) The Istanbul restaurant – my current favourite of all the Turkish places I know.

    2) Noori food shop. The south Asian place to go to buy supplies of Asian food you know but also some where you may have no idea what something is. Large selection in this cash ‘n’ carry type place.

    3) Khyber Pass restaurant. The first restaurant I noticed selling distinctive Pathan (Pashtun) food that originates from Peshawar, etc.

    4) Still getting going, but the former Manor Park library has been turned into both artist studios and the Rabbit Road Institute. The latter offers a growing range of courses.

    5) Woodgrange Park cemetery. Much of it is in a poor state of repair but that can enhance the place. Within is a minimalist Muslim burial ground, the graves of various members of the armed forces (with memorial) and that of Frederick Charrington – the ‘Great Temperance Advocate’ born into the brewers of that name.

    So why pay Ginger Pig type prices when you could pay a third of that in a Manor Park butchers, in much more interesting surroundings with a complete lack of pretension?

    It’s a shame that Leytonstone and Forest Gate are starting the slide towards being Wanstead-like but Manor Park will hold out a bit longer, I expect.

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