Anytime Barking and Dagenham is mentioned on socials, you can expect the same tropes to be trotted out. “A sh*thole.” “The best thing about Barking? Getting the hell out of there.” It has got great transport links, to be fair. We guarantee someone will pop up in the comments with some Barking slander when we post this article.
For a snapshot of the area’s chaotic side, look no further than one of our favourite social creators Stephan Sarpong’s unfiltered runaround in Barking. It was a typically manic snapshot of life in the ends, where an absolute local G knowingly said: “We always talk about gentrification. It’s not gentrified. It’s a loveable trench, still.”
In August 2026, The National Conversation ranked Barking and Dagenham 296th out of 296 local authorities in England for how connected people feel to where they live. The initiative drew on government survey data, and the result sparked a flurry of ragebait posts calling it the unfriendliest borough in England. But, for locals and people working on the ground, there’s a different story to be told.
First, the facts: Barking and Dagenham is more deprived than 97% of English local authorities. The area immediately around the station, specifically the stretch towards the market, can sometimes feel like you’re running a gauntlet, where the possibility it might kick off is never far away. You’ll get the full fire-and-brimstone treatment from church-y street preachers as a backdrop, or you’ll hear Ramz’s anthem ‘Barking’ blasting out of a boombox, depending on the time of day.
Dig deeper and you’ll find an area full of people from around the world trying to make better lives for their families. Barking and Dagenham is a young borough, with nearly a third of residents under 18. It’s a ‘hood where you’ll know your neighbours, postie, optician, fellow dog owners and the local food spot owners on first-name terms. In the face of adversity, a lot of good people are bound together, along with an army of organisations and volunteers creating change. The Big Heart Food Hub recently launched to move up to 10 tonnes of food a week to more than 20 local food banks and community groups.
Like the best parts of cities worldwide, the contribution of migrant communities is writ large. West Africa’s influence, specifically Nigeria and Ghana, can be found everywhere from the well-attended churches to the sweet smell of suya smoke wafting around the streets. Suya Hut‘s flame-covered double decker bus is a local landmark and a massive success story, and they’ve since opened a restaurant nearby.
A few minutes’ walk towards the Abbey Ruins, a historic site dating back to 666 AD, you’ll find the female-owned Cristina’s with its signature pink cow outside. The owner is from Romania, and they dish up great halal steaks and burgers at very reasonable prices.
Across the road, there’s a Tanzanian spot called Karabuni Zanzibar, which does simple but delicious meat off the grill, aka mishkaki. You can get biryani and baklava almost everywhere for half the price it would cost in other parts of London.
Seconds away, and sadly lying dormant at the moment, is The Broadway, where Alfred Hitchcock collaborator Bernard Herrmann conducted and recorded some of his iconic scores, including his 1975 Psycho suite. In good news for local culture seekers, Artsdepot have been appointed to breathe new life into the space once essential repairs are complete, with shows returning from 2027. Further down the road, the Galleon Arts Centre provides vital space for new and emerging talent.
Down by the River Roding, you can find artist studios and the newly relaunched Ice House Bar, which has live music, DJs including AVLT, and regular games nights on Wednesdays (chess) and Fridays, plus a pretty view of the river from its sun-trap terrace.
Catch the Overground from the town centre to the Barking Riverside development and you’ll discover a new town on the Thames. It’s a remote spot with permission for up to 20,000 homes, and it would make a great location for secret meetings in ‘Luther’ or ‘Slow Horses’. It recently hosted the annual Emerge East festival, with designer Wayne Hemingway and DJ AG involved.
Talking of film locations, Eastbrook Studios in Dagenham is a serious statement of intent for the borough. It opened in 2025 and is London’s largest film and TV production campus, offering 12 sound stages ranging from 16,000 to 32,000 sq ft, as well as world-class facilities and training for young people.
Among those leading the way for the next generation is Princess Bright, who became the youngest ever Mayor of Barking and Dagenham at the age of 29 and recently completed her term in office. During her stint, she mentored young people and supported Ab Phab Youth Club, which works with young disabled people in the borough.
For aspiring musicians, Manny Lovekah from Tru Cadence has been grafting for years to bring through rappers, singers and musicians from the area, winning awards along the way for his work.
“I see people looking out for each other, grassroots organisations collaborating and young people who care deeply about where they’re from. There’s much more happening locally than people sometimes realise. Through True Cadence, we use music and creativity to give young people practical routes into confidence, skills, networks and opportunities.
Then you’ve got organisations like Future Youth Zone, Barking & Dagenham Giving, Barking Enterprise Centre, Independent Living Agency and One Room Live, alongside a much wider network of youth, voluntary and community organisations doing good work every day. A lot of it happens quietly, so I think that story deserves to sit alongside the statistics about the borough.”
That wide network includes creator and entrepeneur KSI, who is now a part-owner of Dagenham and Redbridge FC and helped open the borough’s new Rising Generation youth centre this year. The centre builds on 25 years of the Youth Forum’s work in the borough.
Responding to our post, Barking and Dagenham Council said: “We know Barking and Dagenham can be a little gritty around the edges. But that’s only part of the story. There’s a lot to be proud of in B&D.”
So the next time a ragebait post comes up on your feed telling you Barking is the pits, remember: we’re not barking mad to live here.
