moving to south london: where to go/where to avoid

[Roadkill]

It's perhaps a bit far east, but I'm finding Charlton okay. It's reasonably cheap, it feels pretty quiet and it's well supplied with parks and green space. On the downside, it's fairly dull and the shops aren't up to much.

It's a fair bit better than the next place along though. My mate doesn't talk about 'Woolwich Arsehole' for nothing IME...

 

[George & Bill]

not actually in london though... i mean, they are the other side of croydon. That has to be zone 6...

so? what are you saying?

 

[Streathamite]

<taps nose and whispers> Downham!!...its the new Penge

god fucking help us!
hektik - I'd say avoid peckham, unless it's the rye.
norbury is OK - dull, not much there, but close to Streatham, and good bus connections.
i'd also say have a good look at Tooting. It's fab, and on the up.

 

[moon]

It's fab, and on the up.

I hate it when people say that.....havent you heard of 'Council estate chic'???

Your so out of touch

 

[Maggot]

It's perhaps a bit far east, but I'm finding Charlton okay. It's reasonably cheap, it feels pretty quiet and it's well supplied with parks and green space. On the downside, it's fairly dull and the shops aren't up to much.

Have you been to the shops in Old Dover St? Technically Blackheath, but close to you.

 

[Roadkill]

Have you been to the shops in Old Dover St? Technically Blackheath, but close to you.

Not yet, and I do mean to try Blackheath Farmers' Market as well. So far I've been doing most of my fresh food shopping on Woolwich Market, which is surprisingly good.

 

[Streathamite]

I hate it when people say that.....havent you heard of 'Council estate chic'???

Your so out of touch

I bow to your superior knowledge of what is down' and 'rad' in the world of owner-occupying!

 

[trashpony]

i'd also say have a good look at Tooting. It's fab, and on the up.

You sound like an estate agent

Personally I hate Tooting - full of braying Balham-ite wannabes.*

*this point of view may be slightly clouded by the fact that my alcoholic ex who seemed to spend more time in court than in the pub lives there

 

[Streathamite]

You sound like an estate agent

Personally I hate Tooting - full of braying Balham-ite wannabes.*

*this point of view may be slightly clouded by the fact that my alcoholic ex who seemed to spend more time in court than in the pub lives there

think of the restaurants and the foodshops dammit!

 

[trashpony]

think of the restaurants and the foodshops dammit!

Actually there is a Waitrose. I only live places where Waitrose is nearby

I can only think of dragging the ex back from the pub, stumbling past posh people curling their lips in disgust.

 

[Streathamite]

posh in tooting? can't say i recall meeting many, tho' there's the odd aspirational yuppie-let down that way

 

[hektik]

posh in tooting?

if i move there, then at least there will be one

thanks very much for the information guys, please keep it coming and add anything that you think we might find useful...we are gonna be spending most of the summer and autumn looking to see what areas we like and don't like, so this has been useful in narrowing down the possibilities..

 

[Chz]

streatham is ok providing you avoid being near the main roads and stay on the tooting side ie away from brixton. the areas inbetween streatham and tooting are quite nice.

I'd have to agree there. Streatham offers good value for being fairly close in and having good transport links without being obviously dangerous. If I were buying, I'd probably look there first. But I'm renting, so I stick on the Balham side of the Common.

 

[Streathamite]

I'd also agree with that - but then, seeing as that's where I live, I would, wouldn't I?
(agreeing with the streatham bit next to tooting being fab, that is)

 

[wonko the sane]

brockley/ Hilly Fields is good - a few wankers, but zero shops/resturabts/good bars

Uhh not zero.

There are lots of usefull shops in brockley. Cafes, 3 nice bars etc.

Dunno where u have been looking?!

 

[maximilian ping]

don't live in south london - it's crap

live in north london - it's good

 

[beeboo]

Anyone mentioned Sydenham yet?

<checks thread>

No?

Sydenham is perfect, apart from having no decent pubs whatsoever, and a really ugly high street. But I love it.

-Cheap

-Quiet

-Green

-Good transport (12 mins to London Bridge, turn-up-and-go trains)

-Close to Crystal Palace and Forest Hill for decent pubs and restaurants.

-Great local shops for food and other basics

-Good bookshop

 

[hektik]

don't live in south london - it's crap

live in north london - it's good

we would live in north london, if it was cheaper and leafier. the only places that we can afford to buy are smaller or the same size as the flat we are renting, but the mortgage would be more expensive. doesn't seem much point in doing that, hence looking across the river.

 

[Streathamite]

Uhh not zero.

There are lots of usefull shops in brockley. Cafes, 3 nice bars etc.

Dunno where u have been looking?!

which nice bars?
brockley jack's the only good 'un i know

 

[Streathamite]

Anyone mentioned Sydenham yet?

<checks thread>

No?

Sydenham is perfect, apart from having no decent pubs whatsoever, and a really ugly high street. But I love it.

-Cheap

-Quiet

-Green

-Good transport (12 mins to London Bridge, turn-up-and-go trains)

-Close to Crystal Palace and Forest Hill for decent pubs and restaurants.

-Great local shops for food and other basics

-Good bookshop

of course, as an ex-resident I felt morally compelled to leave this bit to you.

 

[maximilian ping]

we would live in north london, if it was cheaper and leafier. the only places that we can afford to buy are smaller or the same size as the flat we are renting, but the mortgage would be more expensive. doesn't seem much point in doing that, hence looking across the river.

stoke newington and stroud green too expensive?

 

[zoltan]

Uhh not zero.

There are lots of usefull shops in brockley. Cafes, 3 nice bars etc.

Dunno where u have been looking?!

Did 10 years in the place - Hilly fields is dead cos of the conservation order thingy - if you pootle along to Crofton park it may be a little livlier but I hope you arent referring to the row of shops opposite Brockley station as being a gastro extravaganza

Brockley may be near things, but there nowt actually in the place - even pubs are a bit a of a trek from say Tresillian road.

 

[ChrisFilter]

don't live in south london - it's crap

live in north london - it's good

I honestly don't get why people would choose North London over South when they've lived in London a while. The tube, yeah, but it loses on everything else. Price, lack of greenery, small cramped streets, mainly quite boring, worse traffic on roads, more pollution.

 

[beeboo]

I honestly don't get why people would choose North London over South when they've lived in London a while. The tube, yeah, but it loses on everything else. Price, lack of greenery, small cramped streets, mainly quite boring, worse traffic on roads, more pollution.

exactly!

It was pot-luck where I ended up when I first moved to London, but if I'd ended up in North London, I would have moved out of London altogether by now.

Living in South London keeps me sane.

 

[maximilian ping]

i just moved from stroud green to walworth road for 6 weeks and i couldnt relax around there. i think all the people looked like they were slightly insane. Travelling through elephant and castle was actually depressing - the place is pitiful. as someone who hasnt travelled on a bus for ages (routemaster days etc) the new bendy buses etc are now as nasty as being on the tube.

i must admit i found the two best take aways i've ever been in London, Lemon Grass and La Luna, but that was it for good stuff (unless you count seeing mad frankie frazer walking his little doggie).

 

[wonko the sane]

Did 10 years in the place - Hilly fields is dead cos of the conservation order thingy - if you pootle along to Crofton park it may be a little livlier but I hope you arent referring to the row of shops opposite Brockley station as being a gastro extravaganza

Brockley may be near things, but there nowt actually in the place - even pubs are a bit a of a trek from say Tresillian road.

Ok theres no eatin experiences to be had. But along Brockley road there are a bunch of usefull shops (hardware, off licence, newsagent, emergency grocery type stuff), theres Toads Mouth Too cafe which is great with its garden and friendly staff, theres Moonbow Jakes for boho coffee and over-priced alcohol, there's Wetherspoons which isnt too bad, theres Brockley Kitchen which i've never been to but looks ok, theres ThaiThai restaruant which looks nice but again i;ve never been to, 5 mins down Brockley road in Crofton park there is Jam Circus which is cool, theres that wine bar place which looks good next to the wine merchants and theres Cafe Blanca - Moroccan cafe.

Its not a hub of night life, its a residential area, but i think it does pretty good for that!

 

[ChrisFilter]

i just moved from stroud green to walworth road for 6 weeks and i couldnt relax around there. i think all the people looked like they were slightly insane. Travelling through elephant and castle was actually depressing - the place is pitiful. as someone who hasnt travelled on a bus for ages (routemaster days etc) the new bendy buses etc are now as nasty as being on the tube.

i must admit i found the two best take aways i've ever been in London, Lemon Grass and La Luna, but that was it for good stuff (unless you count seeing mad frankie frazer walking his little doggie).

Completely different bit of South London to the bits I like. Bit like dissing the whole of North London based on 6 weeks in Archway!

I don't like the area you mention either, and would agree with the Elephant and Castle thing.. Castle Greyskull is cheerier.

Overland trains are your friend, but most of the buses from my bits of S. London are normal double-decker.. no bendies

 

[jodal]

I honestly don't get why people would choose North London over South when they've lived in London a while. The tube, yeah, but it loses on everything else. Price, lack of greenery, small cramped streets, mainly quite boring, worse traffic on roads, more pollution.

Boo!

 

[ChrisFilter]

Boo!

That wasn't aimed at you, I like Highgate, just not as much I like Herne Hill and Dulwich.

 

[maximilian ping]

Completely different bit of South London to the bits I like. Bit like dissing the whole of North London based on 6 weeks in Archway!

I don't like the area you mention either, and would agree with the Elephant and Castle thing.. Castle Greyskull is cheerier.

Overland trains are your friend, but most of the buses from my bits of S. London are normal double-decker.. no bendies

i agree. i don't fancy Archway much. think am talking out of my arse