What's it like living in Crystal Palace, Forest Hill?

[acfj]

does anybody live in these areas and have an opinion about good bits / bad bits, good streets / bad streets ...anything really

i'm buying a property in SE and need something affordable and have been tipped off by a few estate agents that these are the hot areas in the next few years

cheers

 

[Guineveretoo]

Yeah, there are quite a lot of people who live in the area, and there have been threads about it before. Do a search, and you might find out quite a lot about the area!

 

[beeboo]

does anybody live in these areas and have an opinion about good bits / bad bits, good streets / bad streets ...anything really

i'm buying a property in SE and need something affordable and have been tipped off by a few estate agents that these are the hot areas in the next few years

cheers

As is traditional, I would just like to mention that Sydenham is cheaper than both Forest Hill and Crystal Palace, but close to both of them and very lovely.

 

[moon]

what do you mean by affordable...prices here start from around 140k for a small 1 bedroomed flat.

 

[liftingstones]

what do you mean by affordable...prices here start from around 140k for a small 1 bedroomed flat.

That's a steal compared to some places elsewhere in the city.

 

[corporate whore]

have been tipped off by a few estate agents that these are the hot areas in the next few years

In the past two months, I've been 'tipped off' by a few estate agents that Camberwell, Peckham, Nunhead, Tulse Hill, South Norwood, Penge, Sydenham, Forest Hill, Gypsy Hill, Anerley, Streatham Vale, Brockley, Honor Oak, Hither Green and Catford are all going to be 'hot areas' in the next few years.

don't believe the hype... don't think an estate agent gives the first shit about you or your needs.

On a more helpful note, I lived in Forest Hill for a couple of years. It's a fucking dreadful dump.

 

[lemontop]

crystal palace thread from a while ago

http://www.urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=153454&highlight=crystal+palace

 

[moon]

I currently have my flat on the market..its in the lovely thicket road 5 mins from cp station and with an entrance to cp park at the bottom of the road too...pm me if you want details.

 

[Streathamite]

As is traditional, I would just like to mention that Sydenham is cheaper than both Forest Hill and Crystal Palace, but close to both of them and very lovely.

<applauds>
sydenham roolz!!!!!! I like SE26 and SE23 equally, but the only ace thing Forest Hill has over siddnum is a museum, and sydenham IS cheaper.

 

[g force]

Streaham Vale will nebver be nice - poor quality housing and lots of it in a very bad state. Streatham on the other hand is still relatively affordable...and a hell of a lot nicer than Forest Hill.

 

[Streathamite]

....and furzedown is even better value.
Forest Hill is STILL a good place to live, but if you're gonna buy there now's the time; come the arrival of the tube in lewisham and parts nearby the prices will go thru the roof

 

[moon]

Why the hell am I moving to downham???

 

[Streathamite]

to downham
are you mad?
good grief just look at the place - it makes penge seem swish!!!!

 

[moon]

Your right!!! its even more penge than penge....and you know how i adore penge

 

[Streathamite]

ye gods...
<backs nervously away from Moon>

 

[beeboo]

On a more helpful note, I lived in Forest Hill for a couple of years. It's a fucking dreadful dump.

Nothing wrong with Forest Hill - I lived there for a couple of years too. Admittedly the best things are the museum and gardens, and proximity to the woods and Dulwich Park, but certainly wouldn't describe it as a 'fucking dreadful dump'

Obviously not a patch on Sydenham tho'

 

[Streathamite]

yay! brudda/sista beeboo! keep AWWWNN spreading da sydenham gospel!

 

[corporate whore]

Admittedly the best things are the museum and gardens, and proximity to the woods and Dulwich Park, but certainly wouldn't describe it as a 'fucking dreadful dump'

I would. And I will. It's a fucking dreadful dump. Nothing there but the south circular and Sainsbury.

 

[Streathamite]

I must say i quite like Forest Hill - coupla good restaurants, 3 or 4 decent pubs, and a fab museum

 

[corporate whore]

Each to their own.. in mitigation, I lived there about 9 years ago - can't recall a single restaurant (although there were more caffs than anywhere really needs) and the pubs were either moody, short-tempered, like a rest home for the elderly or had a line-dancing night on a Friday.

It was also fairly intimidating - I saw more drunken street violence in FH than anywhere else in London, and it's still the only place anyone's ever shat on my doorstep.

Good things I recall - Wok Express for takeouts, the wonderful video store on Dartmouth Road (still there!) and Wu-Tang Video (not there any more...)

 

[fudgefactorfive]

....and furzedown is even better value.

The bf finds Furzedown hysterical because it looks a lot like "Fart Town" in German.

 

[Streathamite]

most things sound fairly biological and icky onc etranslated into german...

 

[linerider]

Good things I recall - Wok Express for takeouts, the wonderful video store on Dartmouth Road (still there!) and Wu-Tang Video (not there any more...)

Wok Express is great,it dipped for a while while the original cooks went off to open another branch(or two)but their back and the food is spot on.
mcdonalds has just had to shut down as well

 

[Dan U]

people are tipping crystal palace and that area due to the tube line thats going to run down to west croydon in a few years

so i was told anyway..

get in on the ground floor, west croydon anyone?

 

[Maggot]

... come the arrival of the tube in lewisham and parts nearby the prices will go thru the roof

When's the tube coming to Lewisham?

 

[Guineveretoo]

people are tipping crystal palace and that area due to the tube line thats going to run down to west croydon in a few years

so i was told anyway..

get in on the ground floor, west croydon anyone?

You lot will be sniggering on the other side of your faces when my house in South Norwood sells for 100 times what I paid for it just because the tube has arrived

 

[tommers]

people are tipping crystal palace and that area due to the tube line thats going to run down to west croydon in a few years

so i was told anyway..

get in on the ground floor, west croydon anyone?

fuck it. I really like it round there and don't want it to suddenly become like every other bit of london cos I won't be able to afford anywhere.

down with the tube!!

 

[beeboo]

I've got a soft spot for Forest Hill* - first place I lived when I moved to London 8 years ago, had a teeny room in a terrible bedsit, but on the most gorgeous street (Manor Mount) and the old lady who lived downstairs who'd been there her whole life used to tell me stories about the old days.

There is a fancy gastro-pub there now (Dartmouth Arms), and a nice organic/wholefood shop which does a mean line in coffee and pastries.

Horniman museum is cool - I used to hang out at the aquarium a lot (very therapeutic with a hangover) I think the people who worked there thought I was obsessed with fish


*adds the obligatory 'not as good as Sydenham'

 

[Streathamite]

When's the tube coming to Lewisham?

about ten years' after when they said it would, if indeed it happens at all, if the past is any guide. they said the ELL extension would also take in lewisham; it certainly takes in brockley

 

[beeboo]

about ten years' after when they said it would, if indeed it happens at all, if the past is any guide. they said the ELL extension would also take in lewisham; it certainly takes in brockley

Sorry, no ELL for Lewisham
link to map of ELLX

Basically Phase 1 (down via Brockley, Sydenham -YAY!, Norwood Junction, West Croydon) is just going to run on the existing tracks alongside the 'overground' rail services. It's not a new route at all, just different trains on the same route.

So I think the actually impact will be limited. I reckon one of the places that will benefit the most will be round Penge West, because the service from that station is currently chronic, 1 train every half hour or something.

Of course it may have an impact on house prices if North London ejits who think London begins and ends with the tube map suddenly spot this new orange line on the map.