Hi Everyone,
my girlfriend & I are looking to buy a place with a Garden, we've been saving for 8 years in a flat for that darn deposit. We have been looking at the Sydenham, Forest Hill & Nunhead areas.
We've been looking at properties around Sydenham Road, one today on Highclere St. Can anyone tell me what's it like around that area please? It seems to get more & more drab the further down Sydenham Road you go, is this the right 1st impression do you think?
We both work near(ish) to Charring Cross so we want to be near a station & I was wondering what people's experiences of the commute is, are the trails reliable, feel safe late at night?
Any help most appreciated.
Area Opinions
Re: Area Opinions
I commute daily to nr-Charing Cross as well. Sydenham Station is on the line to London Bridge but the changeover to the trains heading for Charing Cross is usually pretty painless. Returning home, lots of trains to 7:30PM going to LB with OK transfers to southbound trains. I've always found the area around Syd Station (I live about 3 mins away) to be free of weirdness at night. Worst is probably the odd yob or weekend night drunks spluttering their way to oblivion on the train. After 7:30PM, 1/2-hourly trains direct to Syd Stn, so you'd get a seat on an eventually packed (more so late on) train. Alternative is to go fast and direct to Catford Bridge and catch a bus back down to Syndenham.
Don't know much about the east end of Sydenham Road but having driven down that way in the evening a few times, I'd opine that the walk from Lower Sydenham Stn is a tad lonely after dark, being in an ostensibly industrial area.
Estate agents seem to have lots on offer and some good stuff comes up now and again. Estate sales are slowest this time of year, or so i hear, but prices will rise in the spring. Good luck!
Don't know much about the east end of Sydenham Road but having driven down that way in the evening a few times, I'd opine that the walk from Lower Sydenham Stn is a tad lonely after dark, being in an ostensibly industrial area.
Estate agents seem to have lots on offer and some good stuff comes up now and again. Estate sales are slowest this time of year, or so i hear, but prices will rise in the spring. Good luck!
With regards to the trains, even after 7:30pm you are better off changing at London Bridge if there isn’t a Sydenham train at Charring Cross. The LB to Victoria train starts at LB and goes via Sydenham. You can also get trains from Victoria to Penge East, which is only a 10 minute walk.
We live in Girton Road (by Summerfield’s) which is sociable and neighbourly. We moved here for the same reason as you, it is somewhere you can afford to buy a house with a garden. Generally we have been happy here over the last few years. But, depending on what you want, there are downsides to Sydenham. (1) there isn’t a decent bar to drink in (see the various threads in the Town Café forum) . The Golden Lion is fine as a boozer for a drink with your mates, but if you want a nice place to take the missus then you have a long walk. But that is my subjective opinion, I’m sure there are those who read this that would disagree. (2) The local primary schools have good ratings but I’ve heard mixed reports of the secondary schools in the area. (3) Whilst the High Street does have a couple of gems (Sydenham DIY, Cake shop/bakery, greengrocers are all good), but they are out weighted by the number of fast food / nail bars and pound shops.
On the plus side, there are a number of parks and green spaces around the place. The transport at the moment is good (a quicker bus route to Lewisham DLR would be make it better, the 75 is “direct” but does take a while) and the East London line will arrive at some point this century.
Given that it is one of the cheaper areas of inner London I think it does represent good value.
We live in Girton Road (by Summerfield’s) which is sociable and neighbourly. We moved here for the same reason as you, it is somewhere you can afford to buy a house with a garden. Generally we have been happy here over the last few years. But, depending on what you want, there are downsides to Sydenham. (1) there isn’t a decent bar to drink in (see the various threads in the Town Café forum) . The Golden Lion is fine as a boozer for a drink with your mates, but if you want a nice place to take the missus then you have a long walk. But that is my subjective opinion, I’m sure there are those who read this that would disagree. (2) The local primary schools have good ratings but I’ve heard mixed reports of the secondary schools in the area. (3) Whilst the High Street does have a couple of gems (Sydenham DIY, Cake shop/bakery, greengrocers are all good), but they are out weighted by the number of fast food / nail bars and pound shops.
On the plus side, there are a number of parks and green spaces around the place. The transport at the moment is good (a quicker bus route to Lewisham DLR would be make it better, the 75 is “direct” but does take a while) and the East London line will arrive at some point this century.
Given that it is one of the cheaper areas of inner London I think it does represent good value.
hi ronski
you would be moving into one of the last 'unspoilt' areas of london. the public transport is pretty good, and improving; we have some of the best parks and open spaces in london, and you can find all the other great things about it, on this very forum (pretty much everything has been covered on here, a number of times over).
plus, name any other high street in london, where you can get so much for just a pound.
you would be moving into one of the last 'unspoilt' areas of london. the public transport is pretty good, and improving; we have some of the best parks and open spaces in london, and you can find all the other great things about it, on this very forum (pretty much everything has been covered on here, a number of times over).
plus, name any other high street in london, where you can get so much for just a pound.
-
Wispy Wonder
- Posts: 137
- Joined: 11 Jan 2006 22:13
- Location: Sydenham
Sydenham is a great place to live and the commute into town is easy. Forest Hill is nice too.
More importantly though, I'd avoid Nunhead like the plague. Before moving to Sydenham I lived near Nunhead (Crofton Park). Nunhead looks nice enough but it has a real problem with gangs of feral kids and crime in general. A lot of it focuses around the railway station. The commute is no better. I saw umpteen jump-on jump-off robberies from the train as it pulled into the platform during the 2 years I used that rail line.
I've only recently bought my first property and know you don't have a pick of the best areas. Skint as I was, Nunhead (or Crofton Park) never figured in my hit list.
Wispy
More importantly though, I'd avoid Nunhead like the plague. Before moving to Sydenham I lived near Nunhead (Crofton Park). Nunhead looks nice enough but it has a real problem with gangs of feral kids and crime in general. A lot of it focuses around the railway station. The commute is no better. I saw umpteen jump-on jump-off robberies from the train as it pulled into the platform during the 2 years I used that rail line.
I've only recently bought my first property and know you don't have a pick of the best areas. Skint as I was, Nunhead (or Crofton Park) never figured in my hit list.
Wispy