Advice for professional couple moving to ED??

[EagleJon19]

Dear East Dulwich Forum-

First, I think it is amazing that you have your own forum, my wife and I are excited about moving to ED in April and we've already found a wealth of information, tips and advice regarding ED.

This is my first post and basically I just wanted to pose the question to all EDers out there:

What do you wish someone had told you before you had moved to ED?

Any other advice or recommendations on anything from GPs to best pubs are greatly appreciated!

Many thanks in advance :) We can't wait to move to ED.

Kind regards,

Jon

[Alan Medic]

I wonder what you expect, being a professional couple? Are you trying to avoid amateurs?

[Strawbs]

I moved here 5 years ago and still love it just as much! Welcome!! I'm at the gardens surgery and really like them, avoid dulwich medical centre! Swadesh is a great curry house. Gowlett do excellent pizza and lucky 7s on a thurs, loads of great pubs around, Thai cafe corner does excellent food and north cross markets are lovely.. Hope that helps.. X

[the-e-dealer]

Where are you moving from? What don't you like there?

[EagleJon19]

@Strawbs thanks for the advice, although I have read a lot of positive reviews about the DMC, more than the Gardens Surgery unfortunately....but we are going to keep an open mind :) and certainly haven't decided on one yet.

@Alan Medic- yes of course trying to avoid amateurs...that's why we are moving out of our 'trendy neighborhood.' ;)

@the-e-dealer- we are moving from London Fields in Hackney and love Broadway market on Saturdays. The park is great on sunny summer spring/summer days for sun bathing socialising, drinking and bbqs. So many local pubs and restaurants that are wonderful and seem to be sprouting everywhere at the moment and the Hackney Picturehouse theatre does great deals for movies.

Open to any and all suggestions/recs! Best cycle shop for repairs etc...how's the Hamlet's Health Club?....

thanks again! I'm very impressed by the quick replies.

-Jon

[Alan Medic]

Well I happen to be pissed off that Ireland didn't win the rugby today and decided your post was just the remedy I needed for some comfort. I mean why call yerself a professional? What does that mean? I don't know apart from people who think they do jobs that are not 'amateur', if you know what I mean. Does anyone work for nothing?

Anyway, whattever brings you to this neck of the woods I'm sure you will find it's fine and has plenty to offer. However I don't think our paths will cross.....not with that mention of a health club!

[Voyageur]

Eagle Jon - most of he replies you get on edf will be smartarse put-downs by no-mark numpties, but there is clearly a lot going for the area, enjoy :)

[the-e-dealer]

Real pubs closing or turning into Gastros. More Indian and Pizza Deliverys that we need. No tube. So if you fancy yourself as a gad about Londonner go elsewhere - Though the underground is a small substitute, No Cinema but we are trying.

[laurajaynewoodhouse]

E dealer you sounds like a wet blanket! Welcome to East Dulwich guys, I am sure you will love it.

[Huguenot]

Voyageur, do you really think that? I don't think there's any justification for that belief. Very few comments will be smartarse put downs, and an even smaller amount of correspondents are no-mark numpties.

ED is great, still miss it, but I prefer my 4pm tropical cyclone every day on the weather front.

The one 'professional' thing you may need to be aware of is that those trains between 7am and 8.30am are going to be full and unreliable. Leave early and relax.

The other thing is that locals will recognize you very quickly, so it's important that you treat them as friends not passers-by. That will also account for Alan, who is concerned that by using the term 'professional' you are distancing yourself from your neighbours. As you can see, that is unwise.

[Huguenot]

Incidentally, on a similar subject...

Never be exasperated with the-e-dealer who is known and respected for their ability to negotiate tight corners on life's journey whilst so many bricks short of a full load.

Also, at some point you will misinterpret my economical prose for antagonism. This would be foolish. I am hilarious.

[the-e-dealer]

And huge enough. Always kind respecctful and generous despite all his terrible afflictions.

[Alan Medic]

What's a no-mark numpty?

[Huguenot]

I'm guessing that no-mark refers to a personal of such little significance that they will pass through this world without leaving a trace.

Numpty must be a variation on 'numbskull' I would have thought - implying that their cognitive function is so limited that it fails to raise a wobble on an electroencephalogram.

[indiepanda]

What do I wish someone told me before I moved to East Dulwich?

Investigate the bus routes - I used to get the train to work from Peckham Rye having caught the bus to get there, but in the snow when the trains weren't running, I discovered the number 63 goes all the way to my office. It saves me over ?4 a day and makes for a much more relaxing journey to work as I always get a seat (I get on at Dunstans Rd), little bit slower, but less prone to going majorly wrong - e.g. random delays and cancellations.

Other recommendations. Make the most of the parks - we're blessed with both Peckham Rye and Dulwich Park which are both lovely.

For doctors, avoid Dulwich Medical Centre on Crystal Palace Road - it's really hard to get appointments.

If your wife likes perfume, she should check out Roullier White, which has a fantastic selection of niche perfumes that you won't get in most department stores. They aren't pushy in there either, I prefer to try something and if I like how it dries down over a few hours I might go back and buy and I've never felt that's a problem for them.

If your house needs work, the forum is a great place to get recommendations, but do check out the credibility of those posting - you get quite a few fake recommendations. I always check if the recommenders are people who've made lots of post about other topics - i.e. less likely to just be friends of the tradesperson.

If you need catering for any event, try Suzanne James on Barry Rd. I went to one of her supper evenings recently and the food was amazing.

Callow Locksmiths on Lordship Lane are great - I made the mistake of getting some keys cut in central London once but having seen the price they charge I'll never make that mistake again!

Finally, just enjoy - I've been here nearly 5 years and I love it, can't imagine wanting to live anywhere else in London.

[PaulK]

"Pass the sick bucket"

[the-e-dealer]

So I told some negatives and inthepants told some Positives. And both exposed some of the worst snipers on here. But hey didn't vicious sniping make the country what it is today. :-)

[charliecharlie]

Ref "What do you wish someone had told you before you had moved to ED?"

move here sooner?! might be starting to get a wee bit toooo professional... I liked when it was as arty as hell and a bit of well keep secret... it's still brilliant but sadly the slightly grungy/rough round the edges days are long gone.

Peckham is the new rock and roll.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Hugeunot, much as I love you, you havent lived in ED for years and are premanently enjoying the glories of the Far East, how do you know what rush hour trains are like?

My (25 years) experience is that the trains have improved, the rush hour trains have got longer, if you walk to the far tail end of the platform, you can often get a seat or at least a comfortable standing spot for the 12 minute journey to London Bridge. Of course, the trains can at times be late, but we do tend to remember the few times they are late rather than the many times when they are on time.

The Overground services from Peckham Rye and Denmark Hill have added a welcome set of services in the East/West direction albeit at the expense of some services to Victoria.

To get to Victoria, catch the 185 from outside Neros, to get to Marylebone and Paddington, get the 176 or the 40 from outside Neros and pick up the Bakerloo like at the Elephant and Caste.

The Gardens Surgery is the best GP surgery, we dont have an outstanding dispensing Chemist but North Cross Road is the best of a mediocre bunch. Above this chemist is a dental surgery which have always treated me well.

Sainsburys on Dog Kennel Hill is the nearest biggish Supermarket but has no petrol station, Morrisons in Peckham does. PC World/Currys, B&Q, Halfords and Asda are all clustered together on the Old Kent Road.

Enjoy and use the Forum. Ignore the miserable, nit-picky Posters. The Whats-On area is a good way to spot social events where you can meet people and make friends. Thankfully the more unpleasent posters do not attend these events, preferring to hide behind anonymity.

[Alan Medic]

What is a nit picky poster Michael?

[sillywoman]

The Gardens Surgery is only the best GP's if you're not planning to have children. If you are, register at DMC CPR so that you can have The Lanes Midwives care for you/your partner, or Forest Hill Rd GP's to get the Oakwood. These Midwife teams offer a service that is unparalleled and internationally admired. Once you've done having babies move GP from DMC as it IS impossible to get an appointment and you won't want to be messing about with that kind of stress with a sick baby or toddler on your hands.

[Chick]

And there are two shit hot book clubs. Sorry, literary associations.

[the-e-dealer]

East dulwich has above average access to green space.

[Lowlander]

"...The one 'professional' thing you may need to be aware of is that those trains between 7am and 8.30am are going to be full and unreliable. Leave early and relax..."

I'd say from 0800 onwards. I caught the 0747 from ED to London Bridge for six months until last summer and it was at least 99% reliable - the few times something went wrong, it was delayed by no more than 5 minutes. And I always got a seat.

[Worker]

Suppose it's too late to advise you to choose your words carefully if you use the EDF.

So I'll just advise you to ignore the tools. They'll make themselves known to you soon enough.