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Hey ya


I'm considering moving to the East Dulwich area but it seems the only women that live there are mothers who lounge around in coffee shops all day. Everywhere I look there's a child about and loads of ads about 'mother and baby yoga' and the like. I'm a woman in her 20's who has a career. Are there any such women in Dulwich?


A.

yup- you can tell you've no kids as you think mum's "lounge around in coffee shops all day"...


...anyway, to answer your question, it strikes me as odd that ED seems to appeal to 20 somethings as it's family oreintated with housingstock and not very cool, but nevertheless it seems to attract them, I thought it was dull when I was in my 20s and Camberwell was far more a 20s place...

When I first moved to East Dulwich I was in my mid 20's, unmarried, had a career, my own money and no kids. Then I drank the East Dulwich water - now I lounge about in coffee shops all day (in my dreams!) looking like a Toys 'r' Us advertisement.

Women with career, no kids, own money. Indexing on trend.


Women with no career, no kids, no money. Indexing low.


Women with no career, own kids, no money. Over-indexing strongly.


Women with career, someone else's kids, own money. Slightly under indexing.


Women with no career, someone else's money, own kids. SE21.

The Mums with 3 wheelers and dads with papooses dominate Lordy Lane in a loose kind of fashion Mon to Fri lunchtime. Friday late afternoon the Twenties gather at EDT and slowly force a push further up the drag; The Bishop falls easily. "But how far will they push? How far are they coming?" ask the mums and dads?. The oldies withdraw but emerge, frustrated but unbeaten, early Saturday morning and tut' at an empty beer glass on a wall as they push towards an organic food place (or 'greasy spoon' every now and then but too often). Oldies regain the front pushing towards the butchers and fishmongers. There they gather and discuss tactics "It's the cocktail bar - their Trojan Horse!!". Sat evening the Twenties come back smiling, in force and bring more of their mates from nearby tribes. "The many shall always defeat the few." said Sun Tzu (probably?). Erm - other than that it's fab and most people seem happy.......

For all that I occasionally get wound up about the great kid debate, I am content here in ED. I am a woman of not unreasonable means (that I blow in the random tat shops rather than investing soundly) with own career and nary a kid in sight. I also have a couple of friends in a similar position in the heighbourhood.


Sometimes people (?????) find it surprising that single folks like ED. but you know what, WE WERE HERE FIRST. well some of us were - it's probably because we were so busy focusing on our careers and acquiring our means that we didn't procreate like the other then-single now-buggie-driving folks, and now we're the freaks. but it's a nice place to be a freak. good shops, trees, handsome men (even if you are allowed only to look), great meat

With a big hospital just over the yonder, of course there are independent women (and men) living in ED, they might not be wealthy, and with shift patterns free time might be lacking, but of course they exist.


Find it quite small minded to think that anywhere in London exclusively caters to one particular demographic .... how on earth would all the bars/pubs and restaurants on Lordship Lane stay open past 9pm without a large demographic of non-family working peeps??

RosieH, much as I hate to disagree with you, I would say that the families were here first. After all when this area was built it was built specifically to cater for the blue collar workers and clerks and their families.

Most of the typical housing in ED is small family houses. Hence, funnily enough, the preponderance of familes in the area now.

No you're right Asset, but you're not talking about the same croc-wearing families of EDF folklore. When I moved here there were loads more young singles. But they grew up and had fashionable children and more fashionable young families moved in and family-friendly boutiques swiftly followed (or was it the other way round?)


Not a bad thing, but very very different from how it was 10 years ago.

I too was the 20 something, single woman who ventured into East Dulwich after dark. Out on one of these 'single' nights out, I met quite a tall, blue eyed, sexy and funny man.


After that moment my career went to pot, I've lost my hips to a child and another on the way, I drink coffee all day (in a take away cup - running around a park), I can't remember what it is like to get up and blow dry my hair or spend 20 minutes choosing what to wear for the day. I'm sure Mostly, I suspect I look like you on the way home from one of those pubs I don't venture into anymore.


You're right.... I think we have taken over here but don't worry, the nights would still be yours and really it sounds like you don't venture out of bed on the weekends until way after 10am (steaming with jealousy) and my day is already half way through then. I'm sure we would never bump into one another.


Just make sure you don't speak to men.

A friend of mine has lived her for 8 years. She has a great career, money and no kids.

However, during those 8 years she's met, married and is due her first baby in November. ED does tend to do that to you.


If you take a stroll down Lordship lane on a Friday/Saturday night the pubs and bars are full of people who seem to fit your criteria Angela2711, it may be that they've come from cooler Camberwell and environs or that they've got babies safely tucked up at home with a babysitter, but I don't think you'll be lonely here. Your people are out there . . .

It is a great place to live and I'm sure you'll be happy here if you do decide to make the move.


ps. Is It possible that you've only checked us out during the daytime when most of the women you describe are at work leaving the coffee shops free for us 'mothers'?

As an aside what is the attraction of coffee shops amongst people with kids?

Do these coffee shop goers have a similar level of desire to go to coffee shops before having their kids, and they just go because they now can, or does the kids in some way increase their coffee shop "lounging" desire?

There must be some degree study on this important discussion...

i,m a bloke with a career, own money and 2 kids. i still however find time to lounge about coffee shops, go to the parks, eat in greasy spoons, buy more tit tat than what is healthy, get out to the boozer 2-3 times a week. i,ve lived in ed for 16 years and when first arrived i was a bloke with a career, no money and no kids. what went wrong?

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