Where to go after East Dulwich?

[Chief]

Margate?

[ExtraLifeShop]

Why did I ever expect anything but idiotic responses from the keyboard warriors on here....

Oh yeah.

Enjoy your mortgages.

[Azira]

humblebrag

[KidKruger]

I'm going to try Mon/Fri work from home next year and Tues/Wed/Thurs in office.

Home I intend to be IOW, I'll stay in ED mid-week.

Let's see how it goes in reality.

Views from house to die for tho...

[LondonMix]

I've been in ED more than 10 years and while granted its changed beyond recognition, I don't think in 2005 it was Penge. Just being realistic. My husband has been here even longer (late 90s when the Palmerston was still a rough pub). It takes a good 15-20 years for an area to transform so don't move someplace expecting it to happen overnight.

legalbeagle Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Penge = East Dulwich a decade ago. Get in while

> you can.

>

> Victorian housing stock, changing high street

> that's not too over gentrified, big parks.

>

> Penge West is on the London Overground making

> travel to East London or Docklands very simple

> (basically you are on the tube), plus the train

> goes into London Bridge. Penge East goes into

> Victoria and Blackfriars. Basically the travel

> from there is really easy.

>

> 176 bus to Lordship Lane if you miss it, no

> parking restrictions.

>

> For some reason Norwood has always had the

> potential to change but hasn't. Don't know why.

>

> (*disclaimer - I live in Penge so am biased. But

> Time Out this week agrees with me...)

[????]

The Palmerston a rough pub? Really? I think people use 'rough' when really they actualy mean ungentrified

[Frenchy]

.

[Azira]

???? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The Palmerston a rough pub? Really? I think people

> use 'rough' when really they actualy mean

> ungentrified

Or perhaps they mean what they say. I've heard the same thing about the Palmerston and they certainly wouldn't have meant ungentrified.

[KidKruger]

late 1990's Palmerston was no rough pub, in 1990 there was aggro there tho if you wanted some.

[Rolo Tomasi]

???? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The Palmerston a rough pub? Really? I think people

> use 'rough' when really they actualy mean

> ungentrified

It was a very rough pub.

One night in 1990 myself a group of friends were in the 7-11 and the charming patrons started jeering us. Not to be intimidated we walked past them down lordship lane, not making eye contact but not taking any of their crap either.

Suddenly one of them got in their car, mounted the pavement outside what was the sports shop and knocked several of our group over to loud cheers from the pub. That soon stooped when he hit a woman who was just standing in shock and she rolled all the way up the bonnet then collapsed on the floor.

They all ran from outside of the pub and we just picked ourselves up helped the lady and waited for the police.

To this day I still see a few of the then patrons around ED.

[Otta]

The Lord Palmerston was never rough in my opinion. I didn't particularly like it, but it wasn't what I'd call rough.

Only pubs I remember having a bit of a bad rep back in the 90s were The Castle and The Mag.

[NewDad]

My wife and I lived in ED for 5 years, and moved to Sydenham last year. We loved living in ED, but needed more space with a growing family.

We really like Sydenham, with the main benefits being:

- Better transport links: trains direct to Victoria and LB (both 17 mins) and CW (20-25mins). Also, the Bakerloo line is likely to service the area by 2030 (if you are thinking longer term). There is the 176 night bus too.

- Larger houses: ED houses are lovely, but even the 4 bed houses are small. Given the history of Sydenham, the Edwardian and Victorian houses are much larger, and also around 30-40% cheaper / sqft than ED.

- Parks: We love Dulwich Park and Peckham Rye, however Sydenham is blessed by Mayow Park, Alexander Rec, Crystal Palace Park, Wells Park; and not far from Sydenham Hill Wood and Dulwich Wood.

- Neighbours: Given the larger houses, the neighbours have been in the area for many years, and are all very friendly and helpful. In ED, we hardly knew our neighbours, and houses turned over much faster.

The downside is the high street still has a bit to go, including a lack of pubs and choice of nice restaurants (Crystal Palace is better). However, the Greyhound looks like it might open later this year, and Late Knights have a bar coming as well. The Dolphin has one of the best beer gardens in London, and Trattoria Raffaele is one of the best Italian restaurants I have been to. There is a new Sushi shop that has great reviews, and there is the famous Slatters Bakery (Cake Store), which makes the most amazing cakes and supplies all the scones to Wimbledon. Despite the recent stabbing in Sydenham, I have never felt unsafe and haven't seen any odd characters to date.

My view on Penge is also positive. I agree it has lovely housing stock; much like ED and the transport links are much better than ED. It is also close to Crystal Palace Park. The high street is improving, with some decent pubs as well. Definitely on the up!

Catford is getting better too, with a lot of investment in the centre. Also lovely houses and great transport links. If I had the money, I would buy a flat in the area as I think its still great value.

Forest Hill to me has better restaurants and nice houses, but is more expensive and spoiled by the South Circular. Its transport links are also very good.

Crystal Palace is nice; more expensive but has nice restaurants and decent housing stock.

We almost moved to Beckenham; and like its high street and houses. Good transport options as well.

That's my two cents for what its worth. As others have said, don't worry about living in an area that doesn't seem to be keeping up with its neighbours. The "London effect" means that price increases always pass onto neighbouring areas as they become better value. As money moves into the area, the high street will change. The key is finding the right house and enjoying where you live.

Over and out!

[Otta]

NewDad Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Parks: We love Dulwich Park and Peckham Rye,

> however Sydenham is blessed by Mayow Park,

> Alexander Rec, Crystal Palace Park, Wells Park;

> and not far from Sydenham Hill Wood and Dulwich

> Wood.

Although to be fair, only 2 of those are in Sydenham ;-)

[NewDad]

Technically correct, however ED would only have Goose Green on the same measure:

Dulwich Park: SE21 7BQ

Peckham Rye: SE15 3UA

[DuncanW]

erm, and The Foresters and The Uplands??

None of these pubs were war-zones or anything but they had their moments...

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The Lord Palmerston was never rough in my opinion.

> I didn't particularly like it, but it wasn't what

> I'd call rough.

>

> Only pubs I remember having a bit of a bad rep

> back in the 90s were The Castle and The Mag.

[LondonMix]

KidKruger Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> late 1990's Palmerston was no rough pub, in 1990

> there was aggro there tho if you wanted some.

Maybe early 90s. It was before my time but in my husband's time in ED as a student. You could definitely buy drugs in there. Definitely was rough. My husband is working class so when he says rough he doesn't just mean it wasn't a gsatropub.

[Otta]

If buying drugs is the yardstick then every pub in Dulwich has been rough at some stage.

[mikeb]

@NewDad

At the risk of diverting this thread to be about the boundaries of East Dulwich, Peckham Rye Park is firmly within SE22. You might even squeeze in Brenchley Gardens if you were looking to stretch the definition of 'park' ..., and let's not forget SE22's very own golf course Aquarius!

[Rolo Tomasi]

^ and quite a few still are..

[DaveR]

Before about 1995, most Inner London pubs were rough, if by rough you mean that they were tatty and looked a bit shit and had a fair share of weirdos and potentially scary looking folk (if you're the nervous type) among the regular customers. Back then, a 'rough' pub was a place where you expected it to kick off with some regularity, rather than as a freak occurrence, or at least a place that was properly hostile to strangers.

[KidKruger]

what DaveR said.

LM - What's with the hint on working class having a more accurate definition of rough ?! When I lived on IOW we used to go to Cowes during Cowes week to scrap the yachties, they were pretty tough guys and very few working class amongst them (at least in the big posh marquee / club where we traded with them). They certainly hit hard and were no strangers to (wait for it) 'a good old fashioned punch-up'. So I don't buy that for a second, however romantic it may seem.

[????]

there was a decent thread (once :)) on scary pubs - i don't think i'd describe any ED pub as scary since I've been about this area mid-80s. A couple a bit lively maybe and a couple of villains ones. But far scarier in nearer areas Peckham/Camberwell

just ressurected it in the lounge :)

[Otta]

God yeah, there were pubs in Peckham / Camberwell I never would have gone in. And the Old Kent Road!

[steveo]

Moved to the Scary Pubs thread

[Administrator]

Steering this quickly back to "Where to go after East Dulwich?" rather than a discussion about the old days.