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



## acfj (Apr 16, 2006)

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


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## Guineveretoo (Apr 16, 2006)

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!


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## beeboo (Apr 16, 2006)

acfj said:
			
		

> 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.


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## moon (Apr 16, 2006)

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


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## liftingstones (Apr 17, 2006)

moon said:
			
		

> 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.


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## corporate whore (Apr 17, 2006)

acfj said:
			
		

> 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.


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## lemontop (Apr 17, 2006)

crystal palace thread from a while ago

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


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## moon (Apr 17, 2006)

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.


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## Streathamite (Apr 18, 2006)

beeboo said:
			
		

> 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.


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## g force (Apr 18, 2006)

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.


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## Streathamite (Apr 18, 2006)

....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


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## moon (Apr 18, 2006)

Why the hell am I moving to downham???


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## Streathamite (Apr 18, 2006)

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


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## moon (Apr 18, 2006)

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


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## Streathamite (Apr 18, 2006)

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


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## beeboo (Apr 19, 2006)

corporate whore said:
			
		

> 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'


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## Streathamite (Apr 19, 2006)

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


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## corporate whore (Apr 19, 2006)

beeboo said:
			
		

> 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.


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## Streathamite (Apr 19, 2006)

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


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## corporate whore (Apr 19, 2006)

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...)


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## fudgefactorfive (Apr 19, 2006)

Red Jezza said:
			
		

> ....and furzedown is even better value.



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


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## Streathamite (Apr 19, 2006)

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


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## linerider (Apr 19, 2006)

corporate whore said:
			
		

> 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


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## Dan U (Apr 19, 2006)

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?


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## Maggot (Apr 19, 2006)

Red Jezza said:
			
		

> ... 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?


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## Guineveretoo (Apr 20, 2006)

Dan U said:
			
		

> 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


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## tommers (Apr 20, 2006)

Dan U said:
			
		

> 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!!


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## beeboo (Apr 20, 2006)

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'


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## Streathamite (Apr 20, 2006)

Maggot said:
			
		

> 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


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## beeboo (Apr 20, 2006)

Red Jezza said:
			
		

> 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.


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## corporate whore (Apr 20, 2006)

beeboo said:
			
		

> 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.



See, the Dartmouth Arms was well moody when I lived in FH. 

That organic place, is it opposite Sainsbury? If so I went in there last year - think they'd just opened - and remember thinking they wouldn't last 5 minutes. Good their doing OK.

And McDs has shut? That is good news..


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## beeboo (Apr 20, 2006)

corporate whore said:
			
		

> See, the Dartmouth Arms was well moody when I lived in FH.
> 
> That organic place, is it opposite Sainsbury? If so I went in there last year - think they'd just opened - and remember thinking they wouldn't last 5 minutes. Good their doing OK.
> 
> And McDs has shut? That is good news..



Didn't know McDs had shut!  fab!

No, its not the one opposite Sainsbury - I've seen that one and thought the same as you.  Tis down Dartmouth Road, called Provender (sp?).  It is really nice, they have loads of delicious homemade goodies.


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## ddraig (Apr 20, 2006)

beeboo said:
			
		

> Didn't know McDs had shut!  fab!
> 
> No, its not the one opposite Sainsbury - I've seen that one and thought the same as you.  Tis down Dartmouth Road, called Provender (sp?).  It is really nice, they have loads of delicious homemade goodies.



moody staff tho 

they had the exact same big samosa thing as the health food shop in sydenham and used to charge nearly double.

dartmouth arms used to be a shithole when i was there as well.
i loved living in forest hill and it felt like home the 5+ yrs i was there


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## beeboo (Apr 20, 2006)

ddraig said:
			
		

> they had the exact same big samosa thing as the health food shop in sydenham and used to charge nearly double.



drool - those giant samosas in the Sydenham health food shop are my downfall, I can't go into that shop without buying one.  I can't even walk past without going in and buying one.  

They're an absolute bargain as well, 60p or something and it is a full meal's worth of food!  

ooh, you've made me really hungry now thinking about them!  


Obviously another reason why Sydenham rules...cheaper samosas!


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## ddraig (Apr 20, 2006)

beeboo said:
			
		

> drool - those giant samosas in the Sydenham health food shop are my downfall, I can't go into that shop without buying one.  I can't even walk past without going in and buying one.
> 
> They're an absolute bargain as well, 60p or something and it is a full meal's worth of food!
> 
> ...



innit! i used to go there every day before work and try and visit if i'm in london now.  started off buying one, then 2 then 3/4/5 caning one straight away, eating the other one a bit slower and try and save the rest for lunch.
those roti's are ok as well, bit bloody spicy. and 65p i think, proper bargain.


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## BadlyDrawnGirl (Apr 20, 2006)

It's shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.    

Just kidding, it's very nice.


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## beeboo (Apr 20, 2006)

ddraig said:
			
		

> innit! i used to go there every day before work and try and visit if i'm in london now.  started off buying one, then 2 then 3/4/5 caning one straight away, eating the other one a bit slower and try and save the rest for lunch.
> those roti's are ok as well, bit bloody spicy. and 65p i think, proper bargain.



Are you me?!?!


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## oryx (Apr 20, 2006)

beeboo said:
			
		

> Are you me?!?!



Or me? 

Used to work in Sydenham & had one of these (or sometimes 2) for lunch at least once a week. I can just see them nestling in their little box, waiting to be picked out & the lovely slightly crunchy shell bitten into revealing those chick peas & potato with tamarind. <starts drooling>

Best. Samosas. Ever.  

ETA - I know Crystal Palace pretty well (partner lives there) & I reckon it's a really nice area. I like Sydenham (always found it very down-to-earth & friendly) as well although it is very lacking in the decent pub & restaurant department.


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## beeboo (Apr 21, 2006)

oryx said:
			
		

> Or me?
> 
> Used to work in Sydenham & had one of these (or sometimes 2) for lunch at least once a week. I can just see them nestling in their little box, waiting to be picked out & the lovely slightly crunchy shell bitten into revealing those chick peas & potato with tamarind. <starts drooling>
> 
> Best. Samosas. Ever.



oooh yes, good description!   

<keels over in pool of drool>


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## ddraig (Apr 21, 2006)

stop it!   i'm at nearly 200 miles from one of them samosa's and have to do with a nana for brekkie these days


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## beeboo (Apr 21, 2006)

ddraig said:
			
		

> stop it!   i'm at nearly 200 miles from one of them samosa's and have to do with a nana for brekkie these days



<sends emergency food parcel to Wales>


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