Tulse Hill

[kirinm]

Hi,

Any thoughts on the Tulse Hill area? My DP saw a place there today and I'm going to look tomorrow but we've had to totally change our search area and Tulse Hill wasn't even on my radar. The postcode is actually SW16 which is Streatham but the flat is very close to Tulse Hill train station.

We've been to a pub close to the station before for a pub quiz and that was really nice but my knowledge stops there. Any tips?

[BumbleNova]

there are lots of council estates around there. its not terribly scenic. I dont know if I would be comfortable walking around at night, but I'm a wimp. its on the edge of herne hill though, which is lovely. I used to live around the corner. You are off the tube lines there too, for better or worse. brockwell park is really nice, with the lido, the kids areas and good for running around.

[kirinm]

That's the bit of Tulse Hill I've driven through from Brixton in the past, I think.

[lalalonglegs]

The bits close to Brockwell Park are lovely and there are some nice roads but largely because it is cut through by some major through roads, it fails on the "village-y" feel of lots of more desirable areas. If you have to consider schools, you want to be as close as possible to the Streatham side so that you have a chance of Dunraven.

[reetgood]

I joined just to throw my oar in. I lived down the road in West Norwood for several years. My assessment was pretty much least exciting place ever but good value and I enjoyed being there. Norwood Road/ South Circular side of the station is slightly more edgy, but the other side of the station is West Dulwich which is very pleasant and leafy. I think it's overlooked as an area because overground/ suburbia. So for me would depend on which side of Tulse Hill. I never felt unsafe there, and you're near Brockwell park in one direction and Dulwich park is fairly near too.

[kirinm]

Thanks Reet. The road is Knolly Road but has an SW16 postcode which isn't Tulse Hill as far as I can work out.

[MackerelOfFact]

I lived in West Norwood (near B&Q) for a few years and quite liked it. Great transport links, you've got Tulse Hill and West Norwood stations which serve different lines (London Bridge, Victoria and Thameslink), regular buses to Brixton, Croydon and Central London and you're not far from Herne Hill, Brockwell Park, Dulwich, Forest Hill or Crystal Palace which are all lovely.

The Brixton side of Tulse Hill is a bit scary but not dangerous to ordinarily people really. There's a fair bit of crime in the area and (I ended up being witness to a murder ) but unless you're dealing drugs or in a gang you're unlikely to be involved personally.

West Norwood is on the up - it has a trendy street market once a month and is getting a new leisure centre, plus the cemetery is incredible.

[thecatfromjapan]

Off the top of my head, I think that's a secondary school black hole and I don't know about primaries, either. Don't know if that bothers you at this stage.

[Thurlow]

We lived in Tulse Hill for three years until 2011 (before wimping out and heading to leafy Hertfordshire when we were expecting DC). I liked it, but I didn't love it. The train links into London Bridge are fantastic, and the pub is indeed lovely. There's shops for most things you need in either Brixton or West Norwood.

It really was a perfectly acceptable place to live but I'm not sure I would buy there. It depends really what sort of place you are looking for and how long you think you might be there?

[reetgood]

Yeah to me that's almost West Norwood, I lived 10 mins other direction towards West Norwood station. I've run round there, not felt unsafe between borders of Leigham Court rd/ Leigham Vale (although this was several years ago). Continues the very ordinary feel of West Norwood. If you run or bike it's great to head off down Dulwich way, very strange to end up in the very villagey feel of Dulwich Village within 15-20mins.

@mackereloffact I suppose on the up had to happen with West Norwood eventually - loads of big Victorian semi detacheds still available as family homes, but I did rather enjoy the extreme unfashionability of it several years ago! People would always ask 'where?' when I said I lived there!

[kirinm]

We used to live in Brixton and then moved to Peckham. Not sure I'm ready for quiet and not much there tbh but we are running out of affordable areas!

No young kids so schools not an issue. Thanks for the info.

[Boobz]

We are currently looking in Brixton and Herne Hill (currently live in the arse-end of Streatham) and have peeked at a couple of houses in Tulse Hill as you do get so much more for your money. But Tulse Hill station itself is not good for us as we really need to be going into Victoria (hence looking at HH and Brixton); West Norwood could work for us I suppose, but then I feel like I'm moving from Streatham to West Norwood which is a bit of a side-ways step....

I think of Knolly's Road as Streatham though, bordering on West Norwood, but it is a long road so could be either I guess. I look at incredible place online there a couple of weeks back - over 4000 sq ft!!! which we would have bought if we could have got it (was a about 100k over our best offer though) so for that amount of space I would have compromised on location!

In the end we have decided to stick to Brixton so we have the vicky line - saw a great place online today but again we can't quite stretch to the budget needed to secure it.

What kind of house are you looking for?

[babydad]

I lived in Streatham Hill until recently and used to get on the train everyday at Tulse Hill. It is not the most exciting place, but it definitely going to change with the Tulse Hill Hotel. The Railway Tavern is also a great pub.

You will probably find you visit Streatham or West Norwood more than Tulse Hill for shops and both are great.

Good luck.

[kirinm]

We are just looking for a flat. 2 beds in most paste of London ( it seems) are out of our budget. We've actually started looking at one beds. It is so depressing that I'm ready to give up to be honest.

[MuddhaOfSuburbia]

I've heard West Norwood called Snorewood before

I would love to live there, mind (we did look but ended up much further east)- there seems to be loads to do plus easy to get out/good transport links

you say it's out of your search area- where have you been looking so far?

[kirinm]

We were looking at Leyton / Leytonstone but places were going for £60-£70k over the asking price so we've kind of ruled them out now. We looked at a one bed in peckham (would love to stay there) but it was really small. Also looked at Walthamstow, Forest Gate and Camberwell

Now we are looking at most places. We took a two week break because the whole process is tedious but we need to get back into it as prices aren't getting any cheaper.

[lalalonglegs]

I'd consider Knollys Rd more Streatham than Tulse Hill as well - perhaps that's because I tend to approach it from the Streatham Hill direction rather than the South Circular. It would get any children you have/will have into Dunraven which is an excellent school and it is also close to Hitherfield Primary School which a friend's child has just started at - she is thrilled with it. I quite like the roads around that stretch of Streatham/West Norwood - you can get some amazing views from some of them. West Norwood is getting a Picturehouse cinema and I've spotted a few cafes popping up on the high road. I think you could do a lot worse although I don't know Leytonstone at all so can't compare.

[kirinm]

Thanks lala, that's very positive sounding!

[bananaballoo]

I used to live on Knolly Road. I never had any issues. I was near the West Norwood end. The bus to Brixton station runs lots and then straight on the tube. It was quite nice with local shops. I used Brixton more for nightlife though and never used Streatham as my main hub.

[Boobz]

Has anyone lived on St Julian's Farm Road? Is it a bit of a rat run? This has just popped up and looks lovely...

West Norwood House

[reetgood]

I lived a couple of streets away from there. Didn't seem that bad with traffic. Mind is slightly blown by asking price! Eee that London.

[BumbleNova]

I know what you mean about the search being so depressing in London Kirinm. thats why we are now in kent. we happily lived in herne hill for years, but the prices went bonkers. a two bed flat with no outdoor space at all went for 500k in 24 hours. so we left.

I think streatham is changing, I have a couple of friends that way. the common is huge.

[mashpot]

St Julians isn't a rat run, can be busy at certain times around school but on the whole is not bad. It is a good road in West Norwood.

West Norwood has a few lovely cafes, 2 good pubs, a new leisure centre. A cinema on the way!

Tulse hill is very close by and has the lovely Railway as well as the new foodie Tulse Hill hotel. It's not somewhere I feel unsafe walking around at night but you get used to what you know.

[kirinm]

We saw the flat which was nice enough. The area seemed fine too but I don't feel comfortable shelling out £420k on somewhere I feel a bit 'meh' about.

Going to see a one bed place close to where we are now on Saturday. I'm tempted to offer on it now, I've seen so many places I know the layout of most period properties in the areas we've been looking now!

[pinkdelight]

I live near that area and a lot has changed in recent years. There's lots of new / refurbed pubs (incl an Antic pub not far from Knollys), nice new cafes, bric-a-brac shops (cool retro Book and Record Bar), and a new leisure centre in West Norwood plus the monthly 'Feast' which is a foodie's delight and makes the whole place really vibrant. There's even going to be a Picturehouse Cinema soon so I hear.

Sure, it'll never be super swish, but it's different to the place people who lived there years ago remember. And although it's worth checking to be sure, I would've thought kids on Knollys Rd would get into Elmgreen for secondary so don't think it's a black hole. I don't know that particular road, but around there is pretty handy for transport as Tulse Hill is on lots of lines and it's only a short hop on the bus to Brixton for the tube. It doesn't feel unsafe to me around here, not for anyone used to south London in general.

Re. Julian's Farm Rd, that house does look stunning. Not noticed the road being a rat run although the roads around there are busy cos of the school and station proximity. Pros and cons like most of London innit.

[kirinm]

I was a bit disappointed as we got accosted by a couple of kids - nothing major just hassling for cigarettes - but I've lived in Brixton and am currently in Peckham and haven't ever been approached in the dark before. As I say, it wasn't anything majorly upsetting.

I think really I have my heart set on different areas and until I'm 100% sure we've exhausted all avenues there, I'm going to be grumpy and difficult about moving somewhere I don't really know.