To wonder why Croydon/Sutton get so much negativity

[Dobdebdop]

Me and dh are looking to move from our current house and our currently house hunting in these two boroughs. We are seeking to be able to go mortgage free so I can start a business.

When we brought this up to family and friends, many sounded absolutely horrified at the idea.

When viewing properties we found most of these areas to be pleasant and absolutely fine. The high streets in both are a bit shabby but Central London is less than 30 mins for shopping so we can just go there.

I dont understand why there is so much negativity to this part of South London, I don't know much about this area but my impression is that it was an absolutely fine place to live.

Is Mayday hospital still referred to by locals as Maydie?

I don't know, but my DF spent his last days in St Helier which is nicknamed St Hellhole.

Croydon is the armpit of Surrey, it’s the antithesis of what one might imagine ‘Surrey’ to be like (yes I know there are some rubbish areas in Surrey, but there are also plenty of leafy, beautiful areas).

Sutton is just a nothing place, soulless but fairly inoffensive.

Croydon isn't in Surrey any more

I’ve never heard St Helier spoken of as Hellhole and I talk about it in one way or another on a daily basis and with lots of people.

There are no independent cafes apart from an ice cream shop and a few others, but few places have small independent cafes nowadays. Even Kew, for example, which is affluent and lovely.

I’m talking about Sutton, I don’t know Croydon too well.

I live in a CR (Croydon) postcode about 4 miles outside Croydon town centre and my address is 1 XXX Road, Suburb name, CRX XXX, Surrey. Croydon is both Greater London (for local /government services) and Surrey (for geographic and postal services).

Well Richmond is Surrey postcode but thats just out of date since they all became London Boroughs in the 1960s.

When did Croydon stop being part of Surrey Opalyra? I still address cards to family as South Croydon, Surrey.

One of the reasons that Croydon has such brutal architecture is that is was badly bombed during the war. It was sited between Croydon airport, Kenley airfield and Biggin Hill, so it was a target for bombing.

I grew up in a naice part of Croydon, and I still have family there. There are large parts that are really nice. I think people slagging it off must never have been there.

Off to google Coombe Wood School. I used to live near Coombe Woods. I can't think where it is in Melville Avenue (I knew the area very well). Is it on the site of Croham Hurst School?

OP, to be honest, I’d just stay where you are and be done with it.
If you must move, could you look at Mortlake (between Barnes and Sheen, I’m sure you know it)? Apparently house prices are set to rocket there because the entire Mortlake Brewery is going to be converted into a shopping / leisure / restaurant complex. So, although it’s probably similar to Richmond prices now, it could be worth a look?
Why do you need to go to Croydon or Sutton? Why? If you want to move out from Richmond to get more space, surely just head for Twickenham, Teddington, Hampton, Sunbury and onwards. Follow the river until prices meet your budget? It’s much greener and chilled as you head S/W.

TapasforTwo it's the old council playing field site opposite Lloyd Park on the corner of Melville Ave and Croham Rd, there is currently just year 7 there and the whole school is temp buildings and will be next year too as they have only just been granted permission to build permanent site. Non selective but emphasis on health and fitness and fed by other Folio Trust schools, kids from further afield can take sporting aptitude test to gain entry. As we had to apply for secondaries before the planning permission was granted we did the normal eAdmissions application and directly to CWS school so DC2 received two school place offers. We were very lucky.

I know exactly where you mean now Chartreuser. I spent a lot of time at Lloyd Park as a child.

I used to go to Croham Hurst School (me and Sue Perkins) .The houses around Melville Ave/Croham Park Av/Castlemaine are beautiful and ver' ver' smart.

These threads come up every so often and I always end up feeling rather defensive about poor Croydon. I've lived here, on and off, half my life and I'm really rather fond of it. South of the borough is lovely and even the criminally-neglected town centre has its good points.

I'm baffled by the pp who said she couldn't find anywhere for a glass of red and a plate of garlic bread in south Croydon! The one thing you're never going to be short of is something to eat - personal faves are Galicia, Brasserie Vacherin, Matthews Yard, the oldie-but-goodie Bagatti's, Aqua, Karnavar and of course the much-missed Albert's Table. BoxPark is great. I love the Green Dragon, Dog & Bull and Art & Craft for a drink. There's an amazing gallery called Rise in St George's Walk and the annual food festival is fantastic. The theatre above the SpreadEagle is well worth checking out. That's not to mention all the green spaces...

The town centre is, undoubtedly, a mess and the atmosphere isn't exactly great atm, I will admit. But I'm optimistic about the arrival of Westfield.

You couldn't pay me to live in dull old Sutton though

Tapas the old Croham Hurst site is now the Old Palace junior school.

I lived in one of those roads Maud

@TapasForTwo - it’s currently being built on the big field opposite the Lloyd Park tram stop

Haha, I bet we have friends of friends then tapas

Taught in Croydon for 11 years and looking to go back. Certainly not the case that all are like that! So sick of entitled middle class kids in other London boroughs.

I grew up in Croydon (the posher, leafier part!) and some family members still live in the area. I really enjoyed it, but it seems to have gone somewhat downhill since then. My advice is to stay in Richmond, OP! It's lovely there, why move? (Except for slightly cheaper property, I suppose.)

It all really depends on what you want, the bonus of Sutton/Cheam or parts of South Croydon are you can get a bigger house with a nice big garden and still be a few minutes walk from a direct train to London. You get a lot more for your money than in Richmond and if you have the budget can get a huge detached house for the price of a 3 bed in Richmond. If I had to move back to the area with a Richmond level budget I'd go for something like this

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-62844786.html

Or maybe something totally out there like this (not a great garden though)

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-70812019.html

@TapasForTwo we in Sutton and Croydon boroughs have Surrey address and pay London taxes and vote for London Mayor and London Assembly (so would your family here)

Some horrible ill-informed snobbery on this thread. Grew up in Carshalton and Wallington and went to school in Croydon. Still have family in both boroughs. Would happily live in Carshalton, Carshalton Beeches, Cheam, Belmont, Wallington ... nice green spaces and big houses. Central Croydon is very urban and wouldn't be my choice, but parts of South Croydon, Sanderstead, Coulsdon, Chipstead, Banstead, Epsom etc. are all great. Also worth bearing in mind that the schools in Sutton borough are excellent.

@maudbaileysgreenturban I also went to Croham Hurst. Sue Perkins was a couple of years above me :)

Croydon's been slagged off for years. We're used to it. Sutton used to be nice but major re-development has turned it into a dump.

I was born in Croydon and we started married life in Sutton. Croydon was preferable IMO. Upper Norwood, Purley, Addington - NB NOT New Addington are nice. Central Sutton was not good but Carshalton and Cheam are nice. Wallington is OK. Carshalton Beeches and Woodmansterne were too far out.

In Croydon avoid at all costs Broad Green (even if they did film "Peepshow" there), Norbury and Thornton Heath. South Norwood seems to be on the up.

M-i-L went to Old Palace. In her day the girls were taught by nuns.

I also grew up in the area and would happily move back. My brother lives in Carshalton Beeches (by the old queen Mary's) is lovely and quiet. I often have a drive down this road and think if I ever won the lottery.....gardens are amazing. Would not get these in Richmond!

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-81934715.html