Bromley v Croydon =same same

[Chocolateorcheese]

I see a lot of love on here for LB Bromley, yet none for LB Croydon. Ok, Bromley centre has a massive shopping centre and Croydon Central, well, erm, hasn’t. On MN I hear green spaces, fab housing, great schools, quick commute into London, close to countryside. Doesn’t Croydon have this too? I hear the north of the borough gets a bad rap, but then whenever I see people suggesting a move to Bromley I never see Bromley north or south mentioned either.

So, are there more Bromley mumsnetters than Croydon ones? Have most people chosen to spout common misconceptions despite never visiting the area? Or, is there something in this?

Aren't they both dull and therefore much of a muchness. 😂 Ok, the last bit was cheeky, but seriously they are both zone 5&6 so what’s the difference?

Family are from Croydon, and I spent half of my childhood and teens there (other half in Sevenoaks, quite a departure).

Much as I do genuinely have a love for the place, it undeniably has areas that are total shitholes - although it IS improving. Shirley, Warlingham, Addiscombe etc are all fine, but I wouldn't live there now. There are green spaces (Shirley Hills was great) and good amenities, and transport.

Agree with @formerbabe about Thornton Heath though - if you're not used to it it can be an assault on the senses. I had a boyfriend there and a cabbie once asked if I was sure I knew where I was going when I was headed over to his from East Croydon station!

I'd say, personally, Bromley edges Croydon in ok-ness. But will always have a place in my heart for the good old Brighton Road ❤️

and Croydon Central, well, erm, hasn’t

Is the Whitgift Centre no more? I no longer live in Croydon, but I grew up in South Croydon, and it was very upmarket. Anywhere near Lloyd Park and Croham Hurst in South Croydon are very upmarket and leafy. Sanderstead and Selsdon are all nice as are parts of Addiscombe, especially Sandilands.

I agree that there is a huge range of housing and demographics in Croydon.

Bromley is pretty safe, much more affluent, and so green

South Croydon has Lloyd Park, Croham Hurst and Addington Hills. Then a couple of miles up the road there is Selsdon Woods. Does Bromley have more green spaces than that in such a small area?

Croydon has a more diverse population than Bromley, hence feeling more 'London'. I think it's trendier than Bromley too but imo doesn't feel as safe - the crime rate is definitely higher.

I have lived in both and I would avoid Croydon for the fact the trains run in Southern rail. That rail company made my life hell for a few years with their unreliability. I promised myself that I would never live somewhere on their line again.

Also Bromley has a lot of good schools

Born in Bromley and raised in Croydon (Crystal Palace kid). Before Croydon council ripped the gets out of the town centre, I'd have said Croydon over Bromley. Now I think it's the other way around.

I know Bromley and Croydon well and significantly prefer Croydon. Bromley is dull, suburban and a bit meh. I find the town centre there really depressing and boring. Croydon has really nice leafy suburbs with good access to the country (and feels less overdeveloped). Where I am feels like a village! Croydon is greener. Sure it has more urban bits but I grew up in East London so am not phased by that either. Central Croydon (East/West) is grim but it is more interesting and Londonish than Bromley and its grimness is decades of mismanagement and poor planning. Croydon has far far better trains than Bromley too! Croydon every time

As somebody said, Croydon feels more "London" and Bromley more "suburbs".

I have lived in both and now live in Addiscombe.

Bromley is definitely nicer from a family point of view, as free schools are much better.

Croydon is diverse, but there is a Croydon attitude which can be intimidating for some I guess.

To chip in re schools, you can definitely call Bromley schools ‘excellent’ overall but you definitely can’t say that about Croydon schools overall (but there are some excellent exceptions).

Crime-wise, I do actually watch my wallet and phone much more in Westminster than the burbs. It’s also not just feelings but looking up actual police crime stats which are easily available. In rougher areas, secondary schools tend to be rougher too (some shitholes in Westminster actually- I witnessed violence against teachers and groups of teens turning up stoned first thing in the morning etc). Some Croydon schools are quite unsavoury too. Not somewhere you want to send own kids to.

I do like the description of Croydon being arty, trendy almost, perhaps it feels more like London than Bromley and that’s what people are keen to distance themselves from when raising a family.

DH work in a creative job and I’ve always been into art (going to galleries, museums as well as doing art myself) so definitely not trying to distance ourselves from artiness. Hence choosing the burbs over the commuter belt - easy access to culture in London. We’re in Sutton and within the borough there are annual artists open houses, a community run theatre + Sutton college runs tons of art courses so I’ve been improving my sculpture and painting skills. So we’re happy from that point of view even though you wouldn’t ever walk around Sutton thinking how arty it is.

But anyway, it boils down to picking out a bit of suburbia for great schools, commute (you can still cycle into work from much of outer London), spacious house, big garden, green spaces and activities - just waiting for DS to turn 3 and start rugby and tennis. DH and I have been making good use of the bouldering centre, golf course and tennis club. I think suburbia is a great spot for a pretty wholesome lifestyle.

@ginfordinner - there are lots of small rural(ish) villages in the borough of Bromley - Farnborough, Downe, Keston, Cudham - miles and miles of fields and farmland.

Avoid Croydon. Whitgift is falling to pieces, awaiting redevelopment. Bromley is the shopping centre now.
Croydon Council is bankrupt, senior execs resigned.
Bromley are taking Croydon to court because Croydon closed local roads and diverted traffic onto Bromley roads causing massive traffic jams.

I live north of the river, used to visit both until a few years ago when the people I visited moved or sadly died.

Bromley to me felt like Kent, Croydon like south London.

That's so depressing to read about Croydon. I was born there, grew up there, had part time jobs there - one in the Whitgift Centre (this was in 1976).

I remember when the Whitgift centre was the place to go shoppng. People used to come up from Brighton to go shopping there. How sad.

I'm in a couple of Croydon Facebook groups so I know they have been knocking it about a lot - Taberner House gone, St George's Walk gone, the lovely Queen's Gardens dug up, new buildings by East Croydon station. Oh well, I guess this is "progress".

This may be out of date as I moved from S london in my 20s but Croydon was definitely less salubrious than Bromley then. Bromley had better shops and restaurants, less crime, less grotty for the most part, fewer social issues. Croydon is great for transport though.

Has St Georges Walk been redeveloped? Being an old fart, I can remember it opening. It seemed so modern - shops all together with loads of space between them and no traffic. It was a revelation.

Does this mean that the old Nestle building has gone, too, and the Greyhound pub that was beneath it?

I saw David Bowie perform in the upstairs room at the Greyhound. Those were the days ...

I love Bromley. Never felt unsafe there. Croydon is the complete opposite. It's just awful and I feel so unsafe there to the point I don't go anymore.

I think there’s confusion re the borough and the town. The town is deprived, as are some other towns within the borough. There are all many towns which a lovely, plenty of parks, beautiful homes - The Croydon governed parts of Chipstead, for example. And Coulsdon, Old Coulsdon, Purley to name a few.

But easier to ridicule the area and it’s residents by people who’ve never been.

I used to see bands at The Greyhound as well @LakieLady
I also saw quite a few at The Fairfield Halls.

I used to go to a hairdresser in St George's Walk. This is what it looks like now apparently.

Both dull and with stiflingly suburban outlooks IMHO and both of them make me feel a bit of me just died. Bromley is much more affluent, probably less crime, better schools etc.

No offence to anyone here from Croydon and prepared to get flamed but I've always found its aspiration to be a city pathetic. If you want to be a city, sort out your housing and roads, create a proper city hub which has more to it than just endless shopping centres, lose the chip on the shoulder or just accept that you're another corridor town.

It may have changed and no doubt is getting more affluent as people from London move there but I've always found it uniquely depressing.

I was born and raised in Croydon, watched it go down hill until I moved 200 miles away, went back for a visit last year, its a shit hole

Croydon is not somewhere I’d choose to raise children. It’s horrible at night and has a lot of social issues. Bromley has some lovely areas and great schools. Just feels safer.

Croydon has much better transport links and some truly lovely parts - I live in Purley on the edge of the Webb Estate - gorgeous 1920s Arts and Crafts mansions, apparently Michael Buble owns one . Bromley has always seemed much more suburban and dull. Used to love to go to the Glades in the 90s though.

@Ginfordinner, have you any idea where that pic was taken from? DP and I have just pored over it and can't work out if the remnants of what looks like a 60s building is the office blocks that used to be in Katherine Street, the bottom of the Nestle building or even something completely different.

All this has given me a huge attack of nostalgia. My first job was in Taberner House and my second was for the gas board in that block in Katherine Street. And I smoked my first joint in the Town Hall gardens, which (I think) became Queen's Gardens.

I live in a small country town full of historic buildings and narrow streets now, it feels like a different world.

Bromley IS boring. And that's the attraction!