Moving to Bromley

[Vale80]

Hi all, we're thinking of moving to Bromley from Wimbledon Chase. We'd be interested in the area at the back of Bromley North station. We went there today and looks really nice! Would like to hear your opinion about the area, schools (my LO is 8 months), commuting, safety...Thank you so much for your help!

Bromley is ok. Dull suburbia essentially but nice for raising a family. It is very convenient living near a town centre. Not sure about primary schools in that area, but catchments are generally quite tight so I would do your research carefully. Secondary catchments are fine from there. From there you can commute from BN or walk down to BS. I hated the BN shuttle service to Grove Park as I found getting on at Grove Park difficult and it was a disrupted commute.

Bromley is a pretty functional place to live. Good value housing in comparison to SW London and cheaper commuting in comparison to moving out, e.g. to Guildford / Tunbridge Wells. Commuting to Bromley South is pretty easy and it feels safer as you can take a fast train, rather than the stopper which tends to be busier in the late evening so you feel safer if travelling alone - not finding you are alone in the carriage with people behaving in an anti-social way on the trains that stop from Brixton to Penge etc. Never used the line to Bromley North.Fairly good choice of shops in Bromley but again functional, it's not like meeting a friend for coffee and shopping in Blackheath, Greenwich, Wimbledon Village or Sloane Square, but of course you can get to other areas quite easily.Fairly good choice of state and independent schools, including some new free schools opened and in development (La Fontaine and Bullers Wood for boys). Easy and quick access to the Kent countryside, Ide Hill, Knowle etc. which is really nice. I would say check the crime map. There has been a growing spate of burglaries, including criminals smashing through front doors to try and steal car keys (& cars) and jewellery, but of course, this issue is sadly not confined to Bromley by any means.

Thanks for your replies Starface and LadyLapsang, much appreciated.

BN has a station which goes to London via Grove Park - takes about 40mins, Bromley South has fast trains to London which take about 12 mins. BNorth is undergoing major refurbishment including the station and so is BSouth which will have luxury flats, outdoor eating, premier inn but it's been going on for years. BN now has a pedestrianised area (West/East Street) with lots of restaurants, there is a big Sainsbury, cinema, Queensmead Garden park, Normans Park (Bromley South area), really good library, theatre (The Churchill) and an indoor shopping centre (Intu).
Bromley North to Sundridge Park has some really nice areas but Bickley and Beckenham might be more green. There is a golf course in Sundridge Park.
I was bought up in Bromley and go back regularly but have seen the area change over the years, the High Street is nothing special, there is a large M&S, Primark and usual shops and cafe. It's a busy town.

Yes if you like the village vibe I would look at Beckenham, though it can be harder round there for secondary so depends how long you want to stay.

There are a few secondarys in Beckenham, Langley Park (separate boys and girls schools), Cator Park, Harris Academy (sure there are more). Chislehurst is nice too, villagey and quieter. Depends on what your priorities are, Bromley has become a very busy place.

Than you all for your messages, very helpful!

Sundridge Park is great and on the same like as Bromley North. It has a couple of really nice coffee shops, a gift shop, hairdressers and an amazing butchers/deli has just opened. There is a swing park quite close by and it's about 10 minutes drive to Beckenham Place Park which is lovely and about to have a big redevelopment. There are a few great nurseries within walking distance and all the schools are very good. You also have a big Sainsburys and a Waitrose you can walk to. Recently a Tesco metro has opened and a little Co-op. I really like the area it is suburbia but it's a pleasant place to live. The area is becoming more gentrified but it's not painfully trendy. There are a lot of lovely Victorian houses in really nice roads.

You may also want to think about ensuring you are in the catchment areas for senior schools if you are not intending to move before year 5/6 (it creeps up much quicker than you expect!). Chislehurst and Elmstead Woods are direct into the city with no need to change at Grove Park.

I can argue on the "meeting a friend and shopping is not the same in Bromley as in Blackheath and Greenwich".
Bromley shopping area actually is much nicer. The above mentioned areas are very busy, with a lot of tourists.
Preferably to visit over the working week rather than the weekend though.
Commute through Elmstead woods and Chislehurst indeed is much easier than BN/SP.

I would think about where you need to commute into. We looked at Bromley North but found primary catchments dicey ( rightmove has a vaguely accurate school checker) we have ended up in central beckenham which is nice and viillagey. The shops in bromley are a short drive away.