What’s Thornton Heath like?

[KazzaNige]

We're currently in the process of buying our first home in Thornton Heath after renting in Streatham for 8 years.

I believe Croydon Council is bankrupt but has apparently secured the Westfield development as of the last week despite it being in the works for like 10 years or something.

As for Thornton Heath itself, I have seen a regeneration plan however it wasn't going to be funded by the Croydon Council, so I wasn’t sure if anything has actually been happening. It was published in 2021, does anyone know if much has happened in that time? Has there been any investment in the area?

I appreciate it's still a bit rough and ready looking, but so was Streatham when I first moved there. I know these things take time, especially when the country's close to recession. We have some friend’s that have moved to the area though a little more in either the Crystal Palace side or Selhurst side.

We’re more concerned about whether it’s safe & if there’s a sense of community. We’re dog owners & planning for a family so all of these things matter. We really liked the look of our street & the house we’re buying. The seller had lived in the area for 25 years & raised a family & said good things but it would be good to get a non biased view of someone with lived experience in the area.

Anyway, looking forward to moving to the area & if anyone also has tips on nice places for dog walks or places to eat etc. do let us know.

Following - I’m also looking in the Norbury / Thornton Heath area. A lot of the reputation puts me off and the transport into London Bridge isn’t as good as say, Norwood, but the affordability is attractive.

People buy there because it's cheap (for London) but I haven't heard that it's being gentrified yet. If you travel to Crystal Palace, there's plenty of places to eat and the dinosaur park.

Thanks. Obviously it’s a big plus being close to Crystal Palace & part of the attraction of TH where you get a lot your money. However, we’re not saying we want or expect Crystal Palace levels of gentrification in TH. But something akin to Streatham which really isn’t gentrified at all would be nice. Really just a sign of some life in the place. I think it can seem a little condemned in parts. Appreciate it has a vibrant community. Is there any sign of investment happening? The high street just seems to be multiple variations of the same thing & loads of vacant pubs. Not sure if there’s even things such as a Boots or Superdrug or any Chemists at all. Is there? You’d prefer not to have to go to CR for things like that. Have read the big Tesco gets a lot of anti social behaviour. Do the high street in general have an A/B problem?

It's rough and lots of problems

OP, I see a fair few houses on Rightmove that look like they have been very loved in TH. What is Streatham like? I’m in Clapham Common right now and though I’d love to buy here, it’s out of the question.

Check the crime rate. I wouldn't want to live there. Working there was bad enough.

A friend lived there and it was ok. Done good community stuff. But she was waiting for it to 'up and come', and it never did. I suspect without significant change it'll stay as is: affordable but a bit run down and occasionally a little edgy.

I agree there is a lot of negativity about the place but I find it comes from people that don’t live in the area. It obviously suffers from the Croydon connection too. I’ve lived in London long enough to know that not everywhere is as nice as your Claphams, Balhams or Crystal Palaces. The reality is I couldn’t afford a big 3 bedroom house in any of those places and in Thornton Heath I can. It was in the press recently that it has become a hotspot for first time buyers because of this, so just wondering has the area shown signs of being on the up, not necessarily gentrification.

The crime rate numbers in TH are actually lower than Streatham’s so overall it doesn’t bother me & again I’m in London long enough to know you get crime anywhere.

@CheeseyOnionPie Streatham is fine. I wouldn’t consider it gentrified & is rough in parts but there’s been a lot of investment in it in the last 5 years. 2 M&S & a Aldi to add to A Tesco Extra, Sainburys, & Lidl. I moved there in 2015 & it was similar to TH back then. It really only had the new Tesco Extra development & the old Sainsburys. There were no real nice pubs & restaurants, nows there’s a few. Lots of flats. Beautiful but pokey 3 bed houses now go for £800k. Unfortunately out of my budget as a first time buyer & not nearly enough space anyway.

Anyway, was really hoping to hear from anyone living in the TH as there was an old thread on here with the same questions a few years ago & a few response from TH residents. 😁

It's really rough. I'd say even Croydon is better.

I will probably get shot down because I moved out of Norbury / TH 15 years ago and haven’t been back much since so what do I know - but I’d rather stick pins in my eyes and set myself on fire than ever go back there. I was born and raised there and lived there for 27 years. It went slowly more and more downhill to the point I was flashed at twice in Norbury park in broad daylight, was mugged walking home along a busy main road at 6pm, and the final cherry on the cake was being threatened with a gun (yep really) in a kids playground whilst walking through with my then toddler dd. I put the house up for sale shortly after that and moved to Norfolk and have never looked back. I would not want to live there.

There is a Superdrug opposite the Tesco. There's some okay bits and some much rougher. It's cheaper for a reason but it's not all bad. I don't think it'll get like Streatham not least as it's further out and feels more Croydon than London. I wouldn't set much store (no pun intended) by the latest moves in Croydon. That Westfield ain't happening. Think it's more that there'll finally be some decisions made about the existing shopping centres (whitgift and centrale) which have been in limbo and can be quite ghost town like. There's not much money in north and central croydon and the council situation is pretty dire. But all that aside, if it's where you can get the house you want, there are positives and plenty of people live there quite happily. I lived in norbury for years which was dull but never felt unsafe. We're now closer to CP but have friends in TH and they're fine with it. Some of the schools are decent and Norwood Jcn is v well connected and not bad in places.

So do your homework, choose your road and keep street smart on the dodgier roads and you'll be fine.

Worth looking at South Norwood too, as similar prices and arguably nicer.

Area-wise I'd favour: near Grange Park; around the football ground; the Parchmore/Northwood Rd end; and towards Norbury. Would be less keen on the 'Pond' (grim roundabout) end and around Brigstock Road towards Mayday. Basically further in towards London rather than out towards Croydon. But it can still vary street by street so don't take my word for it. Have a proper look around and get the feel. You'll know what you can live with.

I'm in Penge so not far away. I'd also suggest South Norwood. It's nicer and much better connected. There's a fast train to London Bridge and the overground. A few nice coffee shops have opened recently too. Thornton Heath feels a bit grottier.

Oh god it’s awful. You couldn’t pay me to live there. I always lock my doors when driving through, even during the day

Thornton Heath is one of the areas of Croydon that gives the borough it's bad reputation. Lots of violent crime reported in that ward. Big gang problem.

I know the area well. No chance in hell would I live there. Even if you offered me a free mansion. It is gang central. CR7 being the main one. If you do go on to have children either move away while they're young, or ensure you are super helicopter parents until they move out and never let them out.

As ever it depends - gang violence tends to be between gangs so as long as you and your DC steer clear of that, it's not an inevitability. Plenty of decent folk live in dodgy places and do okay. Obviously if you have better options, go for those, but not everyone does and it's not that bad if you pick your area right.

I have friends live there. One of them bringing up her child there. I was there earlier today! It is a bit grotty but youll have your own garden! Get involved in grangewood Park stuff. Get to know people.

Fawntuneef. Rough as a badger's arse. Humour aside, it isn't a safe place. Having said that neither was Balham 35/40 years ago.

That used to be true but now the gangs target anyone. There’s a lot of recent attacks on the TH 250 bus route (which I used to get on every day from outside my house) where girl gangs in particular are choosing to attack other young girls on the buses. It’s very scary.

Here - one example -

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/thornton-heath-bus-attack-met-police-appeal-london-crime-b1069903.html

@pinkdelight that's sadly not true, plenty of younger kids get targeted for robberies, mistaken identity, county lines.

I’d go for South Norwood over TH, not least because of the Country Park and Lakes if you’re dog walkers. Same proximity to Crystal Palace, similar prices, better transport links and a bit nicer.

I have friends who live there so have visited a few times. It is quite run down and nothing much locally, my friends go to CP for things like restaurants..

You can get some quite big maisonettes in Streatham with gardens for 650k or so, I would look at that. Or Norwood?