Why do Sutton and Croydon get so much negativity?

[Youwouldntlastandh0ur]

This is coming from an outside perspective - so bear with me. I lived in Wandsworth/Merton area. and when I was younger I used to hear so many people talk about Sutton and Croydon (and areas around there) and how bad it is. What's wrong with it? As far as I've known, I've pointed out differences:

Sutton

Primary aged kids, families with younger children, Christians, big open spaces, and feels like a village.

Croydon:

Younger people, young adults, big nightlife, lots of shops, chavvy, secondary aged kids and lots of cultures.

Croydon is a fairly big borough... depends on which part I think. Thornton heath is an utter tip imo. I went there once and found it's hideous...and I'm not a stranger to rough areas! Purley is also in the borough and is a much more suburban leafy area.

Can't comment on Sutton....drove through it once I think and thought it seemed incredibly dull.

I live in the borough of Sutton. There are some lovely places to live in the borough with excellent schools such as Cheam, Worcester Park, and other areas too but I think despite the decent shops snd places to eat in the town centre it is an absolute dump. So rough, and I've lived in rough areas. If I need to go to the shops, I prefer Kingston or Wimbledon.

Don’t know Sutton well but really don’t like Croydon. Honestly can’t put my finger on why.

BTW Sutton if you're referring to the town centre absolutely does not feel like a village!

Bit as you say there are lovely parks, open spaces etc in the surrounding areas.

I haven't heard that Sutton has a bad reputation. I think of it as just an ordinary part of outer suburban London.
Croydon does have a bad reputation and there has been a lot of knife crime there in recent years. West Croydon, Thornton Heath and the inner part of the borough are quite rough. The shopping centre used to be great years ago but is now very run down and lots of people now avoid it. The outer parts of the borough like Purley and Shirley are nice and leafy suburbs.

Spent 27 years living in Norbury and working in Croydon. Utterly dreadful, rough places. You don’t realise how rough until you get out of it. Lots of knife crime, gangs, it doesn’t feel safe just walking about anymore. I was mugged in broad daylight along a main road in Thornton Heath.

Not sure why Sutton is viewed with negativity as it’s one of the safest boroughs in London. 2nd safest I think? not much crime in comparison to most other boroughs.

Croydon is rough. ( parts of it anyway )

Croydon definitely has a bad reputation for violence crime and so on, to the point that I am going to visit just to see what it is actually like.

Sutton doesn't get much negativity at all, apart from being dull. In fact there is someone on Mumsnet who is always single handedly trying to make Sutton happen as the next property hotspot.

Croydon is an absolute cesspit.

Thanks for your imput.

Just realised I didn't even know where Croydon was until I moved to around Colliers Wood area! (that also was considered rough)

*input

Croydon is rough af especially the town centre. Quite a bit of crime. South Croydon seems nice though. I live in the borough of Sutton. It's a massive borough and some really lovely parts. The town centre is a little rough but it feels much safer than Croydon.

I am going to be massively disappointed if I get to Croydon and find just another suburb 🧐

I should've clarified - I didn't mean all of Sutton. There are some parts (like Carshalton Beeches) that seem really nice.

I know someone who used to work in a bank in Croydon she would get daily verbal abuse and spat at regularly. She left when someone threatened to stick a knife in her pussy.

I lived in Thornton Heath most of my childhood, yes it could be rough but actually the high street is much more lively(in a good way) and is vibrant. My parents still live there and say they feel safe as there are shops open 24/7 and lots of different communities out and about. There are not so good bits of course but it is better than it was. Really pleased the library survived the cuts and it has been invested in. Norwood junction area is definitely had some investment also. Croydon centre has more residential areas and therefore kid playing areas. Shops do seem drabber though

That's awful.

I know a guy who's offices moved to Croydon, he calls it the Cronx.

If you know an area it's probably not that scary. I went to Thornton Heath and thought it was very rough/depressing though. More so than Croydon.

Sutton is not as bad as it's reputation. There are some nice bits but the town centre is a bit grim.

I mean the only reason I've ever been to (or driven to) Thornton Heath is to go to the hospital (Croydon Hospital) and I've been to the McDonald's there a few times. They used to have a PlayPlace.

I haven't seen that poster in a while! I live locally and whenever I read a local thread, they would have posted on it!

I like Sutton well enough. I don't think it's super rough but then I'm rarely there past early evening. The bit near ASDA often has people hanging around. However I work in much rougher places! My main complaint is a lack of variety of nice restaurants.

There's a super family run Italian restaurant in Upper Mulgrave Road, opposite the station.

Given the enormous number of Home Office employees working in Croydon, it should be the safest place in the country.

Have lived in Sutton for 20 years and find it generally pleasant and safe, if not a little dull. I run on my own, often in the dark and have never worried Good schools, more green spaces than most London boroughs, high street is poor, but I wouldn’t describe it as rough and certainly not unsafe. I had a covid jab in Thornton Heath and couldn’t believe it was only a couple of miles away. I felt genuinely unsafe the whole time I was queuing and it was 3:30 on a Monday afternoon!