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.

Parts of it are in Sutton, there are some excellent primaries & depending where you live catchment for a very good Sutton comp plus you get access to Kingston & Sutton grammars if you want. Catholic schools in the surrounding boroughs are very good too. My friend moved for schools, she was in Lambeth before & didn’t like the secondary options.

I agree there’s not loads going on but there are some good restaurants. I don’t think it’s that dissimilar to loads of other places tbh.

@Meredusoleil yes, my friend is very close to the Kingston border but wanted to avoid due to the council tax 😆

I don't like Croydon, both ds's have played football there over the last 15 years and it's just grim.

I used to live in Croydon and now live in a much more affluent part of London.

Went back a few weeks ago. It looked much better than I remembered, but it's probably because it was a sunny spring day.

Yes, it is rough. Lots of bad experiences with men there, though they're probably not interested now I'm not 15.

Shame, because it has a lot of potential. I still love IKEA, Costco, Wandle park, Purley way and Park Hill. Worth coming back for these places. And then being able to leave at the end of the day.

And Kidspace! Too old for that now.

Lots of good amenities, some nice green spaces. Shame about the crime and gang culture, and general deprived appearance.

It's not "just grim" at all.

I’d be lost without the Croydon IKEA and Costco!

Didn’t Micheal Buble live in the posh part of Purley for a bit?

I think this is very true. Croydon (central) now reminds me of when I used to live in Brixton in the mid nineties. Had to keep your wits about you but great fun, great music and some great meals. I think maybe its moved outwards from gentrified Brixton.

I live just over the border in Surrey and lots of the people here that are 'scared' of Croydon have lived in the same Surrey small town/village all their lives, i find it ridiculous tbh, as would anyone that lived in central London in the nineties.

Also, as PP said, Cousdon, Old Couldson, Sanderstead, Farthing Downs, Happy Valley, South Croydon, Shirley etc are all 'in Croydon', along with Thornton Heath and West Croydon, and really could not be more different in demographics, or vibe. Its a bit silly to lump a whole London borough into all being like one deliberately run down town centre within it. I

Yes every borough has extremes, look at Mitcham and Wimbledon Village in Merton!

Marleybone High St and Oxford St in Westminster!

I remember going to that! And the Wacky Warehouse, when that was just across the road at the Gypsy Moth!

If you think Sutton is boring, try Morden, Sutton is a veritable hot spot in comparison

I spent 10 years in Morden and it was great tbh. Cheap housing, green spaces, tube and overhead and good bus services and a good community feel about the place

Sutton was the town we went to for the usual suspects shopping wise, Kingston if we could cope with the traffic :). Sutton was pretty boring and could be as rough as fuck on a Friday/Saturday night but there again I moved there from Putney and in the five years I lived there, I was burgled 3 times, the manager of the supermarket was stabbed to death and there was piles of punch ups and drunkenness at the weekends ( indeed when I lived there the pubs would shut at 3pm on a Saturday if the football was on )

I used to like Croydon as well, back in the 80s there was a great shopping area and the nightlife was good as well. However when we were looking to buy - we passed

Last I've went to croydon I've was harrassed/ borderline mugged & for the grace of god
mananaged to avoid a pickpocket/mugging.

I know loads of people who have been mugged in Wandsworth tbh