East Dulwich or Forest Hill?

[rucksack123]

We are new to London, and are debating between buying a small flat in East Dulwich or a house in Forest Hill (same price). Does anyone have any experience of either area and whether best to prioritise space or location? currently enjoy eating out etc and are planning to have kids in next few years. i understand east dulwich has a lot of baby related groups etc. Is forest hill also good to meet other parents? thanks!

Buy the house. Both are great for families, you can easily get from one to the other, and the space in your home will matter more than anything else if you have children.

Totally agree with PP. ED is slightly more chichi… but it’s a quick trip between the two of you want to get a dose of yummy mummy heaven.

But a house is so so important.

Both good places for families. Forest Hill may have better connections, a lot of ED is miles from a station, and the station isn’t that great anyway. And unless the flat is huge, I would say flat trumps house.

I live between ED and Peckham Rye. I don't have kids but in your position would go for the house, particularly if in walking distance of overground station. As others have said, ED and FH are not far apart and ED transport isn't the best (I use Peckham Rye, and friends along Lordship Lane get the bus to PR rather than use ED station).
Crystal Palace also a good place to live I think.

House in Forest Hill, transport links are much better, good schools plenty going for young children, not as many restaurants/cafe in Forest Hill but Dulwich is only down the road.

If you are planning to grow in size as a family, with the high stamp duty prices these days, I’d try to buy the biggest space you can in the best location possible or a space where you can add rooms (without a super expensive build cost) so you only have to move if you want to rather than because you have to. Also consider school catchment areas (if you want future kids to attend state schools) so you don’t have to move if you don’t want to. My personal preference is house over flat though.
ED is better location wise but both areas are nice. FH is only a short bus or drive to ED though. We live in the dulwich hill area so it’s a quick bus to FH station (easy to get to London Bridge or Canary Wharf) or Peckham Rye station (Thameslink to St Pancras or trains to Victoria) with the benefits of both Peckham Rye park and Dulwich parks and walk to the shops in ED and Dulwich village too. It’s also slightly cheaper here than central ED.
Also I prefer Southwark councils services to Lewisham council services (I used to live in London borough of Lewisham).