Streatham - what's it like for families?

[imtheirmum]

What's Streatham like as a place to bring up kids? Are there any kid friendly restaurants and cafe's? And how about parks, playgroups - and transport?? Nothing like an insider's view!!!

I live in Streatham. There are various pizza places, a noodlery and lots of cafés that have lots of children inside, so they are presumably child friendly. There is plenty of green space - Tooting Common, Streatham Common and several smaller parks. I'm not up to date on playgroups as my youngest's 8, but you'd probably find something. Transport's pretty good - lots of bus routes, train lines to Victoria and London Bridge (oh, and Croydon and Sutton and Clapham Junction etc).

As I haven't lived anywhere else with children, I can't really compare it to other places.

thanks for that, any other thoughts from Streatham mums?

It's better than it used to be as far as I can tell, but tbh there's nothing that leaps out to me actually in Streatham itself. I usually travel out with the DCs.

Soft play - couple of Ok ones in Mitcham (the Hub is the best) Tigers Eye in Colliers Wood,

Parks - depends what end you're at, I'm down near the Common. The swing park at the bottom is alright, but I wouldn't go at weekends or during the holidays - too packed with older kids. The Rookery at the top is pretty nice though - flower gardens for the Dcs to run around and a lovely fairly secret picnic area. Two paddling pools, one by the swing park I avoid but the one at the top near the Rookery is grassy and nice even if it does get a bit busy sometimes.

Generally we prefer the swings on Tooting Bec Common, or to travel to Dulwich Park, Crystal Palace Park or Kelsey Park in Beckingam - bit of a drive but pretty near perfect as far as parks go imo.

Transport - really good public transport to pretty much everywhere. Trains and buses in Streatham, tube down the road in Brixton.

Cafes - er Nandos? There's a nice cafe called The Fresh Bean Cafe down my end, fairly new, does great coffees and sandwiches and actually advertises for M&Ts to go there.

I'll try and think of some other stuff for you, or if you've got any specific questions?

The cinema there is nice, called Streatham picture house and they have mother and baby screenings. The shopping centre near the station is really awful and made me want to leave the area as fast as I could but as I've only walked between the two places I can't be too judgemental.

Lots of little enclaves in Streatham have a good community feel - especially if close to a school with a tight catchment - look at Hitherfield, St Julian's (Streatham / W Norwood borders) or Streatham Wells. (I know less about the ones further South. Is Granton in Streatham?) But check - proximity can sometimes need to be v close.

Streatham is a huge area - transport is v good - if you are in the streatham Hill area you have a choice of Streatham Hill overground or down to Tulse Hill for the Thameslink, with a v quick connection to the excellent polka theatre, for instance. Short distance from some v good big parks - as mentioned by Serenity - I like brockwell, too, and there are v nice small neighbourhood parks - e.g Hillside gardens, which has a one o'clock club, also Unigate Woods. There is a playgroup and active toddlers club at St Margarets Chruch in Streatham Hill, and also I believe at the big Church near the Sainsbury's up the other end of Stretham. Depending on where you live, it can be within close reach (even walking) to Tooting Lido or Brockwell lido.

Cafes - well, the High Rd is horrible (has a good selection of shops but is 6 lanes of A23), but Pizza express does well as child-friendly, as does Perfect Blend in the day - I have seen lots of Mums and babes / toddlers in there.

I think it depends a lot on the group oif streets you are in and immediate locality - in our cololection of roads everyoine says hello and all the parents know each other. Look at schools ofsteds, etc. But, as a recent convert to Streatham (from Brixton) I would say that it still represents good value compared to similiar areas, and yes, is a good place to bring up kids. I live at the Streatham Hill end.

Not sure where the Stretham picture house is....but there is a big Odeon in the High Rd.

Also - Streatham has an excellent class of MN-ers - with yet more a short bus ride down the hill in Brixton.

goingfor3, there isn't a Streatham Picture House (I'm fairly sure the Odeon doesn't do parent and baby screenings) and nor is there anything that could be remotely described as a "shopping centre", scary or otherwise. Have you got the right place?

The much-derided High Road has some hidden gems - an excellent Polish deli, a greengrocer that sells a very wide range of fruit and vegetables (so you can bribe whining toddlers with something more PC than sweets )and a very good health food shop.

Whoops it must have been stratford then, I did think that Streatham was quite a trendy place.

Kids Club at the Odeon is still going. We were there on Sunday - 3 adults and 3 DCs watching Barnyard (which we hadn't seen yet)for £7.50, just my sort of price

Ive been told its rough but no one can tell you any better then someone who lives there. If your unsure go to their local police station and ask what the crimes like there.

Rough?
Well, yes, compared to Dulwich Village it probably is. There has been a little spate of bak robberies in the High rd, but then the bank in Herne Hill (a mile away), on the corner of a road where houses cost £1.5 million has now closed down because it has so many robberies!

I think Batters caused a bit of a scene in Lidl with some rough behaviour once, but even she is calming down these days.

Thank you all, this is just the sort of local knowledge the charming estate agents can't give you!! I think it struck me that if you lived kind of half way between the streatham main road and the west norwood main road you might feel a bit isolated - ie not really walkable to shops etc?? But good to hear there is stuff going on generally!

There are several small shops round there if you run out of milk and eggs - a newsagent and a sub post office on Leigham Vale, a Spar attached to the garage on Leigham Court Road and another newsagent/convenience store further up LCR towards the common. Avoid running out of fresh cream though! I would have said Streatham or West Norwood would be walkable, but not with a weekly shop for the family. On the positive side, there are amazing views from some of the houses in that area (and if you go down to West Norwood to the shops from there, you can save on gym membership by taking your shopping uphill home ).

Imtheremum - there are also little mini-supermarket shops on the corner of Amesbury Rd and Hillside rd if it is the Northern side of the railway line. And one of those small buses runs along the High rd, then along Downton Avenue and then to Herne Hill (I think).

Look at schools and proximity.....unless you are heading private.

Like the Sydenham Panther.

But more useful.

So are you moving to Streatham, itm?

Any roads in mind?

Hi Streatham mums & dads,
I wanted to ask a question... I am a local personal trainer and was thinking of running some exercise groups in the Streatham area...would anyone be keen for this?
Just wanted to get the feelers out there for feedback and then decide on days and times?
Any suggestions and feedback much appreciated.

THANK YOU

Hi guys I am new to this site I hope this is ok
I have around 30 disney princess dressed in various sizes that are now to small for my girls and are sitting in a bag doing nothing. Is it worth me taking any pictures and putting them on here. Any advise is appreciated
Thanks in advance