A flat in Crystal Palace, or Sutton, or a house in Catford?

[confusedperson]

Hi everyone. I am in a very deep thinking as to what and where to buy? We currently live in West Norwood and are looking to buy our own place, i.e. for me & my two small children. My budget is around 200k, and that is about what we can afford. Crystal Palace is nice and trendy, but not so good for children? (just guessing) Sutton is nice and family orientated? In somewhere like Catford (or similar, I am looking in south part of London anyway) I could afford a house rather than a flat, but is it worth it? I am so confused which decision to make? Anyone got a good advice?

Plumstead?

I can have no part of disliking Plumstead, if that's where you mean.

Never been, but I can see it's near Thamesmead...

Hully, it's Catford! Honour Oak is half a mile from it.

Whereabouts in Catford did you live? And whereabouts do you live now. (No pressure to answer obviously).

Back to the OP, I looked at houses in West Norwood last year as I'm trying to downsize my mortgage. Catford is positively blooming compared to there. (No offence to any West Norwood people). I know here's the lake and all, but that High St

Woolwich

Yes! Plumstead. May the lord strike it with thunderbolts (once all the folk are rehoused etc obviously).

Silvertown. Ended up there once lost at two in the morning. Wow.

I lived very near the centre. The centre of horror.

Can't say where I live now, but is by the briny. Altho I live somewhere else too.

The centre of Catford is horrid. The South Circular runs through it so run down housing and businesses etc.

My sister still lives very near Horror Central. Pore ol her. Have to shut my eyes en route when we visit.

I live in Honor Oak and Blythe Hill is a four minute walk from my house and the new playground is lovely!

OP, I would consider Honor Oak, Forest Hill or Brockley as alternatives. I lived in Forest Hill for a couple of years before moving to HOP. It's fab, loads of green space, good schools, fairly reasonably priced - well cheaper than Crystal Palace anyway. Three bedroom Victorian terraces on our road range from £350k-£385k.

And we have the new Overground trains!

"I live in Honor Oak and Blythe Hill is a four minute walk from my house and the new playground is lovely!"

I thenk yew.

The arse end of it could be considered Catford maybe?

OP - the commute to London Bridge from HOP is fab, even if you don't get a seat it's only 12 minutes, OK, so it doesn't ALWAYS take the 12 minutes advertised.....

I live in Catford and Blythe Hill Fields is 10 seconds from my door! How is not Catford??

Blythe Hill itself is a nice road too... you get out of the station, start walking up the hill and halfway up it dawns on you that you've swapped the noise of traffic for birdsong.

Crystal Palace is good but more expensive. Personally I'd prefer Dulwich than much of it, parts of East as well as West Dulwich. If I was looking at the Palace I'd be aiming for the roads off Church Road such as Fox Hill.

Sutton is too far "outta mah manor" to comment on. :o

Thanks all, for making me homesick. :(

It's a big field surrounded by HOP, Ladywell & Catford?

Catfordian, I guess you are Bankhurst end, I'm between Blythe Hill and Guys sports fields.

We may have made small talk in the sand pit. I am not the woman who bribed her son to get back in his pushchair using a fig roll.

Cornish

Besides, I love fig rolls, doesn't everyone?

Valhalla - it is like being in the countryside up here :)

I had a flock of parakeets in my apple tree last summer noisy buggers

:)

Dogwalkers love the open spaces around here too.

In conclusion, South East London generally rocks. OP, come on over!

Well said Cornish :)

Pack it in Catfordian! :o

I can't afford to return to London and I just have to accept that (and shouldn't grumble, I live in a chocolate-box type village) but if you can, I'd say go for it, it'd god's own city.

Val - lol

It is a great place. It does lack some things but away from the South Circular especially up here, it's fab. :)

As others have said, Catford is a big area but when people think of it, they automatically think of the shopping centre which is rather bleak, though has a great fish stall and some okay cafes. Beyond the centre, it quickly improves. Both going toward Forest Hill & Hither Green / Lee, you have some great Victorian houses with large gardens going for approx 300k for a bay fronted 3 bed in good condition. The Corbett estate (large estate of Victorian houses built by Archibald Corbett), is increasingly populated by educated but not well paid professional families (huge amounts of teachers, health and social care graduates, artists / artisans). The local primary school (sandhurst) is great, outstanding for juniors, good and improving for infants, other school in the Corbett estate (Torridon) also good. Not so great for secondaries in the area (though Forest Hill boys & Syndenham girls quite good), though you do have access to grammars in Bexley & Bromley if you want to go down the 11+ route. We have lived in Catford for past 9 years since DCs were born, it is a bit dull in terms of adult entertainment but for children, it's great, with easy access to nice parks with cafes ( mountsfield, manor house gardens, ladywell fields), leisure centres / libraries, community centres ( Limelight is great for baby / toddler groups and ballet / musical theatre ), museums (Hornimans), childrens and adult theatre (Lewisham theatre) as well as easy access into the centre of town for other theatre etc. If you want space for your money and a friendly community feel, I would recommend the Corbett Estate!

PS. The gun shop has been gone for years so anyone who bases their opinions of Catford on this hasn't been there recently!

Hi,

I live in Sutton and it's fab! Having lived and worked all over South London I have to say that this is the nicest area I've lived in. Lot's of greenspaces and I just feel safer around here.

My last flat, which was 3 minutes walk from Sutton High Street (by St Nicholas Church) was huge, and it had it's own private garden, so there is a chance you will get a garden, even if you go for a flat.

Have to say, I don't envy you living in West Norwood, my nan lives there and has been mugged 5 times in the last few years, and is now a virtual hermit

Have you lived in Catford, Fuzzy?

The Gun Shop was a licenced sports shop anyway!

No, worked there though, and hated it!!!

Yes, that is part of Catford's problem - crapola for people working there because there's no decent pubs / bars / restaurants, only an average pizzeria and some okay curry houses and cafes. Centre of Catford also not the nicest place to walk down at night,(not unusual for many areas of London ) but for families there is very little reason to visit the town centre at night and families is really what Catford is about (for the reasons I have already outlined).