Herne Hill vs East Dulwich?

[Umnitsa]

We are looking to buy a house somewhere in the area and I would be interested in your views re: these two neighbourhoods. Do you think they are more or less similar in demographics / desirability / safety? Which would be better from the investment point of view (ie which is likely to appreciate more)?

Herne Hill would be more convenient transport-wise (City Thameslink) but it also seems more expensive.

I was rather freaked out by the stabbing at the East Dulwich station last week - but I guess Herne Hill is also rather exposed being so close to Brixton...

I would be grateful if you could share your views and experiences.

PS To give some background, we are refugees from Hampstead and are currently renting in E.Dulwich around Hornimann's.

Mmm, Stradella and Burbage Rds all sound lovely but I don't think our budget will stretch to it, ditto Dulwich proper (obviously!). For that price we could find a house in West Hampstead or Highgate which would be more convenient for the commute.

Getting an apartment defies the point - raison d'etre of being here is relative affordability of nice houses.

We want a house over 150 sq m, with a garden. At least 4 bedrooms. Fairly big or open plan sitting room (s) / kitchen. We are both tall so if there is a loft conversion the ceilings should still be fairly high.

£750-770K is an absolute maximum for a property which requires no work; if needs updating the budget will be lower.

Ok, Phil-and-Kristies out there, advice?

Umnitsa, you should extend your search to Honor Oak Park SE23 - green spaces, great schools, lots of lovely Victoriana.

Btw, what do you think of the area around Glengarry Road / Trossachs / Melbourne Grove? It is walking distance to HH station (took me 23 min yesterday but I was not wearing heels or carrying laptop bags...)

Is the area around Hillsborough Road council housing?

Thank you, Mitfordsisters. My best friend lives there so I know parts of Honor Oak Part. Really beautiful big houses but the London Bridge connection is not convenient (we are using the Forest Hill station now). The East London line has not improved things for us either - it is less hassle to change to the Jubilee Line at Canada Water, but takes longer.

Depends whether you want private schools or good state schools

Herne Hill Is a bit posh for south London but not as posh as Dulwich village as it is on doorstep of Brixton. I visit about once a week so hardly makes me an expert though.

It is expensive IMO but not compared to Belsize Park!

I agree East Dulwich not well connected transport wise.

telegraph Hill (SE14) has good schools and is in middle of thameslink and overground stations.

Plus HUGE houses for less than £1million and decent state schools.

But suspect SE14/SE4 is nowhere near posh enough!

What London station do you need to get to Umnitsa?

Thanks Macmama. I think definitely private for secondary school (Alleyn's and JAGS are part of the reason we want to be here - assuming DD gets into one of them... in ten years' time).

Yes, the Dutch Estate is local authority and ex local authority housing. They are beautiful inside, btw, not much to look at from the exterior.

Most of the houses on Glengarry, Trossachs and the other road that starts with a T there (can't remember its name off top of my head) are divided in to flats. There aren't all that many complete family houses. The gardens in some of those roads are very small. Like, 20ft.

On Rightmove I've just seen a house on Fawnbrake Avenue in Herne Hill which might suit you. Just have to watch out for the railway line.

DH goes to Blackfriars. I work between St James' and Park Royal. It takes me 1.5 hours one way to Park Royal / Hanger Lane now; would be more like 1 h 10 min from HH. (And don't ask me why we don't consider Chiswick / Ealing etc - for some reason DH is really not keen).

I think you would be able to get into private secondaries in any of the surrounding areas provided your DD passes exams etc. And its a hop skip and jump for a secondary kid on public transport (admittedly a walk from HH!)

But what about primary? Going to those schools will mean being shoulder to shoulder with a lot of kids who have been to the local private primaries or maybe the Dulwich village state schools...?

I think we've seen that house in Fawnbrake Ave - really nice but the sitting rooms are rather small and on different levels so cannot be knocked through. We really want a big sitting / family room downstairs. Also, it is rather low spec for the asking price.

I think the proximity of Brixton is a huge plus for H Hill - the Ritzy, Tesco, the Tube, the pool and indoor soft play at the Rec, the new cafes and restaurants in the market. Moreley's.
H Hill has Brockwell Park - a much better park than Dulwich, if you ask me, as it has more variety, and the Lido.
HH doesn't have such good shopping, but has more than enough excellent delis, the new little bookshop by the station, great kids bookshop and toyshop, good hardwear shops - but not the clothing of E Dulwich (Lordship Lane).

HH SO much better for public transport.

And has Ollie's!

LOL I totally agree with your DH!!!!

My experience of the whole area is that, unless you are a gang member yourself, any violence will leave you wholly untouched. I even found this living in Peckham.

Upper Norwood/Crystal Palace/Gipsy Hill also worth a look if big houses with nice neighbours is your thing.

If you are planning state primary then you need to be in the very doorstep of a school you think will suit.

I heart the Lido

Agree with blu. If I was you I would visit the state primaries you think you might be interested in and make a decision around that.

Looking at league tables alone won?t tell you much IME ? some of the schools I thought I would be most keen on left me cold on a visit.

Am at work at the mo but I like a challenge and will have a look later!!

Totally agree with MIFLAW.

FWIW my sources tell me that the guy who was stabbed in East Dulwich was a gang member who'd shot someone else earlier that day. So it was a gang related incident, pretty unusual in ED itself.

Personally I'd go ED all the way over HH, but i'm not posh. Have you tried Clapham?

Alternatively, if you could bear the transport, you could get a massive house in SE4 for that money.

I don't really shop in Lordship Lane for clothes, so lack of boutiques in HH is irrelevant!

Not sure about primary. Having come from a very different education system, at first I was scandalised that someone would pay £12K a year for a four-year-old to play with crayons. On the other hand, most friends who started their kids in state primaries have then moved them to private schools and are raving about the difference it has made... So I think the likelihood of a private primary for Bambina is increasing (good bye, my shoe habit!)

I completely agree with Miflaw. I have lived in different roads in Brixton, including one of the non-poet roads in poets corner, for 20 years, all fine. Chokker with TV and 'creative' types. Jay Rayner lives in the middle of Poets Corner.

You could also try the so-called 'ABCD' roads of Streatham Hill - Amesbury - Downton, plus Wavertree and the little roads that run between. A LOT more house for your money, 10 0r 12 ins walk to Thameslink / London Bridge from Tulse Hill or other lines from Streatham Hill (Victoria etc). Good community atmosphere, safe, good state schools, just.....Streatham high Rd (shudder)

6 mins walk from Thameslink, catchement of outstanding primary

"if you could bear the transport, you could get a massive house in SE4 for that money."

I find SE4 really well connected actually transport wise.

there is the overground and also the Thameslink service into Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon etc (either Nunhead or Crofton Park station depending which bit of SE4 /SE14 you are in)

And lots of buses too.

This house, v cheap and potential for fabulous kitchen extension, loft conversion or garage conversion, is within catchment of an outstanding primary and has a great private girls school at the end of the road, too!

And that is a road in which a Head Chef at a V posh restaurant, an MP several architects and a musical director at the National Theatre live!