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Original poster

Dulwich or Balham?

62 replies

Honesttodog · 16/02/2013 22:15

trying to find a family home which we will be in for 10 yrs or more.

We want to be on heaver estate in balham but have been to see a gorgeous house in east dulwich today and now I think i prefer dulwich.

Balham has great connections as you have tube and train, but is a bit dull for me, not that many great cafes or restaurants. Lavish habit is the only place I really like.

My DH would rather live in Balham as it's smarter, more stable house prices and value more likely to increase

I think I would be happier in Dulwich as people seemed more chilled out, nice community. But we'd have to start from scratch finding a place in a private school for DD for Sept 13. we can get a bigger place in dulwich for our money than in balham.

Any thoughts?

OP posts:
FlouncingMintyy · 17/02/2013 21:57

Hmm, I want to love Brixton. It was the first place I lived in London and I still visit for The Ritzy, Hennes and the market. But I just can't get past the fact that as you drive down Brixton Hill the first two enormous shop fronts you see on each side of the road are MacDonalds and KFC! Naffola Grin. Its not nearly as interesting as it was in the mid 80s.

Agree that Herne Hill might be a good bet for you op and also agree that ED is swiftly going the way of every other High Street and won't be long before it is all chain shops.

lalalonglegs · 17/02/2013 21:58

You forgot live music venue, carling Grin. I love Brixton - but I didn't know it had an ice rink. Where's that then?

Uppermid · 17/02/2013 22:00

Wouldn't live in either! Come to forest hill, honor oak, brockley! More house for your money, great school, great community, great parks and great transport links

Southwest · 17/02/2013 22:02

PMSL at Heaver and Brixton Grin just imaginign some funny images of people I know they are a bit different!!!!!!!!

If you like Clapham then you need Dulwich IMHO

Waitrose is hardly the be all, Im sure Dulwich will get one soon (and/or that Ocado/Waitrose will deliver)

What's the good cinema up the road from Balham?

Alleyns all the way according to my friends (and my SE London living sister too!)

Pizza Express in Dulwich and a Tesco somewhere too

Southwest · 17/02/2013 22:02

oh and Northcote Road is quite a treck from Heaver

greyvix · 17/02/2013 22:10

Go for the house you like, and check schools in the area. Anywhere will be a good investment. I hope so anyway: we have bought in Clapham.

Original poster
Honesttodog · 17/02/2013 22:59

Cinema is by sainsburys in balham

Have been to upstairs, it's v good! We also liked boqueria.

I actually having been that impressed with balham restaurant. Had a forgettable meal at Lambert's. French place on either on fine but not amazing. Dees has great sacks of cake mix powder stacked everywhere which horrified me as I make cakes for friends/parties etc. Why?

Yes wait rose is great but i'd be really to live near Lordship lane and have boring stuff delivered.

OP posts:
Original poster
Honesttodog · 17/02/2013 23:02

Carling I love brixton too but dh WD not... What are yr fave cafes? All the ones in brix market or are there others? I only ever go to the market.

OP posts:
CarlingBlackMabel · 18/02/2013 00:43

It's true about the centre of Brixton being almost defined by KFC and McD Sad. And the centre could be ruined further by the council's plans to turn the Town Hall into some kind of business centre Sad.

My fave cafes? Everything in the market, especially Federation Coffee, Lounge on Atlantic Rd, Opus underneath Upstairs, and the Lido for breakfasts.

Streatham High Rd now has some good cafes. If you like Lavish Habits you will like the cafe immediately downhill from the South London Press building on Leighham Court Rd which has cupcakes and a sewing club, and there is a brilliant place further S on the High Rd called something like Boyce and Roca.

The Pizza Express is in Dulwich Village, not E Dulwich. Next to Cafe Rouge. How mutually damning.

Herne Hill has PE, too, but it also has Cafe Provencal and Mimosa and Blackbird Bakery. And a good pub, The Florence, that has it's own micro-brewery, good food and an excellent games room for children.

Herne Hill. V respectable, and you can walk to Brixton. Go there. Good access to Rosemead school the Dulwich preps, Herne Hill school, Oakfield, Streatham and Clapham Girls, if you are looking for private.

I am a S Londoner, can you tell?

nannyof3 · 18/02/2013 01:17

Neither .... Sorry

FlouncingMintyy · 18/02/2013 11:16

Gosh, there's a pointless comment if ever I saw one!

herethereandeverywhere · 18/02/2013 13:20

Dees has sacks of cake mix?! OMG DON'T LIVE IN BALHAM!!!! Hmm

Original poster
Honesttodog · 18/02/2013 15:40

I know, I know, I happen to be a cake bore tho. Cake is crucial to my home purchase!

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herethereandeverywhere · 18/02/2013 16:24

Dees was the single reason I couldn't shift my last post baby stone. Self imposed ban since October = stone shifted. I really can't eat that much cake/pastry without it having an adverse effect. Once a fortnight maybe.

Levantine · 18/02/2013 17:42

I would go for Herne Hill over either - better transport links and a nicer park IMO

Southwest · 18/02/2013 17:52

Yes I was going to say some of you seem to drink a lot of coffee then carling made me laugh and I realized I was in a

Coffee shop!!

Sorry for my terrible punctuation earlier

Here I wish I could shift a stone just by avoiding coffee shops I am trying to diet right now and it is just sooooooo boring

DoYouMrJones · 18/02/2013 19:50

Balham for me, bought back when there wasn't much here and I am glad to see how it's improved so much over the years.. I'm not a fan of Dulwich. Someone mentionsmushed smugness of Dulwich - One of the smuggest, most insufferable mums I ever met lived there. An Aussie like me so thought we'd have something in common but no! It has coloured Dulwich for me ever since Wink

Not entirely rational I know!

Original poster
Honesttodog · 23/02/2013 12:31

Well have done a bit more research, some folk have pointed out that there isn't much in balham for older kids which is a pretty big negative when you think about it. I'm not sure how it will change in the next 5 years but there would be something reassuring about dulwich already having lots of secondary schools that can provide good clubs/after school activities when they are 9+.

I won't be totally unhappy if we end up in balham but I do suspect I will get bored of it. I am already pretty bored of SW london anyway.

OP posts:
WishIdbeenatigermum · 23/02/2013 12:49

Dulwich has 5 secondary schools! And 3 in East Dulwich and several in nearby Sydenham. There's not a load for teenagers to do, but there are loads around, and as teenagers seem to just like being together they seem happy. It's very MC, but that's ok too- they like moaning about the bourgeoisie, can get to Peckham and Brixton and have somewhere safe to retreat to! Wink
No tube though, so you do end up ferrying.

legalalien · 23/02/2013 13:42

I agree with those who suggest herne hill. Good transport links, an easy walk to north dulwich station if you need to get to london bridge rather than victoria.

(From dulwich, and for the record not australian)

Original poster
Honesttodog · 23/02/2013 13:48

mc? what's that?

OP posts:
Original poster
Honesttodog · 23/02/2013 13:48

middle class?

OP posts:
legalalien · 23/02/2013 13:58

Yes :) largely dictated by house prices.

Jeezimacasalinga · 23/02/2013 19:02

Well....in my opinion they are both pretty similar in terms of demographics/atmosphere, but Balham has much better transport links, hence the higher prices. If your DD is only 5 (and needing a school this September!) I would not make secondary schools a deal breaker in your search - many SW London kids travel quite a bit to school, and I know there is a school bus that goes b/w Balham and Dulwich (from Nightingale Lane iirc). Good luck - I was in your position a few years ago, we chose Nightingale Triangle area in Balham and I have not regretted it. Love the area, neighbours, proximity to commons and the fact that I can be at Oxford Circus in 20 mins!

spotty26 · 24/02/2013 08:40

I like both areas very much but the Properties on the Heaver and proximity to the Common would swing it for me. The roads are wide buckets of period features. Ritherdon Road is so lovely now with the street party and lovely shops. You can still go and hang out in ED if you like it too.

Is it Dulwich Village or East Dulwich your refer to - two quite separate areas and price brackets. If you could afford "The Village" then of course that is a very salubrious area and no contest with Balham really.

If you are veering towards ED then I think Herne Hill houses are a tad grander and smarter but the vibe is not as cool.