Moving to PENGE

[kashka81]

Hi everybody,

My partner and I are in the process of buying a house in Penge (Parish Lane). We need more space as we're planning to extend our family. We can't afford CP and Sydenham currently offer flats in the price of a 3-bed house in Penge which we've chosen as in our opinion it's better value and the area is supposed to be up-and-coming. We might want to sale the property in 3-4 years time - depending on how we settle.

I'm mostly concerned about whether I'm going to feel safe there coming home from work late in the evening as there's a big council estate just around the corner. The overall vibe is hard to assess as I don't currently live in the area.

I'd also like to be 100% sure that my future daughter/son is looked after well when I leave them in the nursery - does anyone know if there are any good ones in the neighborhood at all?

I would really appreciate your opinions - need to make the decision soon...

Thanks! K.

The Penge Tourist Board site is now live: www.pengetouristboard.co.uk

We live up the road in Honor Oak, having just moved there from West Norwood - we were looking in Penge, there's some lovely housing stock and it's great value. The high street is improving and there's good shopping and social options in two directions with CP and Beckenham being so close. I have two close friends who live there and love it - the park is great too. Hope you enjoy the move!

I moved out of the area in the summer and really miss it. I was close to Clock House - so technically Beckenham, but I preferred Penge for shopping etc (and free parking in Sainsburys!) and never felt unsafe. Previously lived the other side of Crystal Palace in West Norwood, and it's definitely less gritty than that, although both are seemingly on the up.

You have your pick of swimming pools, parks, supermarkets, libraries, transport options... I'd happily move back!

I grew up fairly near Penge and it was the most awful place imaginable. This was 20 years ago. I believe it has improved somewhat since then. I would rather sell my kidneys than send my DC to school there with the DC of those I know in the area.

I hope you're pronouncing it correctly, OP. It's meant to rhyme with blancmange. It's a gentrifying upgrading, like St.Reatham, Crouch End pronounced Crew Shon, but soft on the "n" in a French style. :o

Though I didn't live in Penge, I knew it well back in the day and always liked it.