Herne Hill/ Denmark Hill Please help me narrow down a location

[freezingcoldasalways]

After reading the thread about where to avoid in London I've been inspired to start my own.

We are FTB looking for a 2 bed with plenty of space inside and maybe outside and an easy (read v. short! 10-20max & probably not more that 30min door to door) commute to Farringdon/City Thameslink, with maybe potential to extend in a few years. We have a really good budget 400-500k, it would be with help to buy so we really want to stay within that but we are struggling with locations and don't know where to start.

After lots of research we think maybe Herne Hill or Denmark Hill might be good places to live but I don't know anything about them. Does anyone know the area and think it a nice place? I guess we want to know if it's somewhere with restaurants, coffee places, etc and things to do on the weekend for adults that don't yet have any children!

We've been incredibly lucky with our current rented flat and we manage to walk to into work (we know we are very very lucky! and maybe now are a little spoilt! ) but now we need more space. However we are struggling with the location/space compromise. I guess we still want to go out in central London occasionally and don't want to go too far out.

Can someone please help me narrow down where to start looking?

If you do a RightMove search on SE24 there are quite a few nice looking flats within your price range. But you'd get a lot more for your money if you were prepared to live a bit further away from the station (around Trinity Rise). All the roads are much of a muchness once you get off the main roads

there's a few in these blocks which are close to Denamrk Hill station, amazing views a swell

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-44472934.html?backListLink=%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Fmap.html%3FlocationIdentifier%3DOUTCODE%255E2332%26insId%3D2%26maxPrice%3D500000%26minBedrooms%3D2%23_includeSSTC%3Don%26auction%3Dfalse%26locationIdentifier%3DOUTCODE%255E2332%26maxPrice%3D500000%26minBedrooms%3D2%26previousSearchLocation%3DSE5%26radius%3D0.0%26searchLocation%3DSE5%26searchType%3DSALE%26useLocationIdentifier%3Dfalse%26box%3D-0.10672%2C-0.07771%2C51.46459%2C51.48130%26popupPropertyId%3D44472934&fromMap=true

nothing for your budget near Peckham Rye station that I could see !

thanks Tilly. I saw the 1st one yesterday on Zoopla but not the 2nd one.

River, we had already seen that Peckham Rye was out of range for us.

Odd, I totally get that we could go further out and get a much bigger space but its already a big lifestyle comprise as is.

The second one is a two-bedroom squashed into 48 square metres ... that's pretty much the size of a big studio flat.

If you want to be on the Thameslink line, another station to consider is Loughborough Junction - it's a little rough around the edges, but you're a stop closer to London, 10 mins to Southbank, there's a private cinema under the arches (Whirled Cinema), a couple of art galleries, you're right next to Ruskin Park, 10 mins by bus from Brixton and Herne Hill, and you'd get a lot more space for your money like this.

River - Re Bellenden Rd: you're south Peckham to be sure, but as to whether you're also ED or not, well that depends who you speak to. I know those who live there who will swear blind they're ED ....

Shame you need Thameslink OP, but HH is lovely, especially round the station. Also Denmark Hill round Camberwell grove is lovely. Hmm tricky choice. Good luck.

good point Cunning. I did think those were bad pictures as well. Will keep looking. I think HH by the station is sounding like a better and better option.

Thanks everyone!

I didn't look closely at the flats! I agree, Loughborough Junction is worth considering - definitely more gritty but up and coming, slowly!

Bellenden Road is definitely SE15

I'm not suggesting you to move to the middle of nowhere - just a 10 min walk to the station!

I guess it depends whether you want convenience or a bigger place/nicer area. The standard EA advice was always to buy the best place you can afford in the nicest location. But actually I don't think that holds that true in London any more. LJ is definitely up and coming but it's not there yet and you'd have to walk (on a not a very nice walk if you find parts of London 'edgy') into Brixton. I think Herne Hill would suit you really well :)

Depending on where you live in ED you can get to Denmark Hill within 10 min on the bus. From there its about 11 min on the train to Blackfriars (that's my daily commute) so I wouldn't rule ED out just yet as ny commute is circa 25 min-30min to Blackfriars and if I lived closer to East Dulwich Road, it would be shorter.

Commuting to Herne Hill from ED is easy on the 37 as well but not as frequent as getting to Denmark Hill which has 3 buses running directly from Lordship Lane in the mornings so you never wait more than a couple of minutes.

If you want to be right beside you main commuting station then choose Herne Hill. It's got more going on its doorstep and is close to Dulwich Village's ammenities including Dulwich Park, the shops and restaurants on Village Way, the Picture Gallery etc. Brockwell Park is nice too as is the Lido in HH. Its a good choice if a short commute is your top priority.

yes, because some people can't bear to think they live in Peckham, whos - I know people like this. I worked for a woman who had been telling her colleagues for years she lived in ED - I turned up, innocently asked where she lived and said 'oh, in Peckham, like me' which made everyone laugh. It's Peckham, it has a Peckham postocde. And what on earth is south Peckham, when it's at home??

OP - really don't think you;d like Loughborough Junction! But I do think you'd like Brockley/Crofton Park so check that out when you're down this way.

For me Peckham stops and ED starts at ED road. With that said, there's no border crossing. Bellenden and the rest of Posh Peckham are as expensive these days as ED so living there is simply a lifestyle choice (wanting to be closer to Peckham Rye station which is better connected etc or digging the more hipster vibe around there).

How about [[Holdenby Road, Brockley
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-47600759.html this]] near Crofton Park station (c25mins to farringdon which really isn't bad, much better than 25mins on the tube). It's a nice area, improving a lot, nice cafés etc,10min walk from the overground at Brockley which gives you an alternative for evenings out in town etc. You get more space for your money than in herne hill!

Sorry that link didn't work

trying again

Sure you've done copious research to narrow down your area so feel free to disregard, but if I had that budget, those desires (2-bed flat, vibe, commuting area etc) and (crucially) no kids, I'd get somewhere in north London. I just searched on your criteria in a radius of 1 miles around Kentish Town station and there were 71 two-beds, many comparable to the quality and price of those in HH but much nearer to town than you're looking and still near the Thameslink (at Kentish Town).

Please note, i say this as a confirmed south Londoner, who has lived south of the river for most of my 20ish years in the smoke and now living not too far from HH, which is lovely, but it's lovely for families really and not so lovely getting home to after a night out in town. I mean, it's fine, it's not that far, but a hop back to Tufnell Park or somesuch would be preferable. Just saying...

It's interesting you say that pinkdelight because we think we can't afford Kentish town or much in North London. The places we've seen have been tiny or ex local authority blocks neither of which we are keen on. Or places with little transport options or very residential. Plus on of DP's colleagues bought a 1 bed in Kentish town for 600ishk and it went to closed bids after a slight bidding war. That was earlier on this spring. I might have another look.

Buying in a place for families isn't a bad thing when we are thinking/planning on starting our own in the not to distant future

Herne Hill isn't that far. Even late at night you take the tube to Brixton and then its a short hop to Herne Hill from there on a number of buses if the trains have stopped running.

We moved to DH earlier this year and love it! There are some great restaurants, transport is so easy (I commute into Blackfriars, husband into Victoria), the parks are great (Ruskin Park did free concerts in the bandstand almost every Sat this summer), it's just a really nice area.
There are some small houses in the area with outdoor space for under 500k, Allendale Close and the like.
We go to HH a bit but find it quite soulless in comparison

Fair enough. HH is lovely, esp if you're thinking of starting a family. And I agree it ain't that far. I'm further up towards West Nor/CP and after a few years I have got naffed off catching the bus from Brixton (or getting a cab) after nights out, hence my living-back-near-town-or-the-tube inclinations. So was just chucking it out there, esp given the aim for a v short commute. As soon as you're factoring in buses, that time inevitably expands. But for work hours, the train should be swift enough. Good luck with the search.

I've been reading this with interest, as I live very near some of the neighbourhoods mentioned.

I agree that H Hill could be a good fit for what you are looking for. And I am also tittering that (lovely) Bellenden Road with its groovy Anthony Gormley bollards and Peckham postcode had somehow shifted into East Dulwich. (This is close to my heart as my NDN seems convinced we live in Dulwich village!)

Maudant do like living there? I'm still curious about the quality of life in the areas mentioned. We currently live north of the river and more central. We like it but we can't afford to buy here and it and we want a bit more peace and lots more space!

Disclaimer: I don't live in Dulwich or H Hill itself.

Living where I do sometimes has its, ahem, moments but, yes, I do like it. I married a boy from North London but when it came to buying a house we bought here, because we couldn't have bought a house this close to work (we had similar priorities to you about commuting) in North London and the bits of North London we could afford were miles out and far less attractive.

Here, we have good transport links (although it's a bus ride to the Tube), some lovely parks, cultural facilities in easy reach, and neighbours who are almost universally lovely.

there is a lot of green space round here - Brockwell Park, Ruskin Park, Peckham Rye Park and Common, Dulwich Park, Sydenham/Dulwich Woods - that's just a few. DH is a big runner and one of the things he likes about living here is the choice of places to run.

I used to live in Camberwell, v near Denmark Hill. I am not at all a gritty person, in fact I really don't like Peckham or Brixton (although yes Bellenden Rd has come on a lot). I would really recommend the area, although the nice parts have become very expensive. It really is fantastic for commuting. I worked in canary wharf when we first moved there, was easy. My dh worked in the city near St. Paul's. I later worked just off Cheapside and used to get off at city thameslink station. So you should be fine for commuting. I think in 5 years there we had trouble with trains probably less than 5 times and that was pre the new east London line extension. Even when there is a train problem there are so many other options that it's fine. Plus a taxi is cheap if you're coming home late.

We didn't frequent Camberwell itself much as the high street is pretty grotty. But there are loads of nice pubs and restaurants around there and it's a short walk to ED or a v quick bus journey. In fact, around Denmark hill is generally closer to ED station that most of ED itself!

I really like ED and hung out there a lot pre and post children. But it is pricey and slightly further for commuting but you could catch a bus up to Denmark Hill.

I personally never took to herne hill. I've had two good friends have really horrible experiences there. Yes it has the park and some nice delis etc but I just didn't get it really. But you can walk from HH or DH to most parts of dulwich fairly quickly, so it's just personally preference really. There are plenty of parks in Camberwell too!

By the way I wouldn't take too much notice of the student thing in Camberwell. Yes there is an art college but it is closer to Peckham, and most students who go to the art college don't actually live around there. Camberwell is pretty divided in terms of parts of it being absolutely gorgeous (Camberwell grove, grove lane, grove park etc) and parts v rundown. Stick to the nice roads and you are unlikely to encounter any students or trouble.

Hope that helps, sorry for waffling am tired and off to bed! Feel free to PM me if you need to.

Just a thought re roads, the ones parallel to Camberwell grove going towards Peckham are quite nice eg Wilson Road, Shenley, Bushey Hill, Chadwick etc. Or any of the roads parallel to Dog Kennel Hill that go towards Bellenden and ED are quite good location wise. You mentioned supermarkets, there is a huge sainsburys on dog kennel hill which is a big road that goes from ED up to Denmark hill station. I would stay that side of Camberwell. There is a nice bit called Myatts Field but I don't think it's as easy to get to the station from there. You'd prob go to Loughborough junction station. You don't want to live around Loughborough junction, there is nothing there and it's horrible.

You may struggle to find something on a nice road with 2 bedrooms and outdoor space.