Where are the good and bad bits of Kennington...?

[IDismyname]

We're looking at buying a flat there... Someone once said to me that it had some lovely areas, and some not so lovely. I guess similar to most parts of London!
I'm planning on spending some time there during the day, getting a feel of the place, but if any of you live there, I'd appreciate your thoughts.

Not bothered by schools, but transport needs to be good/ nearby.

Bump!

Se11 much better than se17 at the moment although the latter a much better investment as they do up elephant and castle (look up the Southwark council things about elephant and castle). Cleaver square and around there, also around windmill row, extremely nice. Round the oval (sw9) also nice - so fentiman road etc. There is sometimes not very much to do locally - although you are super close to Waterloo and town. kennington tandoori is awesome for your first night in your new flat!

I lived there for 10 years until last year, during my single and child-free life. I loved it. Kennington proper i.e. around Kennington Cross, is lovely. Some nice cafes/restaurants (yes to Kennington Tandoori!), a wonderful independent bookshop, a great florist etc.

Cleaver Sq is obviously gorgeous, although there aren't many flats there. West Square is also amazing, up nearer E&C (which is grim). But there are loads of nice flats in decent streets (St Mary's Gardens, Monkton St, Ravensdon St, Imperial Court, that sort of thing).

Transport is great, lots of buses, tubes reasonably accessible (E&C, Lambeth North, Kennington). We didn't tend to go out in K'ton in the evenings, but the South Bank and West End were so easy to get to, we didn't need to.

Don't know the area well, but had a fabulous meal at The Lobster Pot and highly recommend it (French fish restaurant).

Thank you all for your help, and where to get a decent curry!

I keep being sent stuff for E&C, and I just cannot get my head around living there, however fabulous its going to be in 2-3 or 4 years time, and how relatively cheap it is to buy. I want to be able to walk home from the tube feeling safe!

I will mooch around those areas and streets you've mentioned.

I second above posts - I also lived there for almost ten years and left two years ago. And I had the best time ever - I lived right next to Kennington Cross. I love all the little streets around Cleaver Sq as mentioned above but also north of the Cross is lovely - Chester Way and all the roads off to the right as you go down Kennington Road towards the Imperial War Museum.
It's such an amazing central place to live. I'd steer clear of anything around Black Prince Rd - although I know it's been developed a lot lately (can't remember the big school development name) and so maybe it's changed a bit. good luck!

Kennington Road, Kennington Lane on the Elephant side, the Vauxhall side is grotty. Kennington Park Road is also a bit grotty in parts. The new flats on Black Prince Road and Lollard Street are right in the middle of not particularly lovely social housing. The houses and older flats in the roads between the IWM and the Elephant are nice, with more of a community feel.

For eating: Kennington Tandoori, Gandhis, The Coriander, all good

... as is Koza, and the Lobster Pot. Also within easy reach of South Bank and West End. Lower Marsh and The Cut are good for a mooch, lots of quirky little shops.

Transport is excellent, Northern Line from Kennington, Bakerloo from Lambeff Norf. Buses to the West End, Kensington museums, Kings Cross via Holborn, Liverpool Street, and in the other direction to Brixton and St Reatham.

The only downside is that there are four bloody Tescos and nothing else, although there is a Little Waitrose at Vauxhall and a new Co-op opening on Westminster Bridge Road. There is the world's grimmest Morrisons on the Walworth Road. A few poncy shops (and an Iceland) on Lower Marsh.

Ah but if you live in the naice parts of Kennington, you can barely move for Ocado vans, so you don't need Tesco, MrsSchadenfreude

OP - what's your budget?

Its up to the £900K mark for 2 beds, if that helps.

I would seriously avoid any of the new developments at that price - the new flats are small and usually have the kitchen and sitting room in together. You might manage a small house for that, somewhere like Courtenay Street, or possibly Denny Street, or a bigger flat in Chester Way, or one of the flats off Kennington Road between the Cross and the IWM.

this one is overpriced, I think.

Can't see anything I'd class as being in a nice bit on zoopla at the moment. The parliament reach flats do NOT look worth the money, and I'm a bit equivocal about the Lillian Baylis development.
If something came up, you could get a flat in cleaver sq, st Mary's gardens or walcot sq for that, probably. Or a house in a nice little street like Denny St, some of the houses in Gilbert rd, Aulton place, possibly somewhere smallish.
Got to love London prices [hm]

I would categorically not buy in the Lilian Baylis development. It's a posh shiny development slap bang in the middle of a rough estate - why would you? Parliament Reach definitely overpriced.

All the Parliament Reach stuff and Lillian Bayliss too keep heading into my inbox via RightMove. It's Delete, Delete, Delete!!
I hate the architecture of both of them.

It’s actually not a rough estate, it’s large, but from what I’ve seen ( walking through to drop and collect kids from school) it’s very quiet and well kept. And you can actually get to Lillian Baylis development without having to go through it. There’s lots to do with children and great transport links. I hope you weren’t out of Kennington by some of the comments.

I am thinking of moving to Burton Road is that in Kennington(kennington came up when I asked google "Whats it like to live in..)if so has anyone any views knowledge of that area?