Can anyone tell me about Streatham Hill?

[Jeezimacasalinga]

Have lived in Balham for the last 11 years (Nightingale Triangle) and love it. Our current house is great but we'd ideally like a bit more space and a bigger garden though, which is really hard to find here - within our budget anyway! Quite a few people have suggested Streatham Hill (Telford Park) and I'd love to hear what's it's like from anyone who knows the area well. Thanks!

I live in Nightingale Triangle and I'm staying put: Streatham Hill has some beautiful roads and houses (and a great secondary school, Dunraven) but it has no tube, the train station can be murder at rush hour, the road that runs to Brixton from Streatham Common is congested in many parts and a thundering motorway in others and Streatham High Rd is absolutely charmless. I'm not convinced one even gets that much more bang for the buck there anymore. I know the area really well, btw, as I have family and friends there and have done up and sold two properties there in the past 3 years.

Thanks Lala that's exactly the kind of honest info I need. Anywhere you would suggest instead or should we stay put like you?

IME Streatham Hill isn't much cheaper than Balham, and Telford Park probably similar prices. Streatham Common is cheaper, Streatham Vale and Mitcham (Eastfields or tram) are cheaper still. But while there are some lovely roads especially near the Common, Streatham ain't Balham.

I wouldn't say the High Rd is totally charmless - there's some lovely cafes, even a branch of The Nightingale like in Balham, some excellent delis, a few good restaurants like Hood - but agree there are lots more cheap businesses and general scruffiness in a way that Balham hasn't had in the last 15 years. I'm very happy in Streatham but if I'd been able to afford more than a shoebox in Balham would have gone there. On the other hand it's easier to spend less in Streatham, even with the odd trip to Balham for Chadwick's, Waitrose etc.

The trains from both S Hill and Common can be bad though many people get off at Balham, and probably more likely to get a seat than if you get on the tube at Balham in rush hour.