Moving from SW London to SE London (500k budget)

[Percy185]

I currently live in Carshalton in SW London / Surrey borders. But have been looking to move to SE London to be closer to work in the City. I have around 500k to spend on a 2 bed flat, somewhere with nice period properties, tree lined streets, ideally with a garden and needs to have a reasonable commute into Shoreditch / Liverpool St.

I am a single man in my mid to late 20s, and love spending time socialising in restaurants, pubs and at farmers markets.

I have friends and family in the Wimbledon / Clapham area so ideally want to be able to travel to see them within an hour.

Have been looking at Forest Hill, West Norwood, Nunhead / Telegraph Hill, Camberwell and Crystal Palace. If anyone has any experience on living in these areas please let me know how you rank them in order and where you would choose to live?

Looking for somewhere nice but not necessarily “naice” - somewhere more culturally diverse.

Thanks in advance

Tower Hamlets is much nicer than I thought it would be - plenty of green space and mostly not high rise.

Camberwell and Crystal Palace have the most going on of those areas. I think Forest Hill is a bit quiet for someone at your stage. West Norwood will give you most for your money and there is quite a lot going on there now.

I’m in Gipsy Hill/Crystal Palace. You’ll definitely get a decent 2-bed flat in and around the ‘triangle’ within your budget. It’s a great place to be with loads of bars, restaurants, independent shops, weekly market, plus plenty of green space on your doorstep. There’s a direct overground train from Crystal Palace station to shoreditch high street that takes 30 mins. Also direct trains to Victoria and London Bridge. The area definitely has its rougher parts but on the whole it’s a safe, diverse and interesting place to live with plenty going on, especially if you stay near the triangle.

Gipsy Hill is lovely

I would say Telegraph Hill or New Cross for you. Everywhere else is a bit nappy valley, although I do have a soft spot for Crystal Palace. I've lived in SE London for 24 years so feel I know it pretty well.

Blackheath or Greenwich would be my choice for a young single professional.

@tootiredtothinkofanewname
S/SW?

Near Haydons Road would be close to your friends and has the Thameslink service to the City?

It’s a vote for Crystal Palace from me. Lots going on and good transport connections.

West Norwood has the monthly Feast and a good community. Also new swimming pool/gym and picture house cinema. Forest hill has weekly farmers market at the Hornimans.

Nothing went on in West Norwood in the years I spent growing up there apart from a few bombs!

@tootiredtothinkofanewname

Does Carshalton really count as SW London? 🤔

(completely missing the point of the thread)

It’s in zone 5 for TfL and in a London borough

We live in the Camberwell/Peckham area and I would say it ticks most of your boxes. £500k might be stretching it for a period property with a garden but it has lots going on, it’s diverse, has a farmers market and easy enough to get to Wimbledon or Clapham.

My husband used to work in Liverpool St and could cycle there in 25mins.

Mrs Mair, it's really changed in recent years

New cross gate would work - diverse, mixed housing, the right end is close to queens road peckham which is the overground line to Clapham, as well as new cross gate, either takes you to shoreditch v quickly.

I am not just saying this because I am selling a flat there in your bracket honestly but have you looked at Blackheath Standard/Charlton slopes área. Very close to Greenwich park and the heath but also still room for growth. A really great area. I’m just moving away to the coast but it’s an easy commute to the city, plenty of people cycle too, and is leafy and nice but still can ‘up and come’ a little bit.

Another vote for Crystal Palace. Weve lived here for 5 years and love it. Bought our current 2 bed victorian conversion flat for £450kish last year and we love it. I'd stick closer to CP train station than gipsy Hill to make the most of the overground link to Shoreditch but anywhere in the triangle is good. The park is unrivalled, there's an amazing cinema, loads of pubs restaurants, there's 2 food market every weekend
Some awesome coffee shops and good bus and rail links.

West norwood is nice but less of a community feel. I've never really understood the camberwell appeal.. ive always thought it was a bit of a shit hole not much going on in forest Hill either except a big sainsburys and the Horniman.

Brixton?
Got some really nice streets and easy to get to Clapham etc, although I'm not sure about Liverpool Street.
It's full of mid-twenty year olds and a buzzing atmosphere.
Got a nice park & the Lido.
My BF lives there and I love it!

West Norwood is a great option, especially for value for money. Two stations going to central London and lots of buses to Brixton including an express bus direct to Waterloo. I have lived there for 14 years and am just selling my Victorian split level flat purely to move closer to my grandchildren in Hertfordshire. DM if you want to get a sense of the area.

Honor oak park or brockey. On the overground to shoreditch in 20 mins. Lots going on and if you live in some parts of honor oak you can hop on a bus to Peckham for a huge range or bars / restaurants, plus Peckham rye park - good luck!

1 bed in brixton or 2 bed in peckham for a single 20s man. The areas you thought of are very family-y.

Another vote for West Norwood. Have lived here for over 20 years and have seen massive change, all for the good.

Fab period housing stock, lots of places to eat/drink, the monthly Feast and new leisure centre and cinema.

For me though the best part is the community spirit which I have never experienced in any other part of London I have lived in.

Excellent schools too.

Here are some rather nice two-bed options that are within 50mins commute to both Shoreditch (work) and Clapham (friends), within £500k. I also set higher priorities for green space given you mentioned you wanted to be in a relatively leafy area.

Some highlights in the SE area were:

this option near Blackheath/Lewisham within walking distance to the local station and a 35min commute to work.

This modernist, open-plan place near to Forest Hill station. Here's another option nearby.

If you want to be a bit more central, This two-bed near South Bank is chain-free and has nice parquet flooring.

This newly refurbished two-bed in Honour Oak is also super nice. The area (esp Catford next door) is gentrifying a lot, so might be positive for local prices in the long run.

Crystal palace is a delight and for 500k you would get something really nice.