Brixton or South Croydon for young family

[Brixtonvssouthcroydon]

We are thinking of moving to South London and found two properties we like but we are unsure about location.
There is dh, DD (baby) and myself. We both work central but only a couple of days a week.
Property 1: in Brixton very central but small garden
Property 2: South Croydon (Lloyds park area), larger garden

Both similar size, South Croydon one is 20% cheaper but it's a complete different lifestyle over there.

Family friend tells us South Croydon would be better for a young family; we are also a bit concerned that Brixton might more a young professional neighbourhood rather than young family so maybe less baby friendly.

I know you can't decide for us! But any opinions on both areas?

You can get a bus directly from West Norwood (no 2) to Marble Arch/Regent street.. takes about 50 mins.

Same bus will get you into Brixton in about 15 mins where you can obvs pick up the tube.

Lindon Bridge or Victoria in about 30 mins from WN station.

It might not have its own tube station but it's very well served for public transport, less hectic than Brixton and cheaper housing stock too. Bery good primary and secondary school in catchment. My son is very happy at Dunraven.

Would def recommend a look there.

It has 3 train stations, Streatham vale, Streatham and Streatham hill

It's Streatham Common not Vale & if you are near one you can be quite far from the others. I know someone who lived up near the rookery which was quite a trek to the nearest station as no buses on that bit. It depends where you are.

Lots of good buses but the traffic on the high street can be awful.

You can get a bus directly from West Norwood (no 2) to Marble Arch/Regent street.. takes about 50 mins.

During rush hour?

I think Brixton is fab for a young family! Think a lot of the negative views might be a bit out of date. LOADS of parks - some genuinely amazing (e.g brockwell), the lido, a leisure centre with new amazing soft play, ritzy cinema, substation with kids climbing room, masses of baby classes, endless opportunities for mat leave coffee shop mooching, etc. Lambeth is a v activist council and there is generally a lot of supported stuff (tho high council tax)

Downsides are levels of air pollution - which should get better with more LTNs but that will take time. And it’s generally busy and buzzy - if you’re after tranquil it is probably not for you.

I know Croydon much less well - instinctively would describe it as slightly depressing cross between suburban gloom and a commuter town.

Oh just spotted that Dulwich is the dream - in NJ that case I’d suggest west Norwood or Streatham, as affordable versions of that

What is your budget @Brixtonvssouthcroydon ?

No it isn’t

Having had to do the school run to and from Streatham for many years without a car - yes it is.... Buses on the High Road can travel at little more than a crawl in rush hour, trains are not that frequent and the distances between stations mean that even if between the three there is a train into town every 10 minutes or so the chances are that 2 of them are a schlep so you're down to one every half an hour possibly 15 minutes whilst Brixton has a tube every minute or so....

Yep, well aware of the different parts of Brixton having been in London a long time (and my partner is black and have mixed kids so we think about this stuff too). I would not be desperate to live around LJ, Tulse Hill or Myatts Park but if you're someone who enjoys living in inner London then Brixton still has a lot to offer.
Some people will never be happy to send their kids to inner London schools, which is basically a prejudice against people from poorer backgrounds and ethnic minorities. If that's the case for people, then obviously most of inner London is off the menu!

Some people will never be happy to send their kids to inner London schools, which is basically a prejudice against people from poorer backgrounds and ethnic minorities. If that's the case for people, then obviously most of inner London is off the menu!

Tbf a lot of people are happy to live in inner London as long as they go private particularly at secondary level. Mixing at the local state school is not the diversity they are after apparently!

I say something on the local news about Streatham where Lambeth are introducing more LTNs this diverting more pollution & traffic onto the high street.

I understand your point and lots going on that's definitely a plus for the area. I wouldn't class Brockwell Park as Brixton though having being born in the area, definitely Herne Hill (which is a fab area). My view and experience is definitely not out of date. I have just been helping my mum sort out CCTV for our church and community centre in two different Brixton wards, Ferndale area and Brixton Hill area, due to drug taking, rough sleeping, and prostitutes using the front garden for customers. Very different by day and night. Brixton can be great but don't romanticise it or think it's something that's it's not. Lambeth Council have been voted 5th most complained about in England, have reduced many services. Not to say Croydon are better and the council is a real negative for Croydon borough in general. Services are reduced and Croydon are in debt.

All of my family pretty much moved out of Brixton and Clapham to Streatham and West Norwood and I would say having spent my teens there, it's much safer, good schools too.

Yes there a rush hour bus that only stops 4 times between WN and Marble Arch. It's really quick. and cheap.

Trains easier if you're going anywhere else in London tho obvs

I used to get the no 2 sometimes, normally took about 70mins plus waiting for bus, maybe the quick one is a new thing @YukoandHiro

There is a train roughly every 12 minutes from Streatham hill to Victoria, and it takes about 15 mins. Plus trains to other destinations.

From Streatham there is Thameslink, trains to Victoria, one stop to Balham to pick up the tube. Buses from roughly the Odeon onwards heading N to Brixton tube are not usually mired in traffic, and there are any number of them. The P13 wends its way cross country.., depending on where in Streatham you live you may be in walking distance of Tulse Hill for Thameslink, trains to Wimbledon etc.

I lived off Streatham high road for a few yrs & still work nearby, the traffic is frequently bad on the high street & the train from SH to Victoria is more like 20 mins.

The best bit is the Balham side where you can be in Balham in a long walk or short bus ride but it's expensive & lack of secondaries

I like the so-called ABCD roads between Streatham High Rd and Tulse Hill station. Access to the good schools, Hillside Gardens, walking distance to W Norwood Picturehouse and v good sense of community.

Brixton girl here too - Same here! How strange, we may have even gone to school together? Left just before the riots. Relative was mugged but late at night, I guess most of London is risky for that. In some ways I have nice memories, steel bands on the street and the lovely Brockwell Park. My primary school was nice but the secondaries had security guards, so I’m glad we got out eventually. There is in some ways, I felt, a pride in the community in Brixton, but it’s born out of hardship, the police were terrible for a time.

I don’t know what it’s like now, it seemed to have got popular and even a bit gentrified, where I used to live looks nice now but when I was there it was broken windows, lifts not working, dodgy people.

So I think OP I’d look at it really ‘coldly’ and look up crime stats, talk to people. My mum had to move out of there in the end. I don’t know but it seems there is quite a big drug problem there now, which wasn’t there when I was a child.

@TakenRoot it's not bad there but the houses are definitely bigger & it's much leafier near the Bedford Hill side.

And why not just go to the Odeon, half the walk from ABC roads unless you are at the top.

If your budget stretches to it, the area between Brixton Hill and Brockwell park is very nice with lots of Victorian houses, fantastic for families. It is also quite quiet around there and has a nice community feel. A large proportion of the people who have moved there recently are young fairly affluent families, which may fit what you are looking for.