South Croydon or further out for starting a family?

[roamingcat]

Hi all,

We currently live in South Croydon and have been really happy here (shock horror I know!). The choice of both trains into Victoria and London Bridge from nearby station is really convenient as we both commute in 5 days a week, it makes it really easy to go and see friends or go into central London on the weekend for shopping/eating-out, and we like how close we are to the m25 for trips away/out of London. The schools near to us are outstanding/good, and it would work well for commute/school drop-offs in the future.

We've come to the point where we're thinking of starting a family in the next year or so and need to decide whether we're going to stay put here for a few more years (and invest more in the house) or move to our next home. We both need to commute 5 days a week into central London and this won't change, so any future location is going to be constrained by the need to be in walking distance to a train station and our budget. Our max budget is 550 but we would be much more comfortable on 475 when you factor in the cost of future nursery fees.

We would welcome thoughts on whether South Croydon is okay to raise a family (fully expecting comments from people saying how horrible croydon is, but South Croydon is much nicer than East or West and I was born and raised in zone 2....!) or whether we would be better considering an area slightly further out within the larger Croydon borough (e.g. Purley, Kenley etc). The key thing will be finding that magic unicorn area which works for our budget, but also still has the good transport links and isn't too long or expensive on the train. It's ideal if it has a local park nearby which is good for running, and a coffee shop which does a good breakfast! Thanks all.

I grew up in South Croydon (near Lloyd Park) and it was lovely. Commuting to London was easy from South Croydon station. Anywhere on the tram route makes getting to East Croydon easy.

Selsdon is nice, but the traffic would make getting to either station a nightmare. Perhaps consider Sanderstead?

There are loads of really nice parts of Croydon, but it gets a bad press because of the negative image it has.

I would have a look at schools before starting a family then you can move to the catchment area for those schools.

Your situation now sounds great!

Have a look around you: are there young families like you out and about in cafes and parks, having a good time, do you see baby groups and children’s activities advertised, is there a Rainbows / Beavers / Cubs / Brownies group etc?

Hi, we are very near to South Croydon station and find no shortage of things to do with our toddler. The cafes are all very geared up for families, you’ve got the library at selsden and east Croydon, you can get out to the woods very easily on the tram, there’s leisure centres and soft plays a little further out. (I don’t drive so fully dependant on London transport and never had a problem) we can be in London Bridge in 20 minutes which is amazing.

Not looked at school yet but have been happy with the nursery we use.

Coulsdon might fit the bill. Access to two stations and greenspaces.

I am here with 3 teens (well two here and one away at uni) and have been since 2006.

It is a great place for raising kids, secondaries have been really good in our experience, loads of primary choices and good nurseries/wrap around childcare. So annoying that there’s no direct train from SC to Victoria any more, but think Thameslinks make up for it (we we walk 5 minutes further to Sanderstead).

It is no rougher than anywhere else and they are all pretty streetwise so I think safer, they’ve known about dangers of county lines etc since primary and think they’ve actually gone moved out from London as too much heat on them here.

The greenery and access to the country is fab, and really like how the area is still really mixed and has all ages and life stages. And is affordable to ‘normal’ working families. Where I grew up you basically have to have a city bonus or massive inheritance to afford.

plus new La Spezia owners have really done a good job

This is really reassuring as I don't drive either! Which leisure centres and soft plays are you able to get to via public transport?

Sorry can't help as it was a real dump when I lived near Croydon (I lived in Crystal Palace before that gentrified so my flat sold for small not big money!) I like purley myself but not sure what it's like now, just seems like a traffic jam each time I've gone through in recent years. My family now live in Bromley and I'm in sw of England

Thank you, this is also really reassuring to hear. I agree with you on the fact that it's nice it's actually affordable for a range of people. We have friends in a much "nicer" area but they're constantly stressed due to mortgage costs and having to take out loans/payment plans for simple things like a new sofa. I don't think I could live like that.

Waddon (five ways) caterham (there’s one called The Arc, it’s great) Redhill, Kidspace up at Purley Colanades (membership at £8 a month!) there are more but those are our main hits.

The superloop to Carshalton has been great, the park there is amazing and there’s a big leisure centre and soft play there. Beddington park is on the same route and about ten min to get there from EC station. Don’t know if you know the Oval Tavern but they do music classes for babies in the week and on Saturdays and it’s a lovely social atmosphere for parents and more locally south Croydon to there’s playgroup stay and plays pretty much every week day in term time.

South Croydon station is a PITA with a buggy mind, two flights of narrow stairs and no ramps or lifts, but we managed, someone would usually help.

@FanofLeaves

I don't know if you know but just next to the park (opposite the greyhound) is the ecology centre. It's great for wandering round and also does loads of kids activities in holidays. It's really peaceful.

Ah! Been meaning to visit, you e just reminded me to plan that :)

The Phoenix Centre and Kidspace saved us for soft play when the kids were little and had been up since 5

I don’t drive either and managed with 3 under 3.5 on and off public transport etc. Boon Cafe looks really lovely and has lots of baby /toddler classes too.

We used to go to Story time when it (and Esther ) were still at the Green Dragon.

SC station a pain but people do help and you’ve also got Sanderstead or East Croydon which are fully accessible

I never learned to drive when I lived in Croydon. There was no need. The tram is a massive improvement compared to the public transport available when I lived there.

It's a pity there is no direct link to Victoria from SC station any more - not even a stopping train?

Don't move if you're happy there.

We were in Surrey when dc1 was born, and a quick and easy to get train journey away from the middle of London. We moved further out to afford a house and to an area with great schools, but although the kids are really happy here, it did take me a long time to settle here! I wish we'd made it work where we were originally. If we'd just bought a flat, it would be worth loads now. I'm happy where we are and won't move in all likelihood, but just don't underestimate what seems like just a little bit further out from London! It feels like another world (to me)

One or two a day, the East Grinstead and a late one to Uckfield or somewhere I think do go Victoria to SC. Not at useful times. I’d just got a job in Clapham junction when they stopped that and I was so annoyed.

@RampantIvy there’s one at 5-47 am going in and they get 3 to stop from Vic in the evenings, the latest leaves at 4-20! They stopped then during Covid and never restarted.

On the plus side we now have directs to Gatwick and St Albans!

This is true, we recently did Woburn centre parks right from south Croydon- train to Flitwick and then they pick you up on a shuttle bus! And can get to Luton Airport parkway too. Takes a while but not a faff just to sit on a train.

This is all excellent to hear thank you, all of these are super accessible from us via public transport and I had no idea any of this was going on locally. It's good to know there's plenty of stuff we could do near us because that's a really important criteria, if there's loads of local baby stuff and we still can be in London in 20 mins (and live in a house with a garden) then it feels like a no brainer to stay rather than moving out.

Thank you! Boon does look lovely and it would be really accessible too. Noted on SC station, I'm going to have to start lifting weights when the time comes to prepare for lifting the buggy 😂

You get strong fast 🤣 you could always look at doing a few trips out with a decent sling though, I never did as mine was so attached to his buggy but it would have been a practical solution at times. As for the rest of London, it always takes a little longer having to weave your way up and down in lifts but it’s pretty much accessible everywhere so never felt like we couldn’t just go somewhere central and take advantage of London on quieter weekdays while I was on maternity leave. I think being close enough to take advantage of that is a huge bonus.

This is a lovely positive thread! I hear your pain about the weird trains. We have 2 or 3 direct trains from Victoria to Crofton Park post work. If only we were allowed to have them all the time. I don't get it they are always full, maybe one day!
I vote you stay put, South Croydon is the "full package" as Officer Dwayne Myers used to say in Death in Paradise.

Oh my god I just noticed you mentioned La Spezia! Absolute favourite, the couple who run it are lovely. The food is amazing and it’s the most reasonably priced coffee for miles around. I often taken my three year old in there for lunch or an early dinner.

I grew up in Caterham, which has changed a great deal but is still a nice place to live. Purley is far too busy these days, the traffic is appalling.

Yes, it makes a change to not have Croydon slagged off. I had a great childhood in South Croydon.

We used to live in Sanderstead when DS1 was a baby, it had a lovely playground/duck pond/Waitrose (for the free coffee). Sanderstead train station is also step free.
We moved away when he was 2.5 though so I don't know how good it is for older children. I think we went to kidspace a few times, and ikea a lot!