Areas to buy 2/3 bed house in south London

[Newnest58]

Recently divorced and looking for a small family home in south london.

looking for an area with a nice community feel, and good transport links. Need to get into London Bridge easily 2-3 times a week. Looking for a busy high street with decent pub, couple of good local restaurants and an independent coffee shop. Ideally close to a decent sized park.

budget is around 800k - looking at 2/3 bedroom place. Small garden if possible.

any recommendations?

YY to Hither Green/Lee. You can get a decent house for that money, trains are super easy to London Bridge, and also through to Charing Cross so even easier to come back from the West End after a show.

@Tigerbalmshark I would count that as Brixton not Herne Hill.

Blackheath, Greenwich

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/169185446

Herne Hill (north dulwich side) would be good as north Dulwich trains go directly to London Bridge. It’s a lovely area but not cheap so might be looking at a flat rather than a house. This is nice and has a garden:
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/168613067#/?channel=RES_BUY

There are also some houses in the region of £800k eg in Delawyk Crescent and near Casino Avenue (this one is £875k and under offer but as an idea: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/87241476#/?channel=RES_BUY).

Herne Hill and dulwich village are close. East Dulwich/Lordship Lane not too far either. Plus you have lots of train lines (London Bridge from ND, Victoria and thameslink trains to the city from HH). Loads of parks as well (Dulwich, Brockwell, Ruskin).

I moved here from Borough a long time ago and love it.

We lived in Sydenham for 10 years. It’s got a high street, and had good restaurants around. We liked the Babur Brasserie in Brockley Rise. We used to go to restaurants in Lordship Lane, Greenwich and Blackheath. Bromley for a shopping centre, and further afield Thurrock and Lakeside. We went to Mayow Park, but also Beckenham Place Park, Crystal Palace, Dulwich Park and Greenwich Park.

Then, there’s all of Kent, Surrey and Sussex to explore. We liked Westerham, Brighton….

Does it need to be SW? W - Ealing might work. Zone 3 tube, Crossrail etc

Hither Green, Brockley, St Johns, Ladywell, Blackheath, Greenwich.

Lewisham shopping centre is a dive and going to be redeveloped but has some useful shops at the moment.

Personally hate Lee - it's the beginning of dull suburbia for me. The shopping area is in process of being knocked down so the last few quirky independent shops have gone.

Have a look at Catford? It's constantly on the verge of gentrification but resists
😆Just been announced that Goldsmiths Uni is going to take over council building so that will make some changes in due course.

Chislehurst station is nowhere near the naice shops and restaurants.

With Greenwich don't just look at the old town centre, there's a good lot of independent shops along the Trafalgar Road from Maze Hill going east. Traffic is horrendous on Trafalgar Road itself but the side roads are quieter. Maze Hill Station goes to London Bridge.

I do like Ealing. Have friends there who really like it, but don’t want to uproot DD too much

Thanks for this. I agree about Lee - It could be any suburban area of the UK, and I very much want to feel like I’m still in London.

you hit the nail on the head about why I’m asking for recommendations. There are some great little pockets of London which although are maybe zone 3, feel culturally very ‘London’ … I suppose there’s a similar vibe in places like Brighton for example. ( though I can’t be that far out- definitely within TFL area!)

I’d rather somewhere a bit rough around the edges, but still with a London vibe, than somewhere that feels like it could be anywhere.

Have you considered Forest Hill? Trains links are much more useful than East Dulwich as you have the overground (change to Jubilee at Canada Water, or to Elizabeth Line in Whitechapel) and well as the national rail connection to London Bridge. You can always pop over to East Dulwich on the weekend (short bus or bike ride) for more shops and restaurants.

It's is very leafy and green, lovely local coffee shops and independent stores and incredible city views of you buy a house near the Horniman Museum (which is an absolute gem). Depending on which bit of Forest Hill you live in you could be close to Horniman gardens, Dulwich Park or Mayow Park for green space. It has a real sense of community about it.

Haven’t really been in that area, but I think I’ll pay it a visit. Sounds like what I’m looking for

This is exactly what I am now looking for as well, a place to get old in, but still very much London. My only other criterion would be cycle lanes/ability to get by with cycling rather than trains. So far my list contains Peckham, Walworth road, Maze Hill/Westcombe Park, Borough. Not a big fan of Dulwich somehow (too many young families and everyone moving there for schools, would love age-related diversity) but like Sydenham and Brixton.

For future proofing be near a good hospital!

Penge! Great trains - overground, fast to Victoria, London Bridge and also Charing X from new beckenham. Proper community. Crystal Palace park. Good night buses. Several nice pubs including a taproom. Excellent community feel.