Tell me all the good things about living in Streatham!

[LindorDoubleChoc]

I'm all ears .

Currently live a few miles away so I'm not going to be put off by it being South London, or terrible London house prices, or any of those other so-called problems.

And I know about the busy main road High Street, obvs.

But what's good?

Lots of useful info here, Op. I like the transport links, the independent shops and the lovely unspoilt Victorian houses. Because of the LTN, huge amounts of Streatham are actually very quiet traffic wise.

Abcdww roads are all excellent. Bus to Brixton from Streatham hill can be in Oxford Circus in <30mins. Great community.

Young adult children @minipie. Dh and I are agreed on staying in London when they've fully fledged (one still at Uni and coming back for a while). Both of them love London and appreciate how lucky they were to be brought up here.

Plenty of buses so you can leave. Cynthia Payne's brothel is not there any more.

Hi I had say one of the nicest things about Streatham is the open green spaces like Streatham Common and Tooting Bec Common they are perfect for walks, relaxing, or just getting some fresh air. There’s also a good mix of local shops, cafes, and restaurants, so you can always find somewhere nice to eat or grab a coffee. It’s really well connected too, with trains and buses making it easy to get into central London. Out of curiosity, are you looking at Streatham more for family life, or just for the overall feel of the area?😀

If you don't have to worry about schools then why not come further in? You could get a period conversion or small house for your budget up near the Oval. Kennington Park and Vauxhall Park for green space, short walk to the Embankment and really good transport links - Northern and Victoria Lines and Vauxhall Bus station. I imagine that young adult DC will enjoy being very central, especially if they need to head into town for work/socialising.

Yes - I think your budget will cover more areas than you think - there are 3 bed flats/houses in Battersea or Clapham Old Town for under £800k for example. Or Putney, or Earlsfield (bigger options here)… Depends how keen you are to avoid gentrification!

Where do you look to find out about things like the film festival, kite day etc? I can never find out what is going on in Streatham

Wide choice of excellent schools

V good public transport depending on which bit you live in. Including lots of night buses from central London and Brixton.

v quick bus to tube at Brixton or Balham. Thameslink from Streatham Station or Tulse Hill (if you live that side)

The High Rd is a mess atm but has some great cafes and restaurants and independent pubs, a Waterstones, etc.

Some clumps of roads have really strong community links, e.g the roads between Wavertree and Amesbury

Odeon, or quick bus to Ritzy. Walking distance to West Norwood Picturehouse if you live that side. Quick bus to the theatre in Brixton

Streatham Common with the Rookery, cafe, inkspot brewery and walks across Norwood Grove

The Kite Festival. The Streatham Festival

And the Rebel Inn - independent, friendly, board games etc

There’s the Facebook group Streatham Mum’s Network which is massive and has great intel/local recs - but can be a bit feral! (Tho tbf is moderated).

Heart Streatham on instagram or StreathamBID both good. Heart Streatham do a regular local magazine that we get through the door which is actually really good and has loads of what’s on stuff

Wide choice of excellent schools

Irrelevant to the OP but I disagree about schools at secondary level. There isn’t a wide choice of excellent options

Wow I love Ganleys. Planning to go on Saturday for Valentines Day

I have a few friends who relocated to Streatham and really enjoy it for its accessibility and livability the transport options are surprisingly good, with several stations in the area, and you can get into central London relatively quickly without having to pay the steeper prices of other areas. There’s a good balance of independent cafes, gyms, and other day-to-day businesses along the High Street, and having Streatham Common and the Rookery on hand makes the weekends feel more relaxed and natural. A friend of mine mentioned that their driver from a firm called Metrowest Car Service knew a few good local coffee shops, and it made me realize that there’s definitely a lot to be discovered once you get to know the area. It also seems like it’s in a good spot between Brixton, Tooting, and Dulwich, so you can take advantage of those areas while still having your own neighborhood feel. Are you planning on moving anytime soon or are you just considering it at the moment?