Anyone know South Croydon?

[IorekByrnison]

We are thinking of moving there in maybe 18 months time. It looks quite nice and oddly underpriced - unless there's something I'm missing.

Anyone have any experience of living there or advice on schools etc?

hmmmthere are nice parts and dire parts. where are you moving from?

Tooting. Like it here but can't afford to buy unless prices crash a lot further, and could do with a bit more open space too.

Which are the nice bits?

I think the further south you go the nicer Croydon becomes. I live over a bit in Bromley. Generally you would have to have a drive around if you can and look for yourself, there are a few council estates or ex council homes about that you might not like. If it seems underopriced I would guess that it is because it is not a fashionable area and looked down upon iykwim.

Hi

I now live not far from Croydon, but was born and raised there.

The nicer part of S. Croydon would be nearer Sanderstead or Purley.

Not sure about schools, though.

For my money the bits to the east of the rail station are the nicest - but also the most expensive. Most of the roads that run between the Selsdon Road and Brighton Road (to the south of the station) are quite nice too. (But mainly 2/3 bed houses - so depends on what type of property you're looking for.)

Any specific roads you like the look of? I have lived in Croydon all my life and spent 5 years in South Croydon so could give you some pointers.

If it is "oddly underpriced" you may be looking at Selsdon - don't go there.

As poshpaws says, you need to be nearer Sanderstead or Purley. The bit of South Croydon around Croham Hurst is lovely but pricey. Shirley is nice but you need to be on the Shirley Hills side.

You need to be very careful about schools in Croydon, though.

if I were you I would havea look at the schools on results tables etc now before even loking at houses

Thanks. Have had a small drive around, and dd played in South Croydon rec. Agree South seems much nicer than the other parts. Have been looking on Rightmove and seeing 2 bed Victorian terraces around Sanderstead Road for under £200,000 and 3 beds for under £250,000 (2 bed maisonettes are over £250,000 here).

Is Selsdon very bad?

you want soupy

So is it dodgy schools that are keeping the prices down, Queen Meabh? This is what I was afraid of.

Zakuro - I was thinking that the area near South Croydon Rec looked quite nice (near big Catholic church on A269) - do you know this bit?

Both Seldson Primary and Selsdon High have bad reputations, although the primary (bizarrely) feeds into Riddlesdown High which is a reasonable secondary.

look very very carefully at schools. especially secondaries.
haling manor gets 18% a-c at gcse. it is located in a beautiful part of south croydon with houses that look simply amazing.

Thanks stitch. There had to be a catch. Why so bad do you think?

Sanderstead is nice (although ther are no pubs in Sanderstead in case that outs you off!). There are nice bits of Selsdon but it can also be ropey. The 3 main primary schools for Sanderstead are Ridgeway, Gresham and Atwood. all are usually pretty close in the league tables and over subscribed. For secondary schools you're stuffed TBH unless you are religeous or can go private or out of borough with a bright child. Riddlesdown is a fairly decent secondary school I think but huuuuge (12 form intake IIRC).

well, amongst other reasons, the high preponderance of grammar schools in the area. and the kids from the bigger houses may well be off to private schools, so the average is rather skewed.
however, i did a teaching practice there a decade ago, and imo, the teaching was fantastic. the kids were lovely, full of character. it was a brilliant, fun school to be in.
just think very very carefully, and weigh up all the pros and cons before making any decisions

Thanks soupdragon. Lack of pubs does put me off a bit. Would be nice to be somewhere that feels like it has a bit of a centre if you know what I mean.

That's bad news about secondaries. We have a while to think about it though as dd is not quite 3 yet. Do you live in Croydon now?

Yes It has a duckpond pretty much in the centre No pubs because it used to be Quaker land apparently. You don't have to travel far to find a pub though as it is literally limited to Sanderstead.

"the high preponderance of grammar schools in the area" Um, there aren't any grammar schools in Croydon.

Oh... was getting all hopeful and contemplating extreme hothousing of poor dd to secure a place.

A duckpond! Well who needs pubs.

The grammars are all in the neighbouring borough so hothousing will work as your DD will have to pass an entrance exam for one of the hotly contested out of borough places available

Should I start now? Seems a little cruel. All she wants is to be a disney princess. Will prepare multiplication flashcards for her return from childminder this evening .

That's the spirit!

Seriously though, I suppose the other thing I want to know is what it is like socially. Is there much going on? Does everyone mix well? Or is it all golf clubs at one end and stabbings at the other?

It's not just golf clubs, there are lots of tennis clubs too! I'm not a very social person TBH. There are all sorts of "clubs" according to the residents' association booklet but I'd rather shoot myself than join the WI or the horticultural society and I'm not religious so can't join the churchy things.

IMO it's stoically suburban, not a buzzing town-within-a-town