Anyone like to tell me about PENGE or Anerley??

[SpringHeeledJack]

Here's the thing- we live in South East London at the moment- zone 2. Although we like it here, we're thinking about moving out a little way (mostly so we can have a smaller mortgage/get somewhere a little bit bigger)

Is there anyone in Penge who can tell me a bit about living there with kids? we've had a look round and think it looks great but some more info from people on the ground would be handy

...and don't tell me Crystal Palace is nicer. We can't afford it

tia!

bump

Bless you Jack

I used to live in Brockley, had a friend in Penge, but this was pre-kids so don't have any advice I'm afraid. They will have to trek up the hill to CP if they are looking for gastropubs!

Hopefully Penge is not a MN blackspot and someone will be along soon...good luck!

thank you Bells

tumbleweed at the moment

aaaaaaand

Apparently there is a good butchers there. We are moving to West Norwood soon so I've been on te Virtual Norwood forum and that's what jumps out at me about Penge.

There is a good gastro pub just at the bottom on Crystal Palace Park, right around the corner from (east?) Penge station.

We have friends who live there and really like it. They have a 3 year old daughter and the mum is a sahm and has met lots of other mothers in the neighborhood despite never doing nct.

Beckenham is just a bit further along though and I think is a little less gritty. I think there are some lovely things about penge, but it was still pretty down and out last time I was there. Still, that's what makes it good value I suppose.

Sorry I don't have more intimate knowledge of it, but at least this is another bump.

thanks for that Sparky- I'll have a look on the Norwood forum

that all sounds good...

Beckenham's nice but it somehow seems a lot less city and a lot more suburban than Penge

oh, and we can't afford it either

I lived on the border of Sydenham/Penge/Crystal Palace park, a long time ago now though pre children. It was a reasonable commute into London Bridge. The park is nice. There are good facilities around (good supermarket, Beckenham/Bromley have decent shops). I would say its one of those urban London areas which kind of blend into one, nothing terrible about it and nothing amazing either.

I live at the Penge end of Beckenham (the next road to mine comes under Penge). There is a lovely farmers market on a Saturday in Maple Road ( haven't been for 6 months though... so hope this info is up to date)

Not sure about kids activities - I go into Beckenham for all of mine. Crystal Palace park is FAB - nice cafe in the middle that is a bit of an informal meeting place (greasy spoon type cafe rather than gastro cafe though...)

I think Strawberry Cornetto is dead on - nothing terrible about it and othing amazing either.

Most of the housing stock is lovely though - lots and lots of lovely victorian-y type houses.

Sorry - that's all quite general - but if you've any specific questions I can try ad answer them!

Hello hello SHJ. Penge and Anerley, like much of se London (where I spent most of my life in the not very nice bits ie not Greenwich or Blackheath or even Crystal Palace - altho it wasn't considered that nice then), are nothing in particular. They are a bit grubby, polluted, treeless and poorish, but not violent and scary. Having said that I do have one friend who loves Penge...

I don't feel this is overly helpful, but I canst not lie to thee my comrade.

Oh helleaux Springy. Penge has a nice big Sainsburys Homebase . Also a good second hand/exchange shop for trading in your children's clothes - The Anerley Frock Exchange. I don't really know much about it apart from the main drag on the way to Beckenham & Bromley but it certainly looks alright. DH's best friend lives there. He traded down from a 3 bed house in Herne Hill to a 2 bed cottage packed with features and it was half the price and they are very happy there, have met good neighbours etc. They don't have children tho.

I am from SE London (don't live there anymore though). I have lived in Crystal Palace(you're right, much nicer than Penge) and West Norwood(also nicer than Penge) and for a short while Penge itself.

Some parts of it were a bit of a drugs hotspot about 7/8 years ago, it may have changed now though. It seemed at that time that the council housed ex-offenders, drug addicts and people with social/health problems in Penge.

I don't know what it's like now and I don't know what it's like living there with children because I didn't have any then.

Given the choice I would opt for Anerley or Sydenham or West Norwood or Gipsy Hill rather than Penge.

ooh, thanks all...that's all v useful and has duly gone in my Moving Portfolio under Pros And Cons

cornetto and Zakuro- that's the impression we got- bit of a 'well, it's alright' sort of place- ie not the sort of place you're suddenly going to see Cafe Rouges popping up. Mind you, we sort of like that...we always like to stay a bit ahead of the Shiny Shoe of Gentrification [cheap emoticon]

to Hully and Bib- am trying to guess where you used to live, Hully, but 'not very nice bits' of SE London doesn't rule much out, iykwim

Bibbity- it doeds seem a nice sort of cosy place- people chatted to us and the dds when we had a look round. It doesn't seem a million miles away in type from where we live now, really. Except the houses are lots cheaper...

Ballpointpen someone mentioned West Norwood upthread- we're already looking in Sydenham and Gipsy 'Ill so will have a look and possibly add it to the list

thanks again everyone!

tsk. does

I live in South Norwood and have been all around. Crystal Palace is no doubt very nice, I know you can?t afford it, but you can keep in proximity with it I personally loved that side of Anerley where Marlow road is (nearly bought there) and a bit of Beckenham (BR3) where Birkbeck, Mackenzie roads are. Not sure about another side of Penge, so would probably go by good schools and proximity to a train station. If you look around and schools are good and not too many council estates, it should be OK in my opinion.
I quite also like Upper Norwood, especially next to South Norwood Lake park. It seems green and decent to me, although a bit far from train stations.

Cannot stop myself from promoting South Norwood as well. I personally like living here although it is not all trendy It has excellent commuting links (London Bridge in 11 mins), I live not far from tram so I get to Beckenham or Croydon easily, Crystal Palace park is few bus stops away, huge local park is almost on our doorstep. Of course we will have to move when children reach secondary, but for full-time working parents as us it?s been very convenient to live here.

Good luck with your choice!

Spring - I'm doing the same thing! Live in Zone 3 but have been looking around Penge/Anerley. There's certainly some great properties there.

As I live quite near, and I have a friend that lives round the corner from Penge, I have occasion to mooch round there from time to time. I find it much as the others have put it, it's not awful, it's not great. The High St doesn't have much in it, ok it has a Sainsbury's, Lidl, a very small Boots, it's the only place I know that has a Wilkinson's (that I learned about from mn ) I think there is a butcher's though I've never used it, and a few other shops. The pubs look a bit rough, but it's a stone's throw from Beckenham and Crystal Palace, if you want wine bars and eateries. It doesn't feel threatening at all. It has some really pretty bits, St John's church and great little Alms Houses that all add to giving it something a little bit special albet a bit rough round the edges imo.

I've just started looking, I'm trying to factor in the cost of moving into the move so I'm looking for something cheaper than I have.

*albeit

My brother lives in Penge with LOs and they're very happy there. Lovely house on a nice street (and a darn sight cheaper than similar in other parts of London), good primary school, lovely allotments, CP on the doorstep, easy commute to London Bridge or Victoria. Strawberrycornetto summed it up well - it's just what it is, nothing special, but nice places around.

thanks Miss M and to Monty- ere, maybe it'll be you gazumping us in a few months' time

the roughish pubs looked very busy when we were there last (saturday lunchtime)- we chose to see it as a sign of a thriving community

we looked a few years ago and it seemed very far out and quite a bit down at heel/glum. It didn't seem like that when we looked recently.

Maybe we should go again when it's pissing down with rain and see if our rose-tinted glasses fall off!

I'm in Gipsy Hill, I think you should come and live here, its lovely! Have lots of friends in West Norwood, Penge & Anerley and they are all happy. None of us have ever been burgled or mugged anyway

There are cheaper bits of Crystal Palace worth exploring too - think estate agents will know what you mean if you say Belvedere. Beckenham is surprisingly nice too - great swimming pool at Beckenham Spa etc.

The best thing about this area is the lovely park of course, and also how easy it is to get to alright shopping (Croydon and Bromley) without having to go to 'proper London'. And it is so easy to get anywhere. You are near to tram stations (Beckenham Junction etc) to go west, the trains are great into Victoria or London Bridge, and the new London Overground is beginning this week I believe, linking up Crystal Palace with Shoreditch & Hackney.

Ask me specific questions if you like, my brain is a bit blank tonight.

Spring - I was thinking that, we could be viewing the same places . Just missed you, I was there on Sunday. Have you looked at Sydenham? There's some nice reasonable houses there too.

I haven't even got mine on the market have you? I'm finding it really scary difficult to take that plunge, but I really have to do it.

In general I think Penge has got something going for it.

Can be unbelieeeeeeeeeevably nosey and ask whatcha going to do about schools Springy? I know your youngest one (or two?) is pre-secondary and you have the same worries as me over K, so assuming you have done your research in this area, what secondary are you edging towards if you go to Penge or Annerley?

I might join you in the house hunting and we'll all end up in an uber competitive bidding war!

Zgage - I'm all ears lol.

Spring - thanks for starting this, interesting. .

I went to look at a house right behind the Spa the other week. It was v cheap but a bit small for me.

zgaze love Gipsy Hill- but my ex lives there and I like to keep a Respectable Distance between us- don't really want to bump into him when I'm staggering to the paper shop in me jim jams of a Saturday

will investigate cheap bits of Crystal Palace

Monty- we quite like Sydenham, but my dp's brother lives there- we want to be close, but not too close, as me and SIL reckon Los Bros will be down the boozer every night if we live on each others' doorsteps

blimey. how anti social do I sound? that's two areas ruled out because I know people who live there

we're not on the market either, Monty- there's always something that we need to do to the house first...

just a quick one as on my way to bed-

I soooo don't know about secondaries Bibbity- it looks rather like an "out of frying pan into fire" for us

...unless dp starts working a bit harder- then the girls can go to Sydenham High

it's a long way off for us right now, as the dds are only in Y1, so if the worst came to the worst it'd just mean yet another move. Groooooan.

Spring - Yes Gypsy Hill is nice and OMG same with not feeling quite ready! A wee bit of plastering, here a wee daub of paint there and a drip in the utility room etc etc ........ I looked in my attic the other day and was .

Lol at the bros down the boozer. One of the reasons I'm moving is 'cos my exh is just far too close lol.

Have you got secondary schools in mind?? You'd need to watch that. Mine are teens and that's all done, but you need to bear it in mind.