Sydenham vs Forest Hill

[Parkrunner]

You definitely get more square feet for your money in Sydenham than Forest Hill or Honor Oak Park. Also, there is a better range of good quality family housing within your five-minute station radius in Sydenham than in FH. I've not felt unsafe walking home from the station (or pub) in Sydenham, but probably wouldn't feel unsafe in FH either.

If you have young children, proximity to primary schools is probably worth considering. If your budget stretches to the Eliot Bank catchment area (300m radius of the school), that's worth going for as you also then have your proximity to both station and high street. Unless you're regular church goers, the catchment for the non-faith places at Barts is equally tight, but again keeps you within 5 mins of one or other station.

If you're not in the tiny catchment for either of those, the 5 minute radius from Sydenham station gives you better alternative school options than the 5 minutes from Forest Hill as the catchments for the other good primaries in Forest Hill are considerably further from the station and high streets.

Would agree with all the other comments about more green spaces in Sydenham and the benefits of being close to Crystal Palace Park (dinosaurs, pedaloes, parkrun, city farm, wide open spaces). Sydenham library is good and has a nice programme of community events. On swimming pools, depends what you'd use the pool for, but it's far easier to get children's lesson places at Crystal Palace and the Bridge than FH Pools. If it's for adult swimming, you can't beat the Olympic 50m pool at CP.

Good luck with your choice!

[Jacks]

I live down Silverdale and have never felt unsafe walking home at night from the station or the 176 - obviously you have to be aware of your surroundings and who is walking near you but that goes for anyone walking anywhere after dark. We have the lovely Mayow Park and are also close enough to use Crystal Palace Park equally frequently.

Another positive is that if you live at the high street end of Silverdale there are a huge number of houses/flats that are level with the station platforms so the noise from trains is basically non-existent yet you are only a two minute walk away! The downside to Silverdale is that since Queensthorpe was closed off we have had an increase in traffic but that tends to coincide with the school run and 6pm rush hour. It's far from what I would call a busy road.

I think Silverdale is overall more affordable than Venner and surrounding roads purely because the houses are more modern and not as desirable to look at but the sense of community is definitely there and lots of the ex-local properties are still lived in by their original inhabitants - I think that's as big a selling point for Sydenham as you're going to get!

[senewbie]

Many thanks again! Down with a cold this weekend - so couldn't go for a walk in the evening around the neighborhood to get a feel for it but will try in the coming week.

I took a read through the post on 2011 mugging on Bishopthorpe - a bit nervous about what I read there but hoping things have gotten better since end 2011/beginning 2012... At least that's what it sounds like by most people's posts here...

I'll definitely keep you all posted on which area we'll decide on in the end. I think we're open to both FH and Sydenham at this point, and like many said, it'll depend on what we can find in the areas.

Thank you!

[mosy]

I think many would agree with me that it's not a case of the area getting better since it was never bad to begin with. There have been fewer random incidents than say half a dozen max in the decade or so I've been here (I can only remember three). I'm not counting simple non-violent thefts since that type of loss is a fact of life anywhere (my son was mugged on a quiet street in Dulwich for example), nor those incidents where people were previously involved with one another which obviously weren't random incidents.

The cold night air won't be good for your chest but I suppose it doesn't stop you driving around. Winter seems to keep buyers generally at home so ironically the cold weather could be in your favour for negotiating, plus you'll see properties at their worst, i.e. little sunshine being grey light and leafless trees etc. East-west facing properties have less light than north-south as a rule if you'll be at home during the day. If you can get a property with a car space, all the better as street parking is scarce and getting worse with the better transport links commuting parkers. Good luck in your search .

[metter90]

Hi All,
I love both FH and Sydenham. I currently live near Kirkdale in upper Sydenham, 7 minutes (Yes, I counted) walk from Sydenham Station and about 10 mins from FH. As others have said, it really is about the house. Both areas are very similar, with Forest Hill high street being slightly more aesthetically pleasing. I use both areas, but the huge Sainsburys in lower Sydenham is a great plus. I love using the 176 at all hours and have never felt unsafe on it. I use both the Overground and London Bridge / Victoria Service from Sydenham, but also love the option of getting the quicker Victoria train from Penge east or Sydenham Hill (Which includes a lovely walk through the Sydenham Wood). It's a great community as I'm sure you can tell from these posts.

I've never felt threatened, have lived here for 2 years now and I'm used to walking at night. Working evenings, I'm sometimes walking to Kirkdale from Penge at 1am. Never had any problems at all, neither has my girlfriend. I used to live in Camberwell / Peckham, It's a huge improvement on safety and atmosphere.

Welcome to the Neighbor hood

[FromCtoShiningC]

Sydenham for me every time. In the morning rush hour, by the time most trains get to Forest Hill (let alone Honor Oak Park) it's standing room only.....Even many at Sydenham are jammed full between 7 and 9. It's a sure sign of a booming population in London!