Moving to Sydenham

[maestro]

time for me to check on the horse.

What delight is she rustling up for your supper, Wiltshire bacon sarnie again?

[John H]

Sydenham is well situated for transport as others have mentioned even though it takes 60% longer to reach London Bridge than it did when I moved here 32 years ago.

32 years ago there were less commuters and less trains on the tracks... of course it won't be as quick... 60% is an over-exaggaration though.

Nothing to do with passenger numbers. The journey time was 13 minutes. It is now 22 minutes.

[John H]

before paying too much notice to anything that Milton says, I would click on their name and view previous posts. They belong in a shed along with the other tools... If Milton wanted to stay away from Sydenham so much then I would question why they insist on constantly coming here and posting tripe on this forum...

As for John H saying crime is relatively high, I completely disagree. Since I moved here in October last year, there has only been mention of maybe a couple of burglaries, which obviously isn't nice, however, compare that to the more desirable East Dulwich, there has been a couple of fatal stabbings, there are muggings almost every day and thefts from cars and outbuildings a common occurrence. Maybe they just aren't being reported for here, but I haven't seen anything of the sort in Sydenham

Well... there have been numerous burglaries in Knighton Park Road, Trewsbury Road and other places. There has been a cannabis factory raided and closed by the Police. There was the "house of ill repute" mentioned by a local councillor that was similarly closed down. Then there have been two armed robberies.... All of these within a matter of yards of my home. Do keep up. Use your eyes and ears. Take a look at the websites that show the incidence of crime in any given area. Only recently Hazel Grove was the scene of a massive Police presence and numerous people were being detained... Who knows what that was about? However I merely mentioned that crime is above average... which it is.

[John H]

before paying too much notice to anything that Milton says, I would click on their name and view previous posts. They belong in a shed along with the other tools... If Milton wanted to stay away from Sydenham so much then I would question why they insist on constantly coming here and posting tripe on this forum...

I'm surprised you can single out my tripe from all the other tripe here.
I like to pop back here to remind me why I left, plus I still own property in SE 26, and I like to make sure the area is still as ratty as I remember, if it goes up market then I can increase rents.

I'm 70 miles away, get a handsome income from afar, and can cook my own breakfast. Some super sausages down here, Wiltshire bacon is world class, and we have hens for eggs.

Win Win all round I'd say.

I do hope you live in one of my flats, 'cos you'll be out soon

Seems you moved out the year after I moved in. Was it something I said?

[stuart]

Nothing to do with passenger numbers. The journey time was 13 minutes. It is now 22 minutes.

The scheduled time is 21 minutes. You know as well as i that includes a padding time so if the train is late in Sydenham it still arrives 'on-time' at LBG protecting Southern's service statistics. I would say the average transit time is usuallly around 17 minutes. But perhaps you resent stopping at Brockley? In my time the service has improved immensly with the addition of the Overground link and will improve again when it connects to Crossrail next year. Oh, and the Electrostars are magic for those who lack nostalgia for slam doors!

The increasing passenger numbers would indicate the majority would agree. So good for the many, bad for the few maybe? Or do we have a Cassandra Crossing? When it comes to reasons not to come to Sydenham I really can't see public transport as an issue - more an asset.

Stuart

[alywin]

Ooh and it's great living near Lower Sydenham with direct trains to the theatres (Charing Cross and Waterloo East) in just 15 minutes.

Really? Which service is that? I must try it sometime, because all the trains I've been on from Clock House seem to take 26-32 minutes.

[JMLF]

Right - to get back on topic..
I’ve already had my wee say generally about living here but just to give some stats on crime (as it’s something spoken about by quite a few people here) rather than subjective hearsay (including my own as I did admittedly say from personal experience).

The following are from the met police website for Sydenham/nearby areas (I included Peckham and Dulwich as that’s where you live/have lived). Like anything these numbers could be analysed til the cows come home (e.g: these are “reported crimes” not necessarily crimes that actually took place/were proven or that some areas have bigger populations and therefore are naturally more likely to have a higher number etc).
From Jan to March this year (approx adding up by me!):
320 Forest Hill
350 Crystal Palace
355 East Dulwich
390 Sydenham
425 Peckham
650 Penge

(London never fails to surprise me with the amount of people doing criminal things)

Putting aside potential variables Sydenham appears roughly middle/middle to higher level of the pack of nearby areas but not all that different from Crystal Palace or East Dulwich which are traditionally seen as much “nicer” and therefore safer places I would argue.

You can use the website: https://www.police.uk/ to look at areas and then even zoom in to specific roads etc. if wanted/needed to.

Jon

[John H]

Right - to get back on topic..
I’ve already had my wee say generally about living here but just to give some stats on crime (as it’s something spoken about by quite a few people here) rather than subjective hearsay (including my own as I did admittedly say from personal experience).

The following are from the met police website for Sydenham/nearby areas (I included Peckham and Dulwich as that’s where you live/have lived). Like anything these numbers could be analysed til the cows come home (e.g: these are “reported crimes” not necessarily crimes that actually took place/were proven or that some areas have bigger populations and therefore are naturally more likely to have a higher number etc).
From Jan to March this year (approx adding up by me!):
320 Forest Hill
350 Crystal Palace
355 East Dulwich
390 Sydenham
425 Peckham
650 Penge

(London never fails to surprise me with the amount of people doing criminal things)

Putting aside potential variables Sydenham appears roughly middle/middle to higher level of the pack of nearby areas but not all that different from Crystal Palace or East Dulwich which are traditionally seen as much “nicer” and therefore safer places I would argue.

You can use the website: https://www.police.uk/ to look at areas and then even zoom in to specific roads etc. if wanted/needed to.

Jon

Penge and Sydenham should be seen as a single area. Few people know where the boundary lies. Then again half the people in Penge state they live in Beckenham! (Kent House Road for example). Your figures do, however, confirm my point. Crime in Sydenham is above average. Given the difficulty reporting crimes the figures are bound to be significantly lower than the actual.

[stuart]

Penge and Sydenham should be seen as a single area. Few people know where the boundary lies.

I think you might be right too. Despite putting two big posts at every boundary and a huge 20mph paint job on the road - most don't seem to notice they have crossed from a reponsible area to an irresponsible one. I leave you to decide which ...

Stuart

[Robin Orton]

Penge and Sydenham should be seen as a single area. Few people know where the boundary lies.

The same could be said about Forest Hill and Sydenham, which are at least in the same borough. But then I would say that, wouldn't I, living, as I suspect I do, at the opposite end of SE26 to 'John H'?

[JMLF]

Where boundaries lie you could very easily squish any two areas together and that is the case for everywhere I would argue. People will say where they live based on what they think makes their place sound nicer, “than cooler” or more valuable etc not necessarily what area it is actually in or it’s nearest high street/station. Peckham and East Dulwich is a nice example that comes to mind. They could easily be put as one area. As could Forest Hill and Sydenham, Sydenham and Penge, Crystal Palace and Norwood.. you get the point I’m trying to make.

[Rachael]

As far as crime figures are concerned, I think they lack the nuance to indicate whether you personally are likely to be a victim of or personally affected by a crime. Rates can be relatively high where you live, but you might be statistically unlikely to be a victim, based on your occupation, where you spend you time and who with, among other factors.

Burglary and theft are probably the crimes we are mostly likely to be victims of, wherever we live. I’ve been burgled four times while living in London. Once in Islington, where I lived for 3 years, once in East Dulwich where I lived for 4 years, and twice in Forest Hill (on the Sydenham border) where I’ve lived for nearly 20 years. The last time was more than 10 years ago.

[John H]

Penge and Sydenham should be seen as a single area. Few people know where the boundary lies.

The same could be said about Forest Hill and Sydenham, which are at least in the same borough. But then I would say that, wouldn't I, living, as I suspect I do, at the opposite end of SE26 to 'John H'?

Forest Hill is, in point of fact, merely urban spread from Sydenham... so yes indeed it could well be grouped together with Sydenham and Penge. However, unless things have changed somewhat recently, most of the borough council live in Forest Hill and that gives that area a degree of preferential treatment by the local authority. In my view councillors should live in the wards from which they are elected.

[Bovine Juice]

Penge and Sydenham should be seen as a single area. Few people know where the boundary lies. Then again half the people in Penge state they live in Beckenham! (Kent House Road for example). Your figures do, however, confirm my point. Crime in Sydenham is above average. Given the difficulty reporting crimes the figures are bound to be significantly lower than the actual.

The residents of Kent House Road that come under Bromley Council have Beckenham postcodes which is why they claim to be from Beckenham. Clearly this is just one of those random anomalies as they are nowhere near Beckenham High Street and very close to Penge High street. London postcodes have more cachet these days, since young professionals have been forced to look further for property and Penge isn't the boring suburban place it once was, as indicated by the number of street art murals that have proliferated in recent years.

[mikej]

As one who lives in that part of Kent House Rd which has a Beckenham (BR3) postcode, I would point out a couple of things.
1 That part used to be in Beckenham Municipal Borough, not Penge Urban District until 1965 when the London Boroughs were created and the two were merged.
2 Distance between our house and Penge-and Beckenham is really irrelevant. Lots of places are much further from Beckenham than we are, and still classify themselves as living in that place - eg around Eden Park.
3 I'm not sure anyone would ever describe Penge as "suburban". I'm delighted that it is improving in almost every aspect currently.

Sometimes I say I'm from one, sometimes the other.

I don't think it really matters.

[Sydering]

Hello all,
My husband and I are hoping move to Sydenham from Peckham, where we have lived for years now. We like Sydenham and its green areas, and moving here would allow us to stay in South East London, which we would really like for family and work reasons. We just wondering what you thought about the area around Hazel Grove/Laurel Grove? It seems very convenient (10 minutes from Sydenham station and not too far from Lower Sydenham either), but is it unsafe? The main road especially has a few car shops where I imagine it gets dark and deserted after a certain hour - how safe is it to walk past at night?
Also, is there anyone else who has recently moved to Sydenham and has tips for newcomers?

Thank you in advance! And thank you in general for this forum, it has a lot of useful information on the neighbourhood!

Hi 2lai,

I hope to share some perspective.

I moved from East Dulwich, where I spent 8 years, to Sydenham, last year. I love it.

My husband and I were in exactly the same position as yourselves. We had made a home in East Dulwich (rented) but could afford so much more in Sydenham. We made the move and didn't even question it, as we loved it. We're more to the Bell Green end, but we have so much more for our money. Where we are placed, we are 10/15 minutes walk to Sydenham/Lower Sydenham, which are much more convenient than East Dulwich. Also, this morning I managed to get to Paddington in 50 minutes > Sydenham (overground) > London Bridge (jubilee line) > Baker St (bakerloo line) > Paddington. I was dissapointed I couldn't stay longer at home, had I had known!

As for safety, I walked rather 'happy' from Sydenham, and had no problems. I will be honest and say, when I first moved here, it took me months to adjust, as I never felt safe. Now, I feel so much safer! My neighbour in East Dulwich was recently mugged, so I don't think you can pin point it to an area.

As for neighbourhood, shall we set up a monthly drinks event? Dom Johnston - I've been meaning to contact you about this, as I'd love to meet new people. I saw your post on ED Forum and wanted to make contact earlier. Anyone interested?

[Dom Johnston]

Hi Sydering,

Had you not said that you went to Paddington yesterday, I would've been convinced that you were my wife as your situation is identical to ours!

I think it would be great for residents to do something. New and Old.

We did have one meeting with a few people on ways to improve the forum and make it more user friendly, but since we have had a baby, it's been tricky to get something else arranged to follow up on that.

We have some wonderful pubs in Sydenham so I think it would be great if we could have something in place where, if people can make it, great, if not, hopefully they can attend the next time. Just to get together, have a couple of drinks in the sunshine and build a network!

2Lai, I hope you can see from people who still live in Sydenham and didn't move away 30+ years ago, it is a fantastic place to live!!

[RJM]

I'd be interested in a drinks event - it would be great to meet some more people in the area! Due to working in central London and having non-local things on several evenings a week, that's one thing we've not managed to do as much of as we'd like

[MagmaTimes]

I've lived in Sydenham (Peak Hill Gardens) for just over 6 years now and I think it's a great place. My daughter has gone to school here and loves it. The high street is a bit rough round the edges mainly due to a few boarded up shops and what appear to be abandoned buildings but it's got a great vibe and we've got a fantastic bookshop, a health food store, even a café that sells records now! Transport links are excellent for getting all over London and further afield. We have some lovely parks and green spaces. Dacres nature reserve, Sydenham Hill woods, Alexandra Rec….all lovely.

To be honest, in terms of "safety", it's about as safe as anywhere else in London. There've been a couple of murders in the time I've lived here but then there've probably been a similar amount in any bit of London you might choose to look at. I've personally not had any trouble whatsoever, nor has my wife or daughter.

My only complaint about Sydenham is that it is by far the noisiest place I've ever lived, in terms of parties and loud music. I've lived all over London (originally from Croydon) but the tolerance for late-night reggae played at window-vibrating volume is nuts round here! I dunno, maybe it's just the streets and houses in my immediate vicinity.

[buzzbee]

Hello all,
My husband and I are hoping move to Sydenham from Peckham, where we have lived for years now. We like Sydenham and its green areas, and moving here would allow us to stay in South East London, which we would really like for family and work reasons. We just wondering what you thought about the area around Hazel Grove/Laurel Grove? It seems very convenient (10 minutes from Sydenham station and not too far from Lower Sydenham either), but is it unsafe? The main road especially has a few car shops where I imagine it gets dark and deserted after a certain hour - how safe is it to walk past at night?
Also, is there anyone else who has recently moved to Sydenham and has tips for newcomers?

Thank you in advance! And thank you in general for this forum, it has a lot of useful information on the neighbourhood!

Hi 2lai,

I hope to share some perspective.

I moved from East Dulwich, where I spent 8 years, to Sydenham, last year. I love it.

My husband and I were in exactly the same position as yourselves. We had made a home in East Dulwich (rented) but could afford so much more in Sydenham. We made the move and didn't even question it, as we loved it. We're more to the Bell Green end, but we have so much more for our money. Where we are placed, we are 10/15 minutes walk to Sydenham/Lower Sydenham, which are much more convenient than East Dulwich. Also, this morning I managed to get to Paddington in 50 minutes > Sydenham (overground) > London Bridge (jubilee line) > Baker St (bakerloo line) > Paddington. I was dissapointed I couldn't stay longer at home, had I had known!

As for safety, I walked rather 'happy' from Sydenham, and had no problems. I will be honest and say, when I first moved here, it took me months to adjust, as I never felt safe. Now, I feel so much safer! My neighbour in East Dulwich was recently mugged, so I don't think you can pin point it to an area.

As for neighbourhood, shall we set up a monthly drinks event? Dom Johnston - I've been meaning to contact you about this, as I'd love to meet new people. I saw your post on ED Forum and wanted to make contact earlier. Anyone interested?

@Sydering you beat me to it! I was going to suggest this too as I've seen the Forest Hill lot have had a couple of 'meet the neighbours' type events. I'd be up for doing this/helping organise. Love The Greyhound but on a nice night the gardens of The Dolphin would be lush.