New to all this and needing a bit of guidance please!
I've lived in Sydenham for several years now and very happy, although I realise that I haven't had one single night out in our town since I moved here, which is just crazy! I'm outgoing, thirty... and I tend to find myself always going further afield to meet with my friends.
Does Sydenham actually have any classy family pubs/bars? Or a lovely restaurant? I haven't even been out for a coffee here. I think we would see a lot of people crawl out of the Sydenham woodwork were we to have a cosy and clean coffee shop on the high street. I wonder if anybody knows of any plans in the future to revamp our high street? Am I alone in feeling that it is suffering from a mild overdose of poundshops and greasy spoons?
Perhaps we will see a change once the tube arrives?
LAH
Newbie question about our high street
The Dolphin (next to the Mercedes dealership near the corner of Mayow Road and Sydenham Rd) has just been beautifully refurbished - from a pretty rundown boozer to a bright, modern, non-smoking pub with lovely food. It opened in early December; the food is terrific (couscous, cassoulet, beef stew, fish pie etc) and is served at tables in one large bar area. The owners also run the Dartmouth Arms in Forest Hill and have created a very relaxed and welcoming environment. Other good restaurants are Gurkhas (Indian / Nepalese) next to the NatWest bank, and Fez (Turkish) on the corner of Trewsbury Rd and Sydenham Rd. The long-established Montecassino opposite the Dolphin appears to be enjoying something of a revival - there are good reports about it elsewhere on the forum. In Kirkdale there is another excellent Italian restaurant called That's Amore, where the owner regales diners with romantic Italian songs!
There is a major local initiative to get improvements to Sydenham Rd - Lewisham council are working with Transport for London on a consultation exercise locally for ideas to make the high street more pedestrian friendly. Once this gets the go-ahead there will be £2m to spend on the street from Cobbs Corner down to Mayow Road - again, there is more about this elsewhere on this site under the heading 'Living Streets'.
If you look at the thread in 'Town Cafe' on the topic of the juice bar, you will see that there is a great demand for a good coffee shop or juice bar - and we hope it arrives soon! This topic is being discussed elsewhere too under the thread Sydenham Shop Shop in Town Asylum.
The local civic society is involved in all these initiatives. Do think about joining - you can download an application form from www.sydenhamsociety.com
There is a major local initiative to get improvements to Sydenham Rd - Lewisham council are working with Transport for London on a consultation exercise locally for ideas to make the high street more pedestrian friendly. Once this gets the go-ahead there will be £2m to spend on the street from Cobbs Corner down to Mayow Road - again, there is more about this elsewhere on this site under the heading 'Living Streets'.
If you look at the thread in 'Town Cafe' on the topic of the juice bar, you will see that there is a great demand for a good coffee shop or juice bar - and we hope it arrives soon! This topic is being discussed elsewhere too under the thread Sydenham Shop Shop in Town Asylum.
The local civic society is involved in all these initiatives. Do think about joining - you can download an application form from www.sydenhamsociety.com