What's Streatham (London) like?

Indy500 · 23 Oct 2009 at 00:44

Well postcodes can be deceptive, I have a UB one but that doesn't mean I live in a student trap

Nimzicki said:
I'll still go check it and out and see what that exact area is like for myself but I'll also be looking at all these other places mentioned, thanks for all the replies and suggestions guys

I should add that Harrow is also a borough

grudas · 23 Oct 2009 at 00:53

i live in a very similar by crime statistics area... and tbh.. 1hrs on the tube is not a problem.. if that's you budget go for it.. if you like it get it.. people don't just jump on you for no reason (im lying) so yeah... it will be ok once you get to know the area.. but first go and check it out.. best thing to do

Fossil · 23 Oct 2009 at 00:54

krooton said:
Streatham is cheap for a reason. SE London is pretty crap on the whole apart from Greenwich, much prefer SW London for Clapham/Putney/Wimbledon/Richmond.

There are some good parts of SE London besides Greenwich (I'm assuming you mean near the Cutty Sark).

Nimzicki said:
I'll still go check it and out and see what that exact area is like for myself

Check out the area during day AND night, as the night could change your opinion

MarkDavis · 23 Oct 2009 at 00:57

krooton said:
Streatham is cheap for a reason. SE London is pretty crap on the whole apart from Greenwich, much prefer SW London for Clapham/Putney/Wimbledon/Richmond.

Yeah, but have your seen the price of property in Richmond/Putney/Wimbledon? Mega priced areas for house buying.

OP - Streatham in rough.

Freefaller · 23 Oct 2009 at 06:40

Streatham isn't a great area, it borders some nice areas, clapham, brixton for example, but Streatham itself is a little bit of a rough area - it does bring down that area unfortunately

I mean, it's no slum or harlem like in NY but I wouldn't choose to live there. It's the one of the parts that ruins SE london really, but then again N. London has many problem childs too - so you just have to take the rough with the smooth.

Put it this when one of my friends is a police officer in that area, and they get spat at and stuff thrown at them - and they're the police!

Try dulwich, greenwich, clapham, parts of wandsworth, or Soutwest towards wimbledon and that area. East and West london ain't great (certain hammersmith and that part of town).

n3llyboy · 23 Oct 2009 at 07:13

I lived in Saint Reatham and Peck Ham in the past.

Streatham. While I was in the ice rink a fella was shot to death on the ice.

Peckham. While playing with my sisters we witnessed these nobs throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the passing traffic. I mean tv's, toasters, chairs, everything. Oh forgot, this was from the roof of a toweer block.

Both are ****holes, avoid or get robbed and stabbed.

Vixen · 23 Oct 2009 at 07:42

n3llyboy said:
Streatham. While I was in the ice rink a fella was shot to death on the ice.

I know several people who skate at Streatham at least once a week so it can't be that bad!

I wouldn't recommend moving to a bad area and thinking of it as just a place to sleep. At some point you'll want to be able to just go out for a walk, or come home at night via public transport and feel safe getting from the bus/train to your door. I live in an ex council flat and although most of my immediate neighbours are pensioners, there are some very dodgy people within a couple of mins walk of here. It's not nice to feel like you have to travel just to find somewhere to walk and not feel safe just going to your car when it's dark outside.

-Ad- · 23 Oct 2009 at 08:33

krooton said:
Tooting/Balham will get you a 2 bed around that price. Our 3 bedroom place is £1350, and Wandsworth council tax is the cheapest in the country

Balham if you can afford it. More nice pubs/bars, yummy mummies etc etc, but more expensive. Tooting has an awesome bar called the Tram Shed, otherwise you have an awesome array of cuisine and the chance of getting attacked

Stay the hell out of Streatham. Horible place and only worth risking to get to the go kart track there. First time down to see my Mrs in London there were floods playing havoc with the trains. Terminated at Streatham and decided to use my initiative and get a bus to Wimbledon, so text her this. She came out of a meeting and rung me telling me to stay on the platform.

Not a problem I said, after seeing the massive 'MURDER DEATH KILL YESTERDAY, witnesses for the lulz?' sign right outside the station.

Maybe a slight over reaction, but it's still a dive and one place in London to avoid!

Nimzicki · 23 Oct 2009 at 08:36

Thanks guys, I can't find anybody on the net saying anything good about the place and it's put me right off

I'll check out some of the other places that have been mentioned, I just hope we can get something thats within budget...

JBod · 23 Oct 2009 at 08:39

"wretched hive of scum and villainy."

I think that sums it up, any other questions?

Anominity · 23 Oct 2009 at 09:00

Avoid Streatham, as everyone else here has said.

I live in Colliers Wood, just down the road, I would recommend it to anyone looking.

If you can find a place in the right area of Colliers Wood, you get a very short (<5minutes) walk to Tooting Rail Station. Which is just one stop down from Streatham, which also means you will get a seat on the train

Freefaller · 23 Oct 2009 at 09:15

Wandsworth area has nice parts, as does Battersea. Crystal Palace is on the up and actually is a lovely place, Dulwich is great but a bit expensive. Greenwich and Blackheath are worth a look. Wimbledon, Balham, Clapham, Tooting all worthy of a look too. East London along the river (south) is a bit dead a dull but ok to live in. As you go SW it gets more expensive and affluent.

Places to avoid, Deptford, Peckham, Streatham, Elephant & Castle.

Everywhere else is hunky dory.

Obivously there are more worse areas north of the river as it's a bigger portion of London.

XeNoN89 · 23 Oct 2009 at 09:17

I would avoid streatham and also any part of croydon north of purley unless you like gangs, getting mugged and being stabbed.

Nimzicki · 23 Oct 2009 at 09:18

Excellent, thank you so much for all the suggestions

apatia77 · 23 Oct 2009 at 10:16

No offense but I wouldn't want to live in Streatham.

Having said that there are many crap SE/SW London places where you can live but have very good transport connection.

I live in Epsom and this is probably heaven compared to Streatham.

daven1986 · 23 Oct 2009 at 10:25

I live in Streatham and I say is DON'T COME HERE. There are some nice places in Streatham but you still have to go through the crap areas to get there. You can look at places near Streatham Common around the Covington Way area, which is a bit better but the High Road is a bit poo.

You can find much nicer areas in South London, but tbh I'd live outside London and commute in.

Contrary to popular opinion you won't get mugged, stabbed, shot etc. as long as you know which areas to keep away from - these areas are easy to spot. You will still get mugged in Dulwich even though it is a really nice area (I went to school there and quite a lot of people got mugged at some time or another).

rypt · 23 Oct 2009 at 10:59

What exactly are our police doing to fail at cleaning up these areas?

Zero5 · 23 Oct 2009 at 11:23

daven1986 said:
I live in Streatham and I say is DON'T COME HERE. There are some nice places in Streatham but you still have to go through the crap areas to get there. You can look at places near Streatham Common around the Covington Way area, which is a bit better but the High Road is a bit poo.

You can find much nicer areas in South London, but tbh I'd live outside London and commute in.

Contrary to popular opinion you won't get mugged, stabbed, shot etc. as long as you know which areas to keep away from - these areas are easy to spot. You will still get mugged in Dulwich even though it is a really nice area (I went to school there and quite a lot of people got mugged at some time or another).

I've been here a while now and I haven't been mugged or stabbed. Definitely not the nicest place to live but it also is no where near the worst.

daz · 23 Oct 2009 at 11:45

Kennington/Borough might be worth looking at. South London on the whole is very changeable - you can be in a beautiful street of Georgian terrace houses worth £500k+ each, and then you can walk 200m and be on a grotty council estate.

I lived in Dulwich, Camberwell and Brixton whilst I was a student for 4 years... certainly an interesting time. Lived in some beautiful houses/flats. Probably wouldn't live there again though as I didn't enjoy the feeling of always looking over my shoulder and having to be aware of who's around you at all times.

daven1986 · 23 Oct 2009 at 11:54

Zero5 said:
I've been here a while now and I haven't been mugged or stabbed. Definitely not the nicest place to live but it also is no where near the worst.

People have attempted to mug me (many years ago) but didn't get anything. On the whole I find it much better than people make out, but certainly not somewhere I would choose to live (my parents live here, and I live with them!) it used to be a REALLY nice area, then they joined us up with Brixton in the Lambeth borough, and Brixton + Lambeth made us ****.

I'd stay away from Kennington, every time I go through there it looks awful. Also keep out of North London, Hell just don't live in London unless you are going to live in Kensington / Richmond. The city is general a poor area to live.