How are Kenley and Coulsdon areas? (Croydon)

Soundgirlrocks

bluedrop wrote: »

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend.

We drove through the area and thought it was lovely. I posted here to see if there is anything I am missing. We avoided Croydon postcodes until now (for obvious reasons) because we never knew there were lovely areas around there.

Croydon is a massive borough (33.6 sq miles) so writing off the whole area on based on narrow minded assumptions without acutely looking isn't obvious, its silly.

There are some very leafy, very expensive, very affluent areas and there are some rough areas that I wouldn't go near, much like every other borough in the country.

PhilE

bluedrop wrote: »

Can you suggest some nice areas in Surrey please? We need academic schools, under an hour to London.

Whats your budget roughly and what sort of property are you looking for?

HonourlessWeasel

I lived in Kenley for five years, only left this year. I liked it, so I'd say yeah. I never felt unsafe as a woman walking around, even late at night/early hours of the morning. There were never many people about, even after dark.

The only things going on there crime wise are theft from a motor vehicle, some theft from dwellings, moped thefts. There seems to be little in the way of knife crime, even when the police do sweeps for knives in wooded areas they very, very rarely turn up any dumped weapons. The biggest problems I found were the council refusing to turn up to pick up dog mess or fly-tipping. The rows I had down the phone with council about both those things over the years was laughable - even when I had photographic evidence of both things happening they always refused to do anything about it.

It's quiet around Kenley, unless you're in a block of flats (the one I was in had some questionable people, but it's unlikely you'd end up in the same one!!) as the average age of the population is fairly high. The traffic towards Purley is a nightmare at certain times of the day, but you'll learn that, and you'll learn to avoid it, so if you've got a kid who needs to go to school, walk, don't ever drive. The local buses (407 and 434) are great, the trains (don't start on Southern) when they're running are also good and regular.

I really miss living in Kenley. It was a perfect all rounder for me - not too far from work, but also not too close. Quiet, green, close to Costco, but not too close to Croydon to make it a hole. Close enough to Central London that you can just go for a few hours to do something fun, you get me?

Whoever up thread said Wallington...:rotfl:I lived there before moving to Kenley. My memories of it included lots of drunks, a lot of vomit on the streets, being threatened by people in the town centre, an utterly awful time in the train station, someone taking the front off my car, drug dealers, being threatened with a golf club, constant sirens up and down the road I lived on. Yeah, didn't like it, wouldn't recommend it. Oh, and Manor Road outside the train station at the bottom of the hill, look up some videos of the last time it flooded :rotfl:

harrys_dad

What on earth do you mean by an "academic school"?

rach_k

bluedrop wrote: »

We avoided Croydon postcodes until now (for obvious reasons) because we never knew there were lovely areas around there.

Don't assume that 'CR' means Croydon... the Royal Mail says I'm in Mitcham, Surrey, CRX XXX. Mitcham is in Merton, Surrey is a whole other county, CR implies Croydon but we're actually in Sutton.

I like Wallington and haven't seen any of the bad stuff described above, although I know things like that happen everywhere. Carshalton and Hackbridge are nice too - those three have a village/small town feel but still within an hour of London. Plenty of green spaces, lots of housing options and great schools. Go a bit further out past Wallington and you're in the countryside.

There are some very expensive (and nice) areas in Croydon, so I'd just go for a drive and see what kind of areas you like then look at the schools.

newatc

bluedrop wrote: »

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend.

We drove through the area and thought it was lovely. I posted here to see if there is anything I am missing. We avoided Croydon postcodes until now (for obvious reasons) because we never knew there were lovely areas around there.

I was surprised not offended. Good luck with your search.

zagubov

Sutton and Kingston are close to London on the SW trainline. They have good grammar schools and most of the comprehensives are good. Inside these boroughs there are open leafy areas and some crowded more urban ones. Areas like Stoneleigh and the Maldens are spacious and inside the Oyster travel area.

There are many parts of Croydon which are safe and have high-end housing. Haven't a clue how good the schools are.

SuboJvR

HonourlessWeasel wrote: »

I lived in Kenley for five years, only left this year. I liked it, so I'd say yeah. I never felt unsafe as a woman walking around, even late at night/early hours of the morning. There were never many people about, even after dark.

The only things going on there crime wise are theft from a motor vehicle, some theft from dwellings, moped thefts. There seems to be little in the way of knife crime, even when the police do sweeps for knives in wooded areas they very, very rarely turn up any dumped weapons. The biggest problems I found were the council refusing to turn up to pick up dog mess or fly-tipping. The rows I had down the phone with council about both those things over the years was laughable - even when I had photographic evidence of both things happening they always refused to do anything about it.

It's quiet around Kenley, unless you're in a block of flats (the one I was in had some questionable people, but it's unlikely you'd end up in the same one!!) as the average age of the population is fairly high. The traffic towards Purley is a nightmare at certain times of the day, but you'll learn that, and you'll learn to avoid it, so if you've got a kid who needs to go to school, walk, don't ever drive. The local buses (407 and 434) are great, the trains (don't start on Southern) when they're running are also good and regular.

I really miss living in Kenley. It was a perfect all rounder for me - not too far from work, but also not too close. Quiet, green, close to Costco, but not too close to Croydon to make it a hole. Close enough to Central London that you can just go for a few hours to do something fun, you get me?

Whoever up thread said Wallington...:rotfl:I lived there before moving to Kenley. My memories of it included lots of drunks, a lot of vomit on the streets, being threatened by people in the town centre, an utterly awful time in the train station, someone taking the front off my car, drug dealers, being threatened with a golf club, constant sirens up and down the road I lived on. Yeah, didn't like it, wouldn't recommend it. Oh, and Manor Road outside the train station at the bottom of the hill, look up some videos of the last time it flooded :rotfl:

Haha, I was more thinking of the end of Wellington nearer Wally Girls! I guess that's potentially more like Woodcote?

zagubov

Many of the London boroughs with Surrey postal addresses have more desirable areas which are often (but not always) to the south. The OP needs to drivea round the areas.

enthusiasticsaver

When I lived in Surrey about 28 years ago though Coulsdon and Kenley were nice areas to live. We lived in Carshalton and Sanderstead. Good and bad areas though like everywhere.