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Crystal Palace

  • 8/10

    9
  • Rate this

This charming area of south London is centered around the Crystal Palace triangle of independent pubs, cafes and local businesses. Art and film festivals and laneway weekly markets are a pull for families and young professionals. Popularity and property prices are tempered somewhat by the limited transport connections.

Reviews(2)

A great place to live

16/09/2023

I've been living in Crystal Palace for about four years now and I have to say I absolutely love it....

I've been living in Crystal Palace for about four years now and I have to say I absolutely love it. I've lived in a few places across South London - including Brixton, Herne hill & Camberwell - all of which I enjoyed. But Crystal Palace just has something about it. It has a great setup, built around the Crystal Palace triangle, with great pubs, cafes and restaurants on all sides. My favourite pub is the Alma but can't go wrong with the Westow either. The Sparrowhawk a cracking pub too, you can't go wrong really. There's a real villagey feel, on the top of a big hill (you'll get fit living here) with lovely residential streets of pretty old Victorian houses. The rescue of the cinema situation by Everyman was a real bonus. There's a really lovely quirky feel to the place I find. It's a bit bohemian being a hotspot for antiques and vintage wares with the emporium and vintage shops on Church Rd opposite the cinema. Wander through the backstreets inside the triangle and you'll see little studios and artists workshops. Sometimes the artists even have open house and you're welcomed in to have a look at their works and even enjoy a glass of wine. Also love the Haynes Lane Market, which is open a few days a week. Of course there's also the awesome Crystal Palace park, which these days has a Brown and Green cafe, down the bottom where the parkrun starts and finishes. I have to say, it does feel a bit far out at times, having lived in zone 2 for many years beforehand. And the public transport isn't the best. I work in the Farringon area and the trains from Crystal Palace aren't great for that. Nor the trains from Gypsy Hill. I like to jog over to Sydenham Hill and catch a decent train in from there, shower at work, etc. Appreciate that wouldn't be for everyone! In any case, these days I probably only average 2 days a week in the office and 3 days a week from home. I'm happy spending a decent chunk of my time in such a lovely area. Access to the city isn't as important to me as it used to be.


  • 5 0 0
User
Big Trev

(Advanced Reviewer)

Keeps getting better

16/04/2022

Bohemian feel, I loved the community I found here. The art community with its annual open house fest...

Bohemian feel, I loved the community I found here. The art community with its annual open house festival, the film community with its own annual film festival and newly restored picture house cinema. It also has a local market which is open a few days a week. Great for young families. The park is a highlight and the cafes make it a really enjoyable place to live.


  • 3 0 0
User
UncleJasper

(Reviewer)

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User Ratings Rate This
  • Pubs & Cafes

    10.0 ( 1 )
  • Attractive Houses & Pretty Streets

    9.0 ( 2 )
  • High Street

    9.0 ( 3 )
  • Hipness

    9.0 ( 2 )
  • Parks & Green Spaces

    9.0 ( 1 )
  • Schools

    9.0 ( 1 )
  • Community Feel

    8.7 ( 3 )
  • Architecture

    8.5 ( 2 )
  • Museums, Galleries & Culture

    8.5 ( 2 )
  • Pedestrian Access

    8.5 ( 2 )
  • Safety

    8.3 ( 3 )
  • Cleanliness

    8.0 ( 2 )
  • Sports Facilities

    8.0 ( 1 )
  • Affordability

    7.0 ( 1 )
  • Council Services

    7.0 ( 2 )
  • Driver Access

    7.0 ( 2 )
  • Shopping

    7.0 ( 1 )
  • Parking

    6.5 ( 2 )
  • Cycle Access

    6.0 ( 1 )
  • Healthcare

    5.0 ( 1 )
  • Nightlife & Entertainment

    5.0 ( 1 )
  • Public Transport

    5.0 ( 1 )
Stations

Station Crystal Palace

London Overground, National Rail
Discussion Topics
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event image
Haynes Lane Market

Haynes Lane Market is a vintage, antiques and collectibles market in the heart of Crystal Palace housing a selection of traders selling a great mix of all things antiques, collectible and vintage. Open from 11-5 Friday Saturday Sunday

event image
Crystal Palace Parkrun

A free, fun, and friendly weekly 5k community event. Walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate – it's up to you! https://www.parkrun.org.uk/crystalpalace/ Every Saturday at 9:00am. The event takes place at Crystal Palace Park.

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House prices in Crystal Palace are more affordable than in large swathes of south London, tempting young couples and families to move here from the likes of Wandsworth, Clapham and Balham.
04/05/2016

Evening Standard

Reviews(2)

A great place to live

16/09/2023

I've been living in Crystal Palace for about four years now and I have to say I absolutely love it....

I've been living in Crystal Palace for about four years now and I have to say I absolutely love it. I've lived in a few places across South London - including Brixton, Herne hill & Camberwell - all of which I enjoyed. But Crystal Palace just has something about it. It has a great setup, built around the Crystal Palace triangle, with great pubs, cafes and restaurants on all sides. My favourite pub is the Alma but can't go wrong with the Westow either. The Sparrowhawk a cracking pub too, you can't go wrong really. There's a real villagey feel, on the top of a big hill (you'll get fit living here) with lovely residential streets of pretty old Victorian houses. The rescue of the cinema situation by Everyman was a real bonus. There's a really lovely quirky feel to the place I find. It's a bit bohemian being a hotspot for antiques and vintage wares with the emporium and vintage shops on Church Rd opposite the cinema. Wander through the backstreets inside the triangle and you'll see little studios and artists workshops. Sometimes the artists even have open house and you're welcomed in to have a look at their works and even enjoy a glass of wine. Also love the Haynes Lane Market, which is open a few days a week. Of course there's also the awesome Crystal Palace park, which these days has a Brown and Green cafe, down the bottom where the parkrun starts and finishes. I have to say, it does feel a bit far out at times, having lived in zone 2 for many years beforehand. And the public transport isn't the best. I work in the Farringon area and the trains from Crystal Palace aren't great for that. Nor the trains from Gypsy Hill. I like to jog over to Sydenham Hill and catch a decent train in from there, shower at work, etc. Appreciate that wouldn't be for everyone! In any case, these days I probably only average 2 days a week in the office and 3 days a week from home. I'm happy spending a decent chunk of my time in such a lovely area. Access to the city isn't as important to me as it used to be.


  • 5 0 0
User
Big Trev

(Advanced Reviewer)

Keeps getting better

16/04/2022

Bohemian feel, I loved the community I found here. The art community with its annual open house fest...

Bohemian feel, I loved the community I found here. The art community with its annual open house festival, the film community with its own annual film festival and newly restored picture house cinema. It also has a local market which is open a few days a week. Great for young families. The park is a highlight and the cafes make it a really enjoyable place to live.


  • 3 0 0
User
UncleJasper

(Reviewer)

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