Why we all want to move to Crystal Palace (and the house we're buying when we get there)
Alight from the train in Crystal Palace and already, you’re on the edge of its expansive eponymous park. Everything here feels giant-sized when you’re coming out of the city: the arches at the station, the 200-acre park, the hills which are some of London’s steepest, and the sprawling views of London.
Making your way out of the station, look for the musician carrying an instrument, and at least one fisherman’s jacket. Its bohemian feel, has for centuries, been a honeypot for creatives, young and old. Sherlock Holmes author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle lived in the area between 1891-4. Young professionals are drawn to centrally located Victorian conversion flats and new builds while families favour the surrounding residential streets where there are period houses with impressive gardens, set back from the road.
The Crystal Palace, a spectacular Victorian glass structure designed by Joseph Paxton, burned down in 1936. It was a hub for the arts, hosting grand musical performances with gardens adorned with dinosaur sculptures and fountains. There are only a few visible signs of its former life (The Terraces and the Sphinxes) but the essence of this being a place where the arts are precious and celebrated remains.
For the ten years I’ve lived in south London, The Triangle (made up of Westow Hill, Westow Street and Church Road) has been the place to go for a day out pottering that stretches seamlessly into the evening.
Eating
The 45-minutes I queued for a passionfruit milk bun from Chatsworth Bakehouse on Anerley Road last week was completely worth it. I rate its sourdough loaves and pizza slices (sold in its sister shop two doors down) too. You can pre-order sandwiches to pick up but if you’re in the queue, you will be treated to tasters while you’re waiting.
For good sourdough pizza under £15, Four Hundred Rabbits does all the classic toppings plus seasonal specials (walnut & hot honey and miso mushroom are on the menu now). I enjoy Bar Palazzo, another Italian, for its chequerboard floor, leather booths and zucchini fritti (crispy fried courgette).
My birthday dinner venue of choice was The Alma pub. Its Sunday roasts are exceptional, the menu changes with the seasons and there is attention paid to where the ingredients come from (it also serves a good selection of London’s craft beers). For brunch and lunch, Spinach is my go-to. It serves good coffee, does the usual eggs-on-something selection well, and changes its freshly made salad offering weekly.
Pick up charcuterie, olives, cakes, and bread from independent vendors at the food market inside Crystal Palace Park. It’s on every Sunday.
Drinking
When the day calls for a glass of something nice and a bite to eat, go to Crystal Palace Wine Club. It’s good for a quiet weeknight drink, with a livelier vibe at the weekend. The menu is refreshingly simple: good wine and cheese, charcuterie boards and cheese toasties. The White Hart, just over the road from The Alma has an equally impressive craft beer selection. There are quiz nights on Mondays and live entertainment on Fridays.
For fresh, local draught beers, I’m drawn to the microbreweries a little further out. Their industrial interiors make it a casual affair, somewhere for groups of friends to while away an afternoon. I like Gypsy Hill Taproom (a roughly 30-minute walk from Crystal Palace Station) and Southey Brewing Company (a 20-minute walk from the station in the other direction) and you can order Yard Sale pizzas to have with your pint at both. Craft and Courage on The Triangle has more of a pub feel.
Shopping
Crystal Palace is known for its vintage shopping and Crystal Palace Antiques, a Victorian warehouse overflowing with mid-century pieces and vintage furniture at all price points, is usually my first port of call. Its stock turnover is quick so when I’ve been looking for something, I’ve made weekly visits. There’s also Bambino, a smaller vintage furniture shop, which sells clothes and records too.
ALKEMI has a beautifully curated selection of clothes, homeware items and gifts from Japan and Korea, while Mrs Robinson is a high end interior store, selling furniture and furnishings as well as trinkets. For homemade crafts, ceramics and jewellery, there’s The Handmade Palace Art & Craft Market in the Crystal Palace Subway.
Green space
You could have a succession of days out in Crystal Palace Park and they would all feel entirely different. There’s a boating lake, a fishing lake, a skate park, a maze, a museum, a farm, the ‘Rusty Laptop’ music stage and the dinosaur statues that remain in place from 1854. But if you feel like you’ve finished exploring, Beckenham Place Park with its swimming lake, ancient woodland, and a mansion, is 30 minutes away by bus. Both parks have a lively events calendar.
Crystal Palace Park is also the most southerly point of The Green Chain Walk, a 52-mile walking route through the green spaces of South East London, ending at Thamesmead. The route includes two linear walking routes, one that starts at Crystal Palace, and one that ends there (that’s the only one I’ve done so far). It is well signposted but TFL has put together a map of the routes too.
The important bits
On the cusp of London’s Zone 3 and 4, the London Overground Windrush line will take you as far north as Highbury and Islington, via Shoreditch High Street and Dalston Junction. Southern Railway also serves Crystal Palace with a direct 25-minute route into London Victoria and 30-minute route into London Bridge. Take a 15-minute train from Crystal Palace to East Croydon and you have access to direct trains to East Sussex, West Sussex, Surrey and Brighton & Hove, as well as Gatwick Airport.
While you’ve got independent cafes and craft shops on your doorstep, Crystal Palace is suburban enough that you’re also only ever a ten-minute drive away from an industrial estate with a B&Q and an Aldi and, crucially, about 20 minutes from the Croydon IKEA.
The schools in Crystal Palace are a draw for those with children approaching school age, with OFSTED awarding many of the local schools Outstanding (Paxton, Rockmount and St Joseph's Primary and Harris City Academy Crystal Palace for 11–18-year-olds).
The houses we're browsing in the area
1/75 bedrooms, Maberley Road
A peaceful five bedroom detached Victorian house with a south-east-facing garden bordered by mature trees. It's close to the station and sits across four storeys. This 2,666 sq ft house is listed with The Modern House for £1,575,000.
2/71 bedroom, Drake Court
A one bed leasehold flat with Crittall windows and original marble sills in a mid-century estate. Residents have access to private gardens; Crystal Palace Park is a stone's throw away. The flat is listed with the Modern House for £450,000.
NEIL PERRY3/75 bedrooms, Hamlet Road
A Victorian detached house over 3,300 sq ft and four storeys, with the added benefit of a two-bed self contained annexe and planning in place to connect the two. Inside, the floorboards and fireplaces are original; outside, a south-east facing garden boasts mature trees and vegetable beds. It's listed with Inigo for £2,000,000.
4/72 bedrooms, Lawrie Park Road
A two-bed flat right by the park, it boasts big windows and period features. It's listed with Martin & Co for £425,000.
5/75 bedrooms, Hamlet Road
A four storey Victorian house in the Crystal Palace conservation area, with a 100-foot garden. A spacious family home, there are five bedrooms and four reception rooms. It's listed with Knight Frank for £2,500,000.
6/73 bedrooms, Woodland Road
A split-level flat with high ceilings and sash windows just a stone's throw from the Crystal Palace triangle. It's over 900 sq ft, and is listed by Winkworth for £585,000.
7/72 bedrooms, Whiteley Road
A split-level Victorian conversion over 800 sq ft. It's closer to Norwood Park than Crystal Palace Park, but it's not far away. The flat is listed by iMove Property for £525,000.
