chantelle

thanks snoozequeen. I don't expect anywhere to be drug free, but when you see evidence of it without looking too hard, it makes you wonder about how many addicts might be about to get more gear, and how that can mean more muggings and burglaries in an area. i've lived in some rough places where i would run down the street going home after dark, but am about to have my first baby so safety seem more important to me now.

cheers.

snorky - i know, it was a bit nuts. Maybe we were just looking more closely around, as outsiders? i have seen drug smoking on the street before though elsewhere in SE/SW

Pandora and Binker - thanks for your feedback - sounds like we will be neighbours if we make the move because it's at the station end of B. rd. incidentally, the heroin guy was white.

seanmlow - i think your comment is funny because the houses we are looking at are all languishing on the market for sale so the owners have decided to rent. One is on sale at ?489,000 and for rent at ?345 a week. Please explain how this is dead money when to buy it, i would be paying around ?2,445/month for an interest-only mortgage vs. ?1,495 in rent. So I should pay a 40% premium to buy, in a market where even conservative commentators expect depreciation of at least 15% - 20% over the next two years?! Now that would truly be crazy.

Spangles - sorry but after reading numerous descriptions of flats, talking to estate agents, etc. - they present Bellenden Road as some kind of s london nirvana! thanks CF for your reassuring words. these incidents were just to the left of the station. :)

thanks for your feedback. we are looking at DH too. problem with e. dulwich is at the moment we live spitting distance to the tube and love that, so we are trying to be within 5 min. of a station that will bring us directly to work. not to be lazy but hubby also has a 15 min walk on the other end so doesn't want to double his current commute.

Hi, i'm considering moving to Peckham Rye, to the mythical Bellenden Road. I thought the area seemed nice enough, while also doing my homework about how it may be sliding a bit backward since the regeneration, etc. well i took hubby to see the house (for rent, not buying in this market!) and within minutes by the station saw a couple drug deals apparently going down, plus a guy smoking heroin in a phone booth. I've lived in other parts of South London for the better part of 7 years so I'm no prude but this still raised alarm bells for me. does anyone know anything about crime levels and things like burglaries in the area? we'd love to move to E. Dulwich proper but need the rail link to Blackfriars. kindest thanks. C.