East or West Dulwich

[ClaphamCouple]

Hi Guys - We're a 30s couple from Clapham and soon going to have a baby. We are planning to move to Dulwich but are confused about the pros and cons of East/West dulwich. We both work in the city and love a vibrant high street. Although this would change I guess. Can some experts pencil down their advice? Regards A & N

[ClaphamCouple]

May be I should correct myself, anyone please feel free to comment even if you're new to the area. Everyone is an expert in some way or the other :-)

[Gray]

Oh, gosh...

East Dulwich on the following caviats -:

Use Foxtons as your agents.

Bid 50K above in a sealed bid.

Become a patron of THE CHERRY TREE!!!

Buy an out-sized 1 child, 3 bed, 3 bath buggy.

Ensure the Mummy has a ridicule worthy tale.

Taze anyone within 50ft of your blue bin.

Definitely be a communist so you can feign outrage over private contracts.

[DuncanW]

Hilarious comments like Gray's aside...

East Dulwich is a completely different vibe to West Dulwich.

It's a great area and very family friendly. There are two lovely parks, Dulwich and Peckham Rye, plus a few other smaller ones. The 'High Street' isn't Shoreditch, Islington or Clapham (even), but does still have a nice inner London feel to it with some interesting cafes, pubs, shops etc... Plus if you work in the City, transport from ED is much better that WD.

Also consider roads in SE15 north of East Dulwich Road, but south of Peckham Road. It's very similar to East Dulwich.

West Dulwich is okay but much less going on and less good transport.

[spider69]

ClaphamCouple Wrote:

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> Hi Guys - We're a 30s couple from Clapham and soon

> going to have a baby. We are planning to move to

> Dulwich but are confused about the pros and cons

> of East/West dulwich. We both work in the city and

> love a vibrant high street. Although this would

> change I guess. Can some experts pencil down their

> advice? Regards A & N

We both work in the city?

You should fit in very well

[Gray]

They don't work in the CITY City.

Nobody I know uses the term "Guys" in normal conversation. But then again I work in EEEEVVVIIILLLL Oil and Gas and so may well be out the loop.

I'm guessing HR, or even worse, Digital fcuking Marketing.

[LondonMix]

West Dulwich is better value. It has a grander, leafier feel. Bel Air park has got nice tennis courts as well. However, in general I would say is pretty boring? There really isn?t that much choice there.

East Dulwich has small housing stock and in general small gardens and East Dulwich station is only good for London Bridge. However, ED has much more energy, has many more amenities (including the new Picture House cinema that should open at the end of this year), squash courts, tennis clubs, yoga and pilates studio, the gym on Crystal Palace Road, loads of restaurants, Dulwich Park and Peckham Rye Park which both have things like British Military fitness, Park Runs, running clubs, nice playgrounds, plus the area has good restaurants and pubs, north cross road market and an increasing number of cafes, retail shops, beuty shops.

You can typically get to Denmark Hill or Peckham Rye on the bus in 10-15 minutes which opens up a lot more commuting options for ED. Depending on where you live you can typically easily access the amenities in Dulwich Village, Forest Hill and Peckham Rye (including the shops on Bellenden) by foot from East Dulwich and definitely by bus. The Hormiman museum and Gardens, Dulwich Library, the Picture Gallery, Bellenden Road, and Dulwich Woods are all less than a mile from my front door. However, West Dulwich is much more cut off in my view (though of course its close to some of this stuff).

Depends on if you want amenities and buzz or a bigger house and garden. I think the state schools at primary level in both areas are good but not sure where kids go for secondary if they live in West Dulwich. In ED, depending on where you live you can get into the Charter (which is excellent) and a new secondary run by Haberdasher and Aske is likely to open on the Dulwich Hospital site. There are also a girls and boys ED Harris school on the east side of East Dulwich which are both supposed to be good.

Both areas are definitely nice but very different in feel

[daveybigpotatoes]

East Dulwich. Moved here four years ago and love it. Loads for new mums to do, pretty much universally family friendly.

Ignore the small minority if miserabellas and enjoy M&S when it opens.

[tiddles]

I think West Dulwich is probably easier for schools if you are not going private (elm green/dunraven/charter)

Larger houses for your money. West norwood high street is not far away - grittier than Lordship lane but lots of useful shops and some nice coffee places. They also have the monthly 'feast', are also getting a cinema and have recently had a sports centre refurbed, many family friendly pubs. I think East Dulwich has peaked and LL will be a victim of its own success and become more like Northcote road with its chains and parking charges.

[Earl Aelfheah]

West Dulwich has nicer housing stock on the whole, but there is little going on there. ED has more in the way of shops, bars etc, great weekend market (Northcross Road), parks and better transport to the city. Have you also looked at Herne Hill?

[mrcee]

Go honor oak park, the commute to the city, canary wharf and kings cross area is really good and primary schools are excellent plus the delights of east dulwich is not too far on the weekend

[Ariadne]

West Dulwich gets my vote, it has a relaxed friendly feel, ideal for young families. Great houses but it comes at a price

[BackinSE22]

Where's the squash court in ED mentioned here please?

[LondonMix]

There is one right by the big Sainsbury's -- its cheap an cheerful. There are also ones the public can use that are associated with the private schools but I've only used the one next to Sainburys on Dog Kennel Hill.

[NewWave]

Honor Oak Park is pretty dead, and I would recommend East Dulwich or Forest Hill (Horniman museum side) over HOP.

We were originally looking to buy in West Dulwich because we were specifically looking for a 1960's townhouse on the Dulwich estate.

We ended up by the Horniman museum in forest hill and are delighted we didn't move to West Dulwich because transport links are so much better in ED and FH and there is a much wider choice of local shops bars cafes and parks over this side.

We occasionally go a drink in Dulwich village but otherwise we stay over this side or go on the overground to Shorditch which takes around 20 mins when we want an evening out or nice weekend shop and eat.

[granadaland]

Suckers...

[pinecone]

city money buying at the top of the market.

[Jah Lush]

East Dulwich is full of blow-ins from Clapham so you'll fit in perfectly.

[Earl Aelfheah]

There are a lot of people moving here from Balham, Clapham and Battersea at the moment. Not sure why that would be a problem though. A lot of people around here have come from somewhere else in London or further a field.

[KalamityKel]

Does it really matter? Both are not THAT far from each other really!

Transport in both areas IS good (despite some comments already raised). Both are close to all amenities - not only for shops, schools (both primary AND secondary)and transport but also for health - plenty of doctors to choose from (of varying quality) and near to the hospital.

Property wise both areas are ridiculously expensive for what you get... *shrugs*

[LondonMix]

I'd echo what others have said about Honor oak. The housing stock in General is smaller than West Dulwich and the amenities are much fewer than East Dulwich. However the transport links are better and the schools are very good and it's better value than Dulwich. Personally I would first look at Forest Hill (bit near the Station) as an alternative to Dulwich before Honor oak.

Again all nice areas. West and East Dulwich aren't that close though. I had a friend looking for a flat there and she tested the walk from the south end of Rosendale to Lordshiplane near Framklins and it's more than a 40 min and ther is no bus connection.

[LadyNorwood]

LondonMix Wrote:

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> I'd echo what others have said about Honor oak.

> The housing stock in General is smaller than West

> Dulwich and the amenities are much fewer than East

> Dulwich. However the transport links are better

> and the schools are very good and it's better

> value than Dulwich. Personally I would first look

> at Forest Hill (bit near the Station) as an

> alternative to Dulwich before Honor oak.

>

> Again all nice areas. West and East Dulwich

> aren't that close though. I had a friend looking

> for a flat there and she tested the walk from the

> south end of Rosendale to Lordshiplane near

> Framklins and it's more than a 40 min and ther is

> no bus connection.

You can get the P13 from West Dulwich station to Lordship Lane...

[Mike Dodd]

As you have noticed a lot of jealous people arond here east or west both very nice places to live east is a bit more going for it i.e bars and food places

[healey]

East or West, remember to ignore bitter comments from self-appointed class warriors.

(Assuming this isn't a rather subtle troll thread.)

[KalamityKel]

LondonMix Wrote:

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> I'd echo what others have said about Honor oak.

> The housing stock in General is smaller than West

> Dulwich and the amenities are much fewer than East

> Dulwich. However the transport links are better

> and the schools are very good and it's better

> value than Dulwich. Personally I would first look

> at Forest Hill (bit near the Station) as an

> alternative to Dulwich before Honor oak.

>

> Again all nice areas. West and East Dulwich

> aren't that close though. I had a friend looking

> for a flat there and she tested the walk from the

> south end of Rosendale to Lordshiplane near

> Framklins and it's more than a 40 min and ther is

> no bus connection.

a 40 minute walk is good for you! Come now, lets not be soft. Besides, depends on the route taken. Cycling is quite popular I hear.

I used to walk every day to and from school from East Dulwich to West Dulwich no more than a 30 minute walk, never did me any harm and certainly taught me to not depend on motorised modes of transport.

I'm confused over your comment over amenities. What is your definition of an amenity? BOTH areas have an abundance of everything one could possibly need - shops (whether a cluster of tacky independent shops or several "local" supermarket chains near by), schools, transport, health facilities, pubs/bars/eateries. What more could you want?

When people think of East Dulwich where do they actually mean? Lordship Lane? Of course it's a buzzing area (LL) but then what else is there, if you were to take away the "high street", that makes ED superior to West Dulwich?