Sydenham area guide

Sydenham used to be dismissed as a bit sleepy and suburban, but the addition of the Overground, and rising house prices in Zone 2, have tied it securely into central London. Locals no longer have to trek up to Forest Hill or Crystal Palace for a drink or a decent coffee; low-key cafés and independent shops have begun to congregate along Kirkdale (inevitably being rebranded ‘Kirkdale Village’ with a council-led facelift in the offing). Upper Sydenham, leading down from Sydenham Hill, benefits from having pretty Sydenham Wells Park as its focus, with big houses mixed in with estates. Other desirable addresses include Lawrie Park (pictured above, its vista once painted by Camille Pissarro) and the Edwardian conservation area of the 'Thorpes' next to Mayow Park.