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Living in Crystal Palace: what it’s really like in ‘the best place to live in London’

Crystal Palace house prices average at £526,000, having enjoyed 17 per cent growth since 2020  (Daniel Lynch)
Crystal Palace house prices average at £526,000, having enjoyed 17 per cent growth since 2020 (Daniel Lynch)

Crystal Palace has been named the best place to live in London.

The Sunday Times Best Places to Live crowned the trendy south London hotspot their 2022 winner for its “bohemian” vibe and strong schools.

Not only does this hilltop neighbourhood offer fantastic views across the capital, but it also has a “welcome urban edge, community spirit and a fascinating history”, according to the newspaper’s panel.

It was named after the Victorian Crystal Palace exhibition building, built in 1854, and is known for its park, football club and the ‘Triangle’ concentration of indie coffee shops, pubs and restaurants. There is also an Everyman cinema.

Crystal Palace house prices average at £526,000, having enjoyed 17 per cent growth since 2020, according to Halifax. Trains to London Bridge take 20 minutes, with London Victoria a 28-minute ride away.

Five other London areas featured in the UK-wide list, published today. In no particular order, they are: King’s Cross, Victoria Park, Hanwell, New Malden and last year’s winner, Teddington.

Both Hanwell, in Ealing on the long-awaited Elizabeth Line, and New Malden, split between Kingston and Merton, are featuring for the first time.

To compile the annual guide, areas are judged on a range of factors, from schools, transport and broadband to culture, green spaces and the health of the high street.

Helen Davies, property editor of The Times and Sunday Times, said: “The Sunday Times Best Places to Live list is necessarily subjective.

“Leave it just to statistics and you will never capture the spirit of a place. For that, you need to visit to take into account that ‘you have to be here’ feeling.

“Is the pub dog-friendly, for example? Can you live car-free? What are the schools and houses like? Is it multicultural and multigenerational, and can it offer a good way of life to lots of different sorts of people?”

What it’s like to live in Crystal Palace– a local’s view

Anna Jacobs in her colourful Crystal Palace home (Adrian Lourie)
Anna Jacobs in her colourful Crystal Palace home (Adrian Lourie)

Local artist and interiors influencer Anna Jacobs has fallen in love with this south London community since moving to the area with her children. Here’s what she had to say about life in the newly-proclaimed best place to live in the capital.

I feel more part of the community here than anywhere else I’ve lived.

I founded Crystal Palace Artists’ Open House in 2019 just after I moved because there’s a fantastic creative community full of enthusiasm. We’re taking a break this year because of Covid but we’ll be back again in 2022.

Where to eat and drink

There are loads of really nice independent places in the Triangle, where three high streets intersect at the heart of Crystal Palace. Coopers is a bakery by day and a bar by night, decked out in vintage, and Varanda has taken over a derelict building with Mexican street food and great cocktails. The Alma is great for an al fresco drink.

Right at the heart of the ‘Triangle’, The Alma has a large all-weather beer garden tucked away behind the restaurant (Adrian Lourie)
Right at the heart of the ‘Triangle’, The Alma has a large all-weather beer garden tucked away behind the restaurant (Adrian Lourie)

Green space

Crystal Palace Park is huge, obviously it’s where the Crystal Palace was moved after the Great Exhibition; before then it was called Penge Place. Westow Park’s really sweet, there’s a lovely dog-walking community there and it’s great for kids. South Norwood Lakes are gorgeous and you can sail with Croydon Sailing Club.

Working out

British Military Fitness has a new location in Crystal Palace Park run by two ex-paratroopers who train 18 to 75-yearolds with the same encouragement. The Crystal Palace National Sports Centre is unique. My son attends Deep Dish beach volleyball there and team GB train alongside so there’s a fantastic atmosphere.

Culture fix

Crystal Palace Festival is on for the rest of August in the refurbished Crystal Palace Park Bowl with everything from big name acts to local musicians, free film nights and workshops. There was a local campaign over eight years to get the old cinema reopened and now it’s an Everyman. It hosts Crystal Palace International Film Festival every March.

The Crystal Palace International Film Festival is later this year and will take place in September with the awards show hosted by comic Johnny Vegas (Adrian Lourie)
The Crystal Palace International Film Festival is later this year and will take place in September with the awards show hosted by comic Johnny Vegas (Adrian Lourie)

Dream street

If I’m honest my flat is almost my dream property. It’s a beautiful historic Victorian house in the heart of everything, close to the Triangle, it has a huge garden and it backs on to Stambourne Woods, which is a hidden oasis. Harold Road is also lovely, with big posh houses overlooking the recreation ground.

Getting around

To be honest I don’t cycle because the hills are a bit daunting. But transport here is really good, there are buses that take you straight into Brixton and you can get a train to Victoria, London Bridge or Canary Wharf from Crystal Palace or Gipsy Hill. It’s also on the Overground network.

While the hills of Crystal Palace can be daunting for cyclists they boast some of the most dramatic views of the city’s skyline that London has to offer (Adrian Lourie)
While the hills of Crystal Palace can be daunting for cyclists they boast some of the most dramatic views of the city’s skyline that London has to offer (Adrian Lourie)

Grocery shopping

Crystal Palace Food Market is like our own mini Borough Market. Crystal’s Cookies is run by a guy who bakes in his kitchen and brings them out fresh to sell on the stall and they’re fantastic. Sainsbury’s offers free parking for people who shop on the Triangle, not just at the supermarket, which is a great boost for local shops.

Only in crystal Palace?

Where else would you find dinosaurs and sphinxes in the local park?

What’s the catch?

Rents are rising because it’s an up-and-coming area so it’s hard for small businesses. It’s a shame because it’s that uniqueness that attracts people.

Crystal Palace is a popular and leafier choice for creatives wishing to escape the steep rents of more central neighbourhoods (Adrian Lourie)
Crystal Palace is a popular and leafier choice for creatives wishing to escape the steep rents of more central neighbourhoods (Adrian Lourie)

In three words

Creative, community, green.

Schools

Primaries Rockmount, David Livingstone Academy, Paxton Primary and St Joseph’s RC Junior School are all rated outstanding by Ofsted. For secondary pupils Harris City Academy is outstanding while there are several ‘good’-rated secondary schools nearby.

Evening Standard readers can get 20 per cent off Anna’s course Create Colour Magic in Your Home with the code STANDARD20 at annajacobsart.com