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No area of London is the same. Some are littered with trendy bars, others stick to more traditional pubs. Some are built up and chaotic, others are calm and full of greenery. Whether you’re in the centre or the suburbs, each postcode has its own distinct character.
Now, the Telegraph has weighed in on which London suburbs are better than the rest. The paper listed its top 10 suburbs, which included Wimbledon Village, Dulwich Village, Southall and Amersham. But it also named five places that it says people should give a miss. And we beg to differ.
Don’t get us wrong, we know these places by no means perfect. But they certainly don’t deserve to be written off altogether. Here’s the case for each area that the Telegraph says ‘still give the suburbs a bad name’.
Anerly
The Telegraph’s main criticism of Anerly is that it ‘has a station and not much else’. But a two minute walk from that station you’ll find one of London’s greatest bakeries, Chatsworth Bakehouse, which is reason enough to pay the place a visit. On the same road, there’s Gipsy Hill’s micro-bar The Douglas Fir and on the other side of town there’s Marlow Fish Bar, a 60-year-old family run joint known for serving the best fish and chips in the south of the city.
Croydon
Croydon really gets a bad rap. It featured on the Telegraph’s list for its ‘decimated shopping centre and soaring crime’. However, the paper does acknowledge that it once had ‘oodles of promise’. We’d argue that there are plenty of places in the suburb worth exploring. Wander down Surrey Street Market, which dates back to the 13th century, stop by Matthew’s Yard for some live comedy or open mic nights, pop into Pollock’s Toy Museum to see playthings of yore, or take yourself and a group of friends to The Ludoquist to choose from thousands of boardgames.
Edmonton
According to the Telegraph, Edmonton is simply ‘a sprawl of chicken shops and gang crime’. As with any area of London, there are parts where you should keep your wits about you but Edmonton does have plenty of things going for it. Namely, there’s Millfield Theatre which puts on a diverse programme of drama, dance, musicals, comedy, cabaret, live music and children’s theatre. There’s also mammoth superclub Drumsheds, which is constantly hosting sets from the biggest names in dance music. A little outside of town, you have the gigantic Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which offers plenty more than just football. There’s the F1 go-karting experience beneath the pitch and the Dare Skywalk that takes you 42 metres above it.
Harlesden
The diverse community of Harlesden means that it’s home to loads of glorious eateries that take you on a trip around the globe. Award-winning One Stop specialises in jerk chicken, Yadgar serves Afghan and Pakistani cuisine and is considered a local gem, Alma’s cafe has a counter full of traditional Swedish goodies and Arponnar is known for its excellent menu of authentic Burmese food. There’s also the beautiful Hindu temple Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (aka Neasden Temple) that’s worth checking out, and the expansive Roundwood Park.
Surbiton
The Telegraph said that Surbiton should be avoided because it hasn’t changed much since the 1970s. Sure, it’s not a particularly buzzy or youthful area, but Surbiton’s a very pleasant place to be if you’re after somewhere green and calm. Claremont Gardens, Fishpond Park, Raeburn Open Space and The Wood and Richard Jefferies Bird Sanctuary are all lovely spots for a moment of peace and fresh air.
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