Given the choice of East Dulwich or Forest Hill, I would honestly choose FH every time.

ED is full of little side roads, no parking, and far too close to Peckham Rye for my liking.

Dulwich Village is of course another matter, but I love FH. Has its rubbish bits, but as a whole, its great.

I couldnt agree with Snazy more. FH is miles above East Dulwich (excuse the pun!)

Lordship Lane, to be frank, only really has the nice (but generally over-priced) high street going for it. The fact our transport links are better already, and will get more so, has already been mentioned - but what hasn't is that many of those pretty-looking terraces off LL have quite poky houses, especially considering the higher prices. You would for instance, probably get larger rooms for your money in a 4-bed house in FH, and are likely to get a larger living room in a 2 bed conversion flat here than off LL. And don't start me on gardens...

Anything you find you do want from Lordship Lane is only a short bus ride away, even from the Perry Vale side of the railway - so why bother? Buy here, and get the best of both worlds (until our own High St gets some TLC and improves).

Forest Hill is much more varied than ED, both socially and in terms of things to do. And fairly friendly - especially for London, which I know can be an issue for Northerners! The green spaces, and views from the hill give you a wide open horizon which really lifts the spirits at the end of a week working in the towering, closed-in urban sprawl. Sure this helps us all keep calmer than elsewhere in The Smoke! If Sydenham Hill Woods or One Tree Hill (both within walking distance) aren't green enough for you, it is as quick to get into the countryside as it is to get to the centre of town, so you can do frenetic townie stuff or get down with nature with equal ease. Or stay put and have a laugh at The Hob!

Can't add much to what has already been said. Agree with just about all of it.

Have lived here for most of 20 years - and love it. After an 8 year stint in Peckham (which was hell - no disrespect to the people), this place was like coming to the country - and the move into my last flat, the happiest day of my life at the time. After 12 years in that flat, I moved 2 minutes up the road to a bigger place.

Plenty of green spaces, beautiful trees and quiet roads away from traffic. It's like a village, but with all the amenities you would require and Central London accessible - and even more so when rail links have been improved. Friendly people (as stated, diverse community). Not many run down parts - even the council estates seem to be well maintained, and not too much crime that I am aware of. The community police officers say good morning when they pass. Not something associated with London.

There are more affluent parts of London, but I can't think of anywhere I would rather live right now.

there's a nice write up on Forest Hill in today's Times (Bricks and Mortar section).

It's entitled "the suburb that's going up in the world".

You can see it online....sounds like a nice place...maybe I'll move there!!

http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/li...856797.ece

Thankyou for that - it's the sort of thing to convince my mum that we aren't insane moving to London!

Its good that it picks up on the good things about the area but I got the impression that whoever wrote it had maybe looked at Google Earth for a second and no more.

Doesn't quite describe the place and the housing as I see it anyway?

- Where are these Victorian Villas behind the Horniman?
- Why no mention of the 1960's housing that is also prevalent in the area?

I just imagine when I read these things about other places that they are accurate, now I see it a bit differently...

The housing stock is mostly Victorian, Edwardian and 1930s town-houses.
Almost true, although I think they might be combining the 1930s semis and the 1960s town houses. I am not aware of the 1930s housing stock being referred to as town houses.

...and there is a smattering of purpose-built apartment blocks from different eras.
True, from 1900s to 1960s and beyond.

Behind the Horniman Museum is an enclave of grand, detached private villas.
Probably Honor Oak Road, which is sort of behind the Horniman. I can't think of a better way to describe their geographic proximity to the Horniman.

I think it does us no harm to be in a column that has so far talked about Wimbledon, Herne Hill, Stoke Newington, Kennington, Hampstead, Mayfair, Blackheath, Cystal Palace, Finsbury Park, Southfields, and Marylebone. We are in relatively good company.

It could be worse....
http://www.newstatesman.com/society/2009...men-coffee