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Time Out - 30/01/2008
Jessica Cargill-Thompson

Like its neighbours Nunhead and Forest Hill, Honor Oak is often talked of locally as 'up and coming'. Its Mediterranean deli displays adverts for a gazebo maker, private drum tuition and a local art and crafts open day. Meanwhile, contributors to online discussion forum se23.com (any area with aspirations must have one) talk excitedly about the opening of a new bread shop, where to find the best doctor's practice, and the local Italian restaurant making it into Hardens.

Honor Oak is an oft-forgotten enclave, not without charm, on the bus route between Peckham and Lewisham. If you don't live in south London and aren't a follower of lone famous local Timothy Spall, you may never even have heard of it.

A transitional mix of shops, cafes and restaurants line the main road: a toys and gifts shop, mid-century furniture dealer, Italian restaurant as well as a Cypriot travel agent and strip of unreconstructed fried food outlets. Across the junction around Brockley Rise is another burst of activity with a Caribbean health food shop, genteel secondhand shop, and an upmarket Indian restaurant (Babur Brasserie, 119 Stondon Park; 020 8291 4881). Keeping things grounded is The Chandos, a big traditional pub showing Sky Sports.

The woods of One Tree Hill dominate the area, one of the highest - and steepest - points of south London with dramatic views across the city in one direction and out to Kent in the other. Clinging to the slopes down from Honor Oak Road are rambling Victorian and Edwardian villas in varying states of repair, 1930s semis, low-rise blocks of flats, and Walter Segal's pioneering 1970s and 1980s timber frame self-build project. Most streets are architecturally mixed and some require crampons; those to the west (behind the Horniman Museum) have been dubbed 'The Hornimans' by estate agents to denote desirability. In contrast, downhill on the eastern side of the railway line, neat rows of Victorian, Edwardian and inter-war terraces characterise the flat low ground off Brockley Rise and Stondon Park.

The area has long been undervalued, though residents of south-west London, as well as Canary Wharf and Highbury, are starting to cotton on, encouraged by the promise of the East London Line extension in 2010 and big commercial and retail development in nearby Lewisham. Desirable streets include Devonshire Road, a long leafy road with plenty of flats, and the quieter streets around Bovill and Garthorne Roads.

Going out

There's a reason why this area attracts so many young families. Apart from 4am DJ bar Equal (barequal.com) and a handful of decent restaurants, there's b****r-all nightlife. Locally, Forest Hill, Peckham, and East Dulwich are livelier bets.

Local shops

This is still an area in transition but approaching a critical mass of gift and food shops: Jumping Bean (45 Honor Oak Park; 020 8314 4747) is probably best. Look out too for mid-century furniture dealer ID (No 49; 020 8699 8087) and Bertram Bakery, about to open at No 5. There's also Caribbean health-food shop Yam Hill (108 Brockley Rise; 0208 8314 1154).

Schools

Fairlawn (fairlawn.lewisham.sch.uk) is a popular primary school, for those who don't mind hills, but secondary school provision is still an issue. Independent St Dunstans (stdunstans.org.uk) on the South Circular and community Specialist Science girls' school Sydenham School (sydenham.lewisham.sch.uk) both have solid reputations.

Transport

Frequent trains direct to Victoria and London Bridge, and a good selection of bus routes: P4 to Brixton and Lewisham; P12 to Surrey Quays; 171 to Holborn; 172 to St Paul's. Promise of the East London Line extension by 2010.

Local estate agents

Haart (020 8291 4563; haart.co.uk).

Sebastian Roche (020 8291 9441; sebastianroche.com).

Willmotts (willmotts.com).

CAN YOU AFFORD IT?

?399,995

Three-bed 1930s house, Courtrai Rd.

?269,950

Two-bed Victorian conversion flat, Devonshire Road.

?178 pw

One-bed first-floor flat, Boveney Road.