I really like the area and had nearly bought a place on Stanstead Road (the bit off the South Circular) but it had damp and needed the roof replacing.

Could anyone advise me what the nice streets are in FH and HOP please

Not an easy question to answer, it depends what you are looking for. But if you want to know where some of the nicest and most expensive houses are located I would suggest the following roads:
Garlies Road, Allenby Road, Horniman Drive, Liphook Crescent, Wood Vale, Honor Oak Road, Dunoon Road, Thorpewood Avenue, Rockbourne Road, Gaynesford Road, Vancover Road, Lowther Hill, Brockley Rise (North), Honor Oak Rise, Canonbie Road, Netherby Road, Radlet Avenue, Hengrave Road, Redberry Grove (some are not in SE23 but are on the borders).

Of course there are some great houses on other roads and some of these roads rarely have houses on the market (especially at the moment). And virtually every road in SE23 is a 'nice road'

As Michael said, it's difficult to say without knowing exactly what you're looking for, but there are lots of nice roads in the HOP area. We've been renting on Codrington Hill and that's been lovely. We'll be moving soon though as just we've bought a place on the north bit of Brockley Rise, near Stillness school. Tatnell Road is very nice too...

I live in Gabriel Street and love it - really nice neighbourhood and very close to station and great few local shops and restaurants. I also think Bovill Road and streets off it are nice. I looked at a few before I bought here. Good luck with your flat / house hunt!

We live on Stillness Road which is very nice indeed, very neighbourly and the terraced houses are deceptively large.

Some of our friends live on Wyleu Road, also very nice and a bit quieter too because of the no through roads.

The roads around Blythe Hill in HOP are very nice

I live on and love Devonshire Road. Nice and quiet with excellent access to both HOP and Forest Hill.

I think all in all the whole neighbourhood is nice around HOP Gabriel as well as Wyleu and the surounding roads benefits from the no through road. What kind of property are you looking for? A friend of mine is potentially putting her place on the market.

Thanks guys, thats a great help!

A 1 or 2 bed flat, victorian conversion if possible? up to 235k?

Yes, outside of living directly on the A205 underneath the railway bridge, you really can't go wrong with many streets in FH or HOP. I would recomend Shipman Rd. However, I don't think there are any For Sale signs up at the moment.

On a separate note (will probably be moved :-)) I have a friend who lives in HOP. And he said, half-jokingly, that there was a difference between those who live in HOP and those who live in 'One Tree Hill'. Does anyone else make that distinction?

Gabriel Street rocks!

Yeah I loved the look of Gabriel Street but I couldnt see any 'For Sale' boards. Sign of the times I guess.

However Im going to look at a place on Holmesley Road, does anyone know if that is a nice area?

Those who live in One Tree Hill are sleeping on a bench.

Another vote for the block of redbrick Edwardian terraces bounded by Gabriel St, Bovill Rd, and Garthorne Rd.

I like living there. It's pretty quiet and peaceful with a nice social mix - not too roughneck, not too posh.

Lots of houses went up for auction there recently. They were all owned by one family and tenant occupied (regulated tenancies). Most of them were bought by one lady, but I suspect they were being 'bought in' and will be sold on as and when the regulated tenancies come to an end.

there is a flat for sale on stillness road that might fit your criteria

http://www.homesandproperty.co.uk/sale/l...66904.html

I viewed a garden flat on Gabriel Street afew doors from me about 2 months ago. It was up for about ?220K but needed lots of work doing to it do make it a good 2 bed living space. I reckoned about 15k would have done it ok. It was up with Robert Stanford in Forest hill - might be worth calling them as in this climate it might not have gone yet.

There are a couple of flats for sale at the FH end of Vancouver Road at the moment - don't know what they're like, but I've been very happy there for the past 18 months.

Ooh, one of my favourite hobby horses! I make the distinction between Honor Oak (West of the tracks, top end of Devonshire Road - Dunoon, Hengrave, Boveney etc., but not crossing Honor Oak Road to the posh estate!!) and Honor Oak Park (east of the tracks).