Living in Croydon

Croydon is one of the largest town centres in London, with its own skyline of office towers, many built in the 1960s and increasingly converted into flats or replaced with new residential towers. It is a place in the middle of long-running change: its main shopping centre has been awaiting redevelopment for years, while new cultural and food venues have opened around it.

Transport is its greatest strength. East Croydon station has fast Thameslink and Southern trains to London Bridge and Victoria in around fifteen minutes, direct services to Gatwick and Brighton, and trains through the City to St Pancras. West Croydon adds the Overground north to Shoreditch and Highbury, and Croydon's tram network runs east to Beckenham and New Addington and west to Wimbledon.

The town centre has Surrey Street Market, one of the oldest street markets in London, the refurbished Fairfield Halls arts centre, Boxpark food and drink hall by East Croydon station, and a large shopping area. Croydon Minster and the remains of the Archbishop of Canterbury's former palace reflect the town's long history. Green spaces include Wandle Park, Lloyd Park and Addington Hills, where a viewing platform looks towards central London.

Housing ranges from new apartment towers and office conversions near the stations to Victorian terraces in Addiscombe and South Croydon, and interwar suburbs further out. Rents are among the lowest for such fast rail links. The town centre can feel rough and uneven in places, and there are sharp contrasts between regenerated and neglected streets. Croydon suits commuters who want fast trains to London Bridge or Victoria, modern flats and value, and people who travel regularly to Gatwick or the south coast.