Top of the hill: Crystal Palace has a lot to offer, in addition to the views over London
Crystal Palace has been named the Best Place to Live in London, placed atop of a list of six locations in the capital chosen by The Sunday Times in their annual guide.
The guide, which includes 70 locations, is released online today and an edited version will be available in the paper on Sunday.
The judges behind the guide assess a wide range of factors, from schools, transport and broadband to culture, green spaces and the health of the high street. They look to celebrate improving towns, villages or city centres, attractive, well-designed homes and locations bursting with community spirit – which the pandemic has shown to be the most vital quality of all.
An average house price for each location has been supplied by Halifax and up-to-date information on broadband speeds has been provided by Thinkbroadband.com.
Unusual: the protected area around Church Road includes some fine Victorian Gothic houses
As well as Crystal Palace, New Malden and the 2021 leading London location, Teddington, were both rated as being among the top six places to live in the capital.
“The Sunday Times Best Places to Live list is necessarily subjective,” said Helen Davies, the newspaper’s property editor.
“Leave it just to statistics and you will never capture the spirit of a place. For that, you need to visit to take into account that ‘you have to be here’ feeling. Is the pub dog-friendly, for example? Can you live car-free? What are the schools and houses like? Is it multicultural and multigenerational, and can it offer a good way of life to lots of different sorts of people?
“Ten years ago, when we launched the inaugural list, London’s gravitational pull was strong, the WFH revolution had not yet reached our doorstep and high streets were stacked with chains. How times have changed — and how welcome that change is.”
And the guide says…
Crystal Palace: While the mix of green spaces, pretty Victorian streets and chichi shopping and dining isn’t unique, Crystal Palace has a welcome urban edge, too – as well as community spirit and a fascinating history.
Average house price: £526,000
Growth since 2020: 17%
New Malden: The large, vibrant Korean community makes this solid southwest London suburb both a feast for the tastebuds and a place of pilgrimage for fans of Squid Game. More traditional househunters’ boxes are ticked by strong state schools, connections to central London and some fine period houses.
Average house price: £664,000
Growth since 2020: 15%
Teddington: Last year’s London winner beats the naysayers to keep its place in the list, thanks to its gorgeous green spaces, dreamy Thames-side towpaths and vibrant high street.
Average house price: £815,000
Growth since 2020: 15%
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