Bermondsey – The best place to live in London
BY TOBY PORTER
toby@slpmedia.co.uk
Let ‘em all come down to The Den. That’s what the fans sing at Millwall’s home games.
But now The Sunday Times has joined in the chorus. It lists the Lions’ home, Bermondsey, as the top place to live in London – pipping Peckham, which was top dog last year.
And another two South London areas, Furzedown near Streatham, and Herne Hill, came fourth and fifth in the table.
Contrary to the words of the chant at The Den, the guide does not list jellied eels or glasses of beer as the chief attractions of Bermondsey. Nor does it list The Den, for that matter – though many Lions fans see the ground as a place of pilgrimage.
Instead the guide says:
“Bermondsey’s ranking as the best place to live in London reflects the rise of an area that epitomises the modern urban good life.
“Its residents are typically young, affluent and often reside in photogenic lofts in converted warehouses, while railway arches are fast being converted into galleries, bars and restaurants.”
Apart from Neil Harris’ side – which is on a record-equaling six away wins in a row – Bermondsey is also home to the Fashion and Textile Museum, independent cinema Kino Bermondsey, Southwark Park, the White Cube gallery and Maltby Street Market, known for its artisanal coffee, Taiwanese waffles, and home-made pesto.
Oh, and Sir Michael Caine, aka Maurice Micklewhite Jr, and star of Zulu, The Italian Job and Educating Rita, is also from there – not a lot of people know that.
But properties cost from £700,000, while bigger houses go for up to £6million. The guide also cited Bermondsey’s convenient location close to the City and the Thames, plus its vibrant food and culture.
Last year, Peckham topped the table thanks to its “swift transformation” from a “no-go patch of South London” to a “middle-class hot spot”. The guide takes in factors such as jobs, schools, culture, broadband speed, shops and community spirit. Furzedown was described as an “urban village that’s cheaper than Balham, but less gritty than Streatham, with leafy side streets and a vibrant community spirit.”
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unbelievable I’m born and bread Bermondsey boy of sixty years , how things have changed is astonishing , twenty years ago you could not pay people to live in Bermondsey now you can’t afford to live here , years ago when people used to ask where you lived and you said Bermondsey people would give you a wide birth , and as for getting a black cab from the west end home on a late night out forget it , the black cab drivers would say I’m not going south of the river its bandit country , oh happy days . things have changed some for the good and some not so ,there is hardly any real bermondsey folk left they have all packed it in and moved away the thing that i personally miss is all the boozers have gone and no longer any more lock ins, the old Kent road is now like a ghost town , i don’t think theres one boozer left, so all in all some good and some things not so
Wow ! Im originally from Bermondsey and of course a loyal Lions fan and im so pleased our little bit of London is top dog for once . I live up North now as my works here but my heart is always and always will be in London . So well done Bermondsdey and come on you Lions ?