FOREST HILL
Forest Hill is one of those easy-to-miss spots that deserves a closer look as it has great transport links. It’s a popular place to live for young professionals as new local shops, coffee bars, comedy clubs and gastropubs continue to increase in number.
Shops and restaurants are clustered around the station; the area is undergoing change with new independent shops, coffee bars and restaurants opening up. There is a Sainsbury’s and an enormous Wetherspoons in the old Art Deco Capitol Cinema. If you’re looking for a good local, The Sylvan Post is a popular pub in the old Post office; and the Dartmouth Arms is the best local gastro pub.
If you are interested in shopping, Bunka is local a small boutique chain selling women’s and men’s clothes which started life in Forest Hill but now has branches in Earlsfield and Balham while the Stag and Bow has an eclectic mix of vintage homewares and craft items and the multi-talented staff there run craft workshops.
Canvas & Cream is also worth investigating and is a new restaurant and art gallery which recently hosted an event at which Charles Saatchi and Nigella Lawson were the star guests. Within walking distance in Forest Hill is the famous Horniman museum. The gardens are spectacular (especially in spring) with a newly-refurbished Victorian bandstand, spectacular views over London and a sound garden where visitors can play on giant musical instruments.
The Devonshire Road Nature Reserve is home to rare plants on a cutting on the Forest Hill to New Cross railway embankment. Plenty of local places of interest for our culturally-minded housemates.
Havelock Walk is an artists’ colony of renovated mews houses where there are often art exhibitions and the Hob is a pub which hosts a local comedy club. The Forest Hill Pools have recently been refurbished with new swimming pools, exercise studio and gym.
Forest Hill station is 15 minutes from London Bridge and around 35 minutes to Victoria. The East London Line connects with the City at Shoreditch and Canary Wharf with a change at Canada Water.
People love living in Forest Hill; there’s a real community spirit. It’s a charming area with its open spaces, fabulous character, beautiful buildings, events, places and apparently, if you smile at people there, 8 out of 10 smile back !!