When my great friend and former flatmate Ed told me that he was moving to Kennington I have to say that I was a bit sceptical. When you think of good areas in London Belgravia, Hampstead, Chelsea, Kensington and the their ilk all roll of the tongue. Asked about bad areas and you think of Brixton, Lewisham, Harlesdon, Tower Hamlets, Elephant and Castle and well, places like Kennington too.How wrong could I be. The streets are packed full of delightful Victorian and Edwardian houses. Side streets contain places like the delightful Cleaver Square where the sophisticated residents play boules in the summer (photo above). It is so close to central London that it is practically in W1. Kennington is brimming with positive indicators including gastro pubs, estate agents, regeneration of housing estates and new builds. The only thing it is missing is a trendy wine bar (thank goodness). We should all move there!
For the record I live in Brockley which no one has ever heard of, making it a safely middle of the road kinda area. It could do with some of the positive indicators that Kennington has!
Ah Brockley. The Barge, the station, Hilly Fields, the long walk up the hill from Lewisham with shopping, the 484, the Sunday afternoons in Greenwich, the witness appeal boards and the best frickin' fish + chips for miles around.
ReplyDeleteKennington's a mixed bag - just like Lewisham and Tower Hamlets (although those are both boroughs not "villages" as such. Methinks you had been drinking when you posted that gushing praise, Richard...
ReplyDeleteThe only regeneration of my estate is what's happening inside my flat!
Make my bus the 436 - I mean where else do you get to see an entire burrough riding for free?
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